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nafex - Re: [NAFEX] Apple Bagging Update

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  • From: John Barbowski <jbarbowski@gmail.com>
  • To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Apple Bagging Update
  • Date: Sun, 18 Sep 2005 12:12:17 -0400

Jim,
 
I recall reading somewhere that to help control plum curcullio, that you should spray at 3/4 petal fall. Was your success without any spraying at all? (namely dormant spray followed by the the PC control) Being allergic to work, if I can avoid these early sprays, it would be less labour for me.
 
I try to bag when my apples are roughly quarter size. I was a little late this year and did experience roughly a 5% increase in apple damage. (scabbing, insect and cracking). 90+% of my apples are great!  Moisture was not a problem (snipped the corners). I take my bags off a week to ten days before picking to get a bit more colour. Because of the damp cool spring up here, ripening is about 2-3 weeks behind. Just picked my macs 10 days ago; these usually are ready mid to late August.
 
I used twist ties on apples with long stems and zip-locks (slightly more expensive) on the shorter stems. I find the zip locks easier to use and will probably use only these in the future.

jb
Canadian zone 6b just north of Toronto
 
 
On 9/18/05, Jim Fruth <jfruth@uslink.net> wrote:
   Hats of to whomever invented apple bagging; you have my gratitude.  It
is the only reliable method of growing apples organically that I know of.
My farmers' market customers thank you too because mine are their first
opportunity for buying truely organic apples that are not wormy.
   Of my fourteen varieties, about 20% of the Harlsons and only a few of
the Parklands had moisture build-up cracking damage.  I used Zip Lock bags
with both bottom corners snipped off.  All apples gained some of their red
blush and, in all cases, were somewhat less than unbagged controls but still
gained enough blush to be recognized as true to type.
   Though all bags were zipped tightly against the stem, Fly-Speck and
Blotch fungi did manage to gain access but infected fruit was in
insignificant numbers and most  of those were still sellable.  Some bags
were loosely stapled around the stem using a chisel stapler to ensure a
tight fit but some of these fruits were also infected with fungi.  No
stapling will be used in the future.  Zero insect infections are/were
observed.
   The time spent bagging apples was approximately the same, or less, than
the time spent spraying in any one past year.  The cost of Zip Lock bags
(purchased in bulk from Sam's Club) was significantly less than the cost of
spray that was used in any one year.
   When sprays were used in the past, there were always some apples with
insect and/or fungi infections.  The number of these in any one year
exceeded the the number of infections when bagging was used.  Also, the
number of apples from any one previous year that were unsellable exceeded
the number of unsellable apples when bags were used.  While only one year of
bagging apples is being compared to many years of spraying, the results
obtained from bagging indicate that the trash man will be picking up my
spraying equipment upon his next visit.
--

Jim Fruth
Brambleberry Farm
Pequot Lakes, MN
www.bberryfarm.com




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