North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Charles Paradise <machelp@attglobal.net>]

There have been 2 or more questions about bagging in the last few days.
Previously I saved what I thought were some of the more descriptive 
posts about bagging with plastic bags.  I'm pasting these posts below 
and I'm bagging some of my Northern Spy apples which are in good set and 
clean - usually by now bites are already on most of the fruit - I will 
be bagging immediately not spraying with Imidan before bagging.
Charlie Paradise
_______________________________________________
I have used plastic bags for 2 years now and have had great
success! Before  I had almost 95% bad fruit even with sprying in
previous 6  years. Now after 2 years I have 95% perfect fruit.
Last year I did use both zip lock (cheap ones from WMart, 1-2
cents each) and fold lock tops that I stapled near the stem. This
year I used only zip lock bags and I did not staple them as I did
some last year for both types of bags. Yes it is one fruit per
bag and any size would work, I use sandwich size, and that held a
very large fuji, and will hold even a too big apple with out any
problem. If the apple gets bigger than the bag it will just
stretch it!

I had about 1% blow down with the bag empty. I had about 1% late
tree apple thinning, so the bag and the fruit both fell.

Both years I waited until the fruit size was about 3/4" to 1 1/4"
I thinned and then I bagged the remaining fruit. Some times on
the same step others several days apart. I have talked to one guy
that bags the fruit blossom cluster as soon as possible after
polination (pedal fall) and that keeps the PC plum curlio? off
the earliest problem in some areas. Then after the apples size up
he opens up the zipper type bag and then thins and reuses the
zipper.

I did use an insecticide spray at petal fall, and maybe one other
7-10 days later. This protected until the bags were on.

I have now harvested 2 of my apple trees. I had some sun scald on
bagged and unbagged apples, this is a different coloring and
sometimes a split in the skin on the south west side of the tree.
We have many days in the 90's and 100+ F so I think this heat  is
the cause not the bags.

I have had a few (5-10) apples with water in the bag. Most of
these the apple is just fine. I have trimmed the bottom corners
of all bags, leaving about 1/2" opening to drain water, so this
is not full of water just some droplets. Last year I had more
with some fungal problems with water in the bag. I have seen a
few maybe 5 with a black blossom end. Less splitting and spots
this year but not all picked yet.

So after bagging 1000+ apples I have 900+ great looking apples, I
harvest and leave the bags on for storrage. I did not do this
last year but have read it helps keep them longer. We are
entering some in the county fair this week and usually get
several awards for the apple, peaches, and nectarenes not bagged
though; also our garden vegies too!

When I finish with the remaining 3 trees I will give a follow up
with data from the control on a tree that had more problems last
year with fungal spots in bags, and so this year I did about 1/2
of the apples and so I will have some comparison of baged and
unbagged. Data!

I know that I have had a few, 2-3 with codling moth damage with
the bag. But I also know that the # of unbagged fruit most have
damage from bugs. I would guess over 50% damaged unbagged. Most
of these fall earlier because they ripen faster. We still trim
and eat these but these are bruised also.

I have also seen much control from the bird damage, with the bags almost 
no damage, with out the bag over 50 % of the remaining fruit this is 
high because of the low #'s of unbagged and they are hungry!

Jim
N. Idaho
Zone 6

_______________________________________________
The wildlife in the States must be awfully intelligent. I used to
get squirrel damage before bagging. For a two week period, the
squirrels would come and sample an apple; one chunk and spit it
out - no different than yesterday! With bagging, the deterrent
appears overwhelming. I am tempted to try it on my peaches next
year, as long as the winter doesn't kill all my flower buds. Bird
pecks and wasp damage are also at a minimum - much much less than
totally bare.

As for the zip lock, yes, there is an opening by the stem that I
am sure contributes to some contamination. For me, the damage is
minimal. I have removed bags that have half of the zip open and
part of the apple is bare to the elements - the apple was
perfect! It seems that the most critical period for the bags is
when the apple is young and developing. The apple is covered and
I suspect cannot exude enough of its aromatic 'nectar' to entice
the little crawlies.

When applying the zip lok, I have lost the odd apple because I
slightly twisted the apple. But the lock is never so tight that
it "bites into the stem". As for the "sail" effect. I would
suggest that this enhances the stability of the stem. The fruit
stem is made of similar material as woody stems. A stationary
stem of an apple tree is definitely not as sturdy as one that
waves in the wind.

JB
Can Zone 6b - just N of Toronto
_______________________________________________