I never got around to reporting on my apple bagging efforts. That
includes both sandwich bags and white paper bags. I'm not overly
dextrous and putting them on proved to be more challenging that I had
expected. Several people had mentioned using a stapler, so that's what I
had decided to use.
We have a tremendous amount of wind (normally and from recent storms),
so I've lost a number of bags. A number of fruit also dropped and are
now happily lying in the bags. Probably just June drop, but might also
be because of damange when I was putting the bags on. The big benefit of
the sandwich bags is that you can see what is happening inside.
I just did this on four of my 3-year old apple trees on M7. The thought
of bagging the 20-year old trees (Jonathan/Lodi/"senior moment!" on
something like M111) is way too daunting right now. I'll track and see
how it goes.
Reflections: better bagging technique would make it less painful.
Tie-wraps might have been easier, but I didn't have them available and
did have a stapler available. Given the work and the fact that I'm not
in prime organic country (see Ed. Fackler's numerous comments about
trying to be organic in Indiana), I may just return to my low spray
system: 3 sprays total through the end of June, then sticky red balls
(Tanglefoot, Stickum, etc.) for the rest of the season. When I did that
before, I got 90% acceptable crop.
Zone 5b.
-- sb
[NAFEX] re: bagging apples,
Stefan Brandle, 06/02/2004