Canvas around the trunk. When they are ripe, they will fall.

I keep my trees short enough to keep all the fruit within reach.

Try looking for a golf ball retriever I gave one to my uncle who said it worked well.
Sal

I would agree with thisisme. I never let my trees get over what a 6 foot ladder could reach. Once you shape them right ( I use a modified vase shape) picking is very easy. I even pruned back my apricots that way and this year was very easy to pick.

I have a couple of old fig trees that have very tall limbs, reaching the height of a second floor window. In spite of this I have never had a problem with harvesting figs from the topmost limbs. Fig limbs are remarkably flexible, and if you grab one and pull down, most will bend and enable you to reach the figs. Having said this, a six foot stepladder is a very useful and generally safe device. Figs require care in handling, and I doubt that you will find a picking device that will be able to pick figs without lots of damage. Trimming the plant is a better strategy overall.

I have a ~ 4'L wooden handle with a big hook on the end. It a home made thing that I pickes up at an estate sale. Looks like it was an old hoe or shovel handle. Works great to pull those tall flexible limbs down to pick. My own trees aren't that tall, but the one at my inlaws is huge(Celeste). Tim

Sounds like a job for my dad--he loves making devices to fit a particular need. If he comes up with something I'll let you know.

I've made one with PVC pipe and have given up on it.....too finicky. However, I have since found a much better fig picker. It is sold by Arcoa and is called E-Z Reacher......see the link below.

This neat tool works extremely well for picking figs. I intend to supply these to my customers when I open up my 'U-Pick-It' fig orchard........still just a dream. This can also be used to pick those out of reach blackberries. It helped my grandson avoid the thorns while picking those this summer. Also, works great for my original intended purpose.....to pick up prickly pine cones.

Dan

Here is a link that might be useful: Fig Picker

Thanks Dan I will check it out.

And I am looking into Sal's suggestion as well. Hopefully there's a good solution here

There are many different styles to these So with that being said it is best you visit a Walmart or sporting good store or golf shop to see if it would fit your needs. I searched the net but can not find the exact one I gave him. It was a dinosaur which I had for years and is probably no longer being made. I see some which look similar but it is hard to tell from a picture on a computer I'm sure you will have to modify a bit to fit your need( small or large figs compared to golf balls) maybe some rubber tape around wire to prevent bruising ect. ect.
Best of luck
Sal

Mechanical monkeys?

Thank God, we have no real monkeys here in NJ...

The advantage to the picker that I've shown above is that you can reach almost anywhere in a tree and pick the fruit. The two rubber suction cups on the end hold the fruit without damaging it......the tension between the suction cups is controlled by the amount of pressure that you place on the grip handle......that's why you can use it to pick blackberries too. I don't need a ladder when I use this tool. Similar tools are available at Target and Walmart for about $10. It is well worth the price.

Dan