Materials & Tools
Empty plastic bottle - 500ml or
2 litre size
Broom handle or extending pole
A small wood screw

Drill and drill bit, Craft knife,
Scissors, Marker pen

Step 1

Cut the label from the bottle. If desired, you can remove any residual glue with a drop of white spirit.
 

Step 2

Draw a tear-drop shape with the marker, as shown. Using the knife, make a small slot on the line.

Step 3

Continue the cut all the way around the line using the scissors.

Step 4

A 500ml bottle is a good size for smaller fruit like crabapples, damsons, plums, cherries, etc.

Step 5

With a larger window, a 2 litre bottle is suitable for larger fruit like apples and pears.

Step 6

Insert the end of the broom handle into the neck of the bottle.

Step 7

Drill a small pilot hole though the plastic.

Step 8

Secure the bottle in position with a small screw.

Step 9

A broom handle should enable you to reach fruit up to about 3 metres / 10 feet from the ground.
 

Step 10

For taller trees, an extending aluminium pole can be used instead, allowing a much longer reach.

To use:

Manoeuvre the picker, so the fruit goes through the hole in the bottle, then pull. The fruit should land inside the bottle for safe recovery.