Pick Blackberries with a Ladder

Here some blackberries are growing on a hillside. The lower canes tend to be picked over by passing hikers and cyclists, but the blackberries grow all the way up.  The best and ripest blackberries are always out of reach.  Bring a ladder to reach new heights and the biggest, juiciest blackberry.

Step 1: Set Up the Ladder

Extend the ladder to full height, position it underneath the motherload of just-out-of-reach blackberries, and drop it down on top of the canes.  It's rare that any canes actually break, and I don't worry much about it because the canes are biennial and the ones with berries are going to die at the end of season. The root of the plant is perennial, and will continue growing new canes over top of the dried, dead ones.  In fact, climbing up on the hillside aided by ladder, I've never seen the ground underfoot; this particular hillside might be composed entirely of dead blackberry canes.   

Comments

[nunja business]

You could also take advantage of the "articulating" nature of that particular ladder to have a more stable platform.

[angelabchua]

The little one is fearless! All in the name of berries.

[jbussé]

why didn't I thought of that :-(
I had to put on a sweater, long pants, and sweat me to death :-(

[HarveyH44]

For blackberry patches on flat ground, use a board or scrap plywood for a walkway. The old dry vines are brittle and will break, the new stuff will be pulled down with your weight. Gives you a lot more access to berries you can't reach otherwise, much easier than cutting a path into the thickets...

[Lindie]

The fruits of your labor looks awesome. Now get baking! :-)

[porcupinemamma]

Ingeeeeeeeeeeeeeenious!!!

[sunshiine]

Where is the pie?

[sunshiine]

Oh wow! Look at those beautiful berries! I miss being able to eat fresh picked berries! Thanks for sharing!

[iceng]

Ill try the ladder, leaving for the Man in 9 hrs.
Looks like it works on berries, no bloody arms :-)