I’ve got a few citrus trees in my backyard, behind a privacy fence, and lately, people have started knocking on my door asking if they can have some of the fruit. Most say they’re from the neighborhood or the church, but it feels awkward to me.
I don’t mind sharing the fruit, but I don’t want people assuming I’ll drop everything to pick it for them. At the same time, letting people into my yard to pick it themselves feels like a bad idea—liability and security concerns, you know?
For those of you who grow fruit or vegetables, how do you handle this kind of situation? Is there a polite way to say no? Or a system to share without causing problems?
Be careful letting people pick fruit themselves. Once you let them in, they might think they have unlimited access and start coming whenever they want.
Indra said:
Be careful letting people pick fruit themselves. Once you let them in, they might think they have unlimited access and start coming whenever they want.
This happened to my mom. She let a lady pick some guavas one day, and that night the same woman came back with two other people and a ladder to grab more. When my mom confronted her, she called her a bitch! Some people just don’t understand limits.
Val said:
I have grapevines, and people kept stealing the grapes. I put up a sign saying, ‘Don’t eat, they’ve been chemically sprayed.’ Problem solved.
You could do the same with tomatoes: ‘Nightshade garden.’ Sounds sinister and should scare people off.
One of my neighbors leaves a basket of extra produce out by the mailbox with a sign that says ‘Free veggies.’ That way, people don’t have to ask, and it’s first-come, first-serve.
Owen said:
One of my neighbors leaves a basket of extra produce out by the mailbox with a sign that says ‘Free veggies.’ That way, people don’t have to ask, and it’s first-come, first-serve.
That’s a good idea! Maybe I could do something similar to avoid awkward conversations.
I have a massive avocado tree and used to give away extras, but one relative started asking for 20-30 avocados every week. I’m pretty sure she was selling them. Now I just tell people to pick their own—most don’t want to bother.
If you don’t want to share or it’s all spoken for, just tell them. Something like, ‘Sorry, it’s all for my family this season.’ If you do have extra, you could say you’ll leave it out front when available.
@Remi
Better to let it fall and rot than let someone damage your trees trying to pick it. Some fruit trees take years to recover if handled incorrectly.
Thanks for all the input, everyone! I like the idea of leaving a basket out front with a sign when I have extra. That way, it’s on my terms and avoids any awkward situations.