North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Mark Dorogi" <mddorogi@comcast.net>]

Maybe I should try those Maggot Barriers this year.  They cost 6 times as much as ziplock bags, but still they are only about $.07 per footie.  The advantage of the footies would be that they “breathe” but I wonder if fungal infections like scab can find their way through the nylon and still get to the apples.  Scab is heavy around here, although I try to keep the trees sprayed well until bagging time.

 

I had the same issue with bird netting a few years back.  Some branches got bent, particularly on the Montmorency sour cherry, which seems to have weak branches.  You are right, a PVC support structure should be relatively cheap and effective. 

 

If you securely tie the netting right to the trunk, will that keep raccoons out?  Or do they just rip it apart and proceed with their feasting?  Apart from eating the fruit, they wreck the trees by climbing out to the end of branches and breaking them.  They just about destroyed that sour cherry one year.  I didn’t realize why the tree was falling apart I caught a raccoon in the act.

 

 

Mark

 

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From: nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Judi Stewart
Sent: Wednesday, May 07, 2008 2:37 PM
To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] covering cherries, fruit bags questions

 

I’m loaded with cherry blossoms this year. Been taking a tube of orchard mason bees from the refrigerator every day now for the past three weeks. Plenty of wild pollinators are working the blossoms with the mason bees, but few bumble or honey bees are out. Has anyone used the product “bee scent” or purchased bags of pollen?

 

We bought bird netting for the cherries in a 30’ wide roll and cut lengths to fit each tree.  Nice stretchy material - has ¾” holes. Two of us worked together to cover each tree.  We wrapped two ends of the netting to 10’ long PVC pipes, stood far apart from each other, raised the pipes up and walked the netting over the trees.  Then we tied the netting around the tree trunk.  This worked great to save the crop from the birds, though one bird did get caught.  

 

To remove the netting, we simply tied the netting to the poles again and raised it over and off the trees.  The problem I had was that the netting resting directly on the tree, bent some of the limbs, especially those up high. This disfigured the limb placement.  I imagine row cover, especially when wet, might have the same effect.

 

This year we’re planning on putting together PVC frames for the netting in order to hold it off the tree. If we get carried away, we’ll paint the PVC green, which should also make it last longer. Instead of tying netting around the trunk, it’ll drape on the ground. A few 2 x 4’s around the perimeter will hold it down, also making it easier to get under the netting to pick the fruit.  Long-time fruit club member Buddy Brock gets credit for this one.

 

I bought the netting from American Nettings. Ask them about the other sizes they carry.  Here’s their site:

http://americannettings.com/packaged_products/bird_netting/bird_netting.htm

 

As for bagging, we’re using our club’s Maggot Barriers on apples and pears. Doesn’t look like we’ll have many peaches to bag here because of the frosts.

 

Judi Stewart

zone 8

North Olympic Peninsula