North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Doreen Howard" <gardendiva@charter.net>]

Has anyone tried bagging grapes?  I'm desperate, as last year, all the grapes were gone before they put on much size.  I live in a semi-rural area infested with deer, rabbits, squirrels, coons, possums, wild turkeys and now fox.  Bagging apples has worked well for me; so I wonder if I bagged the tiny grape clusters in wax paper sandwich bags now, would that protect them until harvest?

 

My grandfather used to take saltine wrappers in the 1940's and wrap his grapes to keep the pests away.  He's been dead for over a decade, so I can't ask him how he did it. 

 

Would one cut off the corners of the wax bags like you do the plastic ones used for apples?  And, at what stage should you bag the clusters?

 

I spent the weekend bagging apples and Asian pears...huge crop this year.  Bagging in the past has produced perfect fruit that ripens a bit earlier than normal, due to the extra heat gathered by the bags.  This is a huge asset in my climate, which is Zone 4b.  We've had freezes as early as Sept. 20 in the past five years.

 

Any advice is appreciated.

Doreen Howard

IL-WI Border, Zone 4b