North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Dylan Ford" <dford@suffolk.lib.ny.us>]

Folks -

    The early part of this post is a few observations about my peach-bagging
experiences last season. If you aren't interested in that - but are
interested in bagging your fruit, just read the last paragraph.

    I decided to try bagging peaches last Spring with what was easily
available to me: zip-lock sandwich bags. The local supermarket has a damaged
package rack, where things are sold at reduced prices. All winter I checked
this rack, and whenever I found a damaged box of zip-locks I would buy it. I
have four peach trees, three volunteers from the compost pile and one a
purple-leafed seedling a friend gave me, as well as two younger compost
nectarines. The peaches aren't planted in the best spot, but they do set
fruit which gets completely ruined by curculio et al and then often become
moldy blobs. As I thinned the fruit last spring, I bagged the keepers
(hundreds), often more than one to a bag where the fruits were close. (After
nipping the lower corners off the bags with a razorblade for drainage, air).

    The peach trees set different types of blossoms. Two peaches - the red
leaf and one green - set very showy, large pinky-purple flowers reminiscent
of azaleas, while the other two make smaller drab-pink blossoms. I think I
may have heard that the flower type may relate to clingstone-freestone, if
so I'm sure one of the experts on-list will say. The nectarines both present
the showier type. There seemed to be a higher fast-failure rate among the
showy flowered peaches though I thinned all trees heavily, but as time went
on they actually outlasted the smaller drabs. All of the peaches and both of
the
nectarines got and stayed wet, and all eventually rotted in the bag, though
some of them lasted intact until they were in sight of the finish-line.

    I was wishing out loud that I had access to cloth bags, when my fiance
(who is a lighting designer) commented that in her business they often
shipped fixtures with the necessary accompanying hardware in attached cloth
drawstring bags. I had her research a source for me and she found one that
actually is having an overstock sale on 4" x 6" drawstring cotton bags, 9
cents each, 200 bag minimum, + tax and shipping. A bit roomy perhaps, but
the price is nice. The web address is below.

http://www.uline.com/browse_listing_202.asp?besc=cloth+parts+bags

Seems like a pretty good deal, if they do the trick, as I suspect they would
be reusable.   dylan


Dylan Ford is the author of the proposal at www.ideaforpresident.com , a
website devoted to an idea that could provide an avenue to address pollution
issues, food safety, social justice, prison reform and healthcare.