Bagging plums with bread bags. Open to suggestions/comments

General Fruit Growing
#61
  1. I use a small drill bit (not sure what size) and I didn’t have any problems with PC or moths getting in.
  2. I didn’t initially cut the corners but I went back and clipped a few after installation.
  3. I made a temporary form that would hold about 20 bags. I will be making a more permanent one before long and if it’s not so ugly I will post a picture later. Drilling is much faster than trying to cut with scissors.
#62

I have had no need to bag cherries( yet). If I were I would not used plastic ziplock the way I do with apples. I think it won’t have enough ventilation.

Bread bags would be my choice. I don’t know how expensive bread bags where you are. Here they are pricier than zip lock but reasonable.

#63

Hi Mamuang, you are right. I can buy bread bags cheaply but it takes time and multiple losses to fix them around the fruit with wire or ties and all the bunched up material. I am looking for a well-ventilated solution with the convenience of zip lock bags - they are just so much easier to secure around a stem. Hence the exploration of ways to create ventilation in a zip lock bag.

Right now the plan is to secure a stack of zip locks using foldback clips, then try either running it through a sewing machine or using a fine drillbit.

Auburn, did you find any difference in results between the drilled bags that had the corners subsequently clipped and the ones that didn’t?

#64

The drilled bags with several holes stayed dryer. Most all the bagged fruit was i n good condition when picked

#65

This year I’ve used all kind of bags. For clusters of fruit, bread bags are the best.

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#66

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#67

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I am able to bag branches of donut peaches with bread bags.

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#68

Your fruit looks well protected with the bread bags. I zoomed in for a close look and I was impressed with not seeing any moisture. I think they will mature well and I hope you will do some followup pictures at ripening time. Bill

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#69

We have had rained very often. Those bags trapped some moisture but it evaporated rather quickly once the sun came out.

I like the fact that I can use them to bag rows of plums instead of bagging each plum individually.

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#70

Bill and @Antmary, et al,
Bad news for me. I saw clear evidence of OFM laying eggs through organza bags abd bread bags. Bummer!!!

@Sean2280, at least a dozen of my Clemson paper bags got blown off the trees, so far. Insects can’t lay eggs through paper bags. I can’t keep paper bags on the trees. Very discouraging.

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#71

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Right through a draw string organza bag.

@patrick, have you seen this type of damage on your bags.

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#72

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My bread bag, no protection against those nasty pests. The only way is to make sure the fruit do not touch the bags which is very difficult to do after strong wind or heavy rain.

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#73

I thought for sure these bags would work perfectly. Are they laying eggs through the openings in the bags?

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#74

No, they laid eggs on the area of the fruit where it touched the bag.

There was almost no opening. I was able to staple the top tightly with a small stapler.

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#75

Ugh!

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#76

Yes, this is what I saw on my plums and even on some apples. In my case all stings are matched with tiny holes in perforated bags where they touch the fruit. I sprayed the bags with surround and it seems to repel them. Did not noticed the damage in the bags made out of frost protection fabric yet but they are harder to see through, so not 100% sure yet.

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#77

Thought I bagged so I did not have to spray Surround. Not such luck.

It has rained quite often. The rain like we had this afternoon would have wiped out 80-90% of Surround.

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#78

@mamuang no not yet … i will start watching carefully…
so far dark blue organza 5x7 is lookin good on apples, but iam having an internal debate on color, especially for squirrels, possums etc.

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#79

We have had a few bad storms here lately… and you wouldn’t guess, but I have not had a single one blown off, fall off, etc. I for one am happy so far with them. We will see how the fruit looks come harvest.

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#80

I have to say at this point, I rank Clemson bags the lowest among all my bags due to a difficult level of putting them on and having then stay on.

@patrick, I definitely will look for darker color bags like dark blue or black to hide red/orange color of ripe fruit from birds. I think squirrels can smell ripe fruit, unfortunately.

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