Bagging Apples on Your Orchard Trees
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I have to try this on my mango tree AND on my guava tree. Thanks for the idea.
I tried using stockings a few years ago on my apple trees. Every single apple died. I don't know what I did wrong. So, I might try this this year. My trees are near the end of their lives at 26 years old and hardly have ever produced anything at all anyway. (except one tree one year was loaded with apples)
Would this process work for peaches too?
Yes! Bagging peaches between petal fall and harvest reduces pesticide use, improves harvest, and delivers that juicy, sweet flavor everyone loves.
https://www.southernsare.org/Educational-Resources/From-the-Field/Paper-or-Pesticides-Bagging-Peaches-Protects-from-Insects-and-Diseases-Increases-Yields
Would this work for tomatoes? I have a problem with stinkbugs.
Yes, bagging with tomatoes has been shown to work (though we haven’t done it ourselves). According to studies, fruit bagging with organza fabric reduced insect damage and increased the size and yield of the fruit! It did not affect flower abortion, skin color and fruit fresh weight but it will delay the harvest period by 3 days.
Many folks say it’s fairly easy. Here’s some advice on how to bag: https://seeds.ca/d/?t=19d64c8600002698
We would think it might be difficult to cover tomatoes, given all the leaves and greenery. If bagging proves to be too challenging, perhaps just use a thin fabric covering of organza or no-see-um mesh.
Would bagging the fruit provide any protection against critters? I lose my apples every year to opossums and raccoons who climb the fence adjacent to the tree and eat their fill before harvest.
Critter protection from the bags has worked for me. I've had a couple of bags with chew marks on them and several apples that fell off the tree. But, in general, it works.
I have 50 acre mango farm with a mix of kent and keitt mangos. This year I lost 20% of harvest due to fruit flies. Would zip-lock be appropriate for these mangos or I should consider Japanese bags?
I see that there is someone selling Japanese apple bags on ebay at
http://www.ebay.com/itm/100-Packs-of-Japanese-Apple-Bags-Organic-Farming-to-Control-Pests-/291089974625?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43c6508561
It might be worth trying.