Re: [nafex] fruit bags for organic production

On Mar 31, 2016, at 11:41 AM, Jono Neiger wrote:

> Hi
> Im wondering what people think of bagging individual fruit as in using
> "fruit bags" or "Japanese fruit bags"
>
> Ive thought of trying it but havent gotten around to it. And I have several
> clients looking for them. Any sources?
>
> (sorry if this is a repeat topic- I didnt search the archives)
>
> thanks
>
> Jono

I also used zip-lock baggies to protect apples for a couple of years. I cut off a corner of each bag, so they wouldn't fill with water. This did a good job of keeping out insects. More importantly, it did a surprisingly good job of keep out cedar apple rust. I have more problems with rust than with insects, due to my location and there not being many domestic apples around.

But, the local critters learned that bags meant yummy food, and they selectively ate all the bagged fruit (but didn't notice all the unbagged fruit.) So I gave up.

Mostly it was squirrels, which just chewed through the bags to get at the apples. But the funniest was when I found a an apple that had been 1/3 eaten, and then carefully re-sealed into the bag. I assume that was a raccoon. (The teeth marks were the right size for a raccoon, as well as the odd behavior.)

Ginda Fisher
eastern MA, zone 6
__________________
nafex mailing list
nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
Northamerican Allied Fruit Experimenters
subscribe/unsubscribe|user config|list info:
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/nafex