Bob,
I tried regular sandwich bags, just like for apples last year on a few peaches. The condensation inside the bags made me nervous. My peaches got brown rot as I did not spray for it except for sulfur. I can’t tell if it’d work. Mine did not work due to the existing disease issue.
I’m wondering about the interval between blossom and putting the bag on, if there’s anything you need to do? The bugs don’t hide out inside the flower/new fruit do they? I wouldn’t want to seal them inside the bag. That would be like ClubMed for OFM.
That wax paper bags are what I call Clemson bags. If you google, Clemson Fruit bags, you can read it. Hope the link works here: http://www.clemson.edu/extension/horticulture/fruit_vegetable/peach/diseases/peachbags.html. It’s a video demonstration of how to put the bags on peaches. Need some practice, really
When I order the bags, they came with instruction. You need to spray both inseticide and pesticide at petal fall and wait for the peachlets to size up a bit. You have to spray at least one more time right before you bag.
Damn, was hoping to avoid pesticides completely.
That’s Clemson recommendations. I planned to spray Spinosad as insecticide and sulfur as fungicide and see how it would work.
But my plan has to be postponed for next year as my peaches and nectarines were dead by subzero weather and recent cold snaps.
From what he said, he didn’t get any disease issues inside the bag, even on peaches. He mentioned some problems on those he didn’t bag, but I’m not sure if it was scab, spot or brown rot.
He came by today and dropped off 100 of the bags in the way that he’s been preparing them. Looks like quite an involved process, but I’m definitely game to give them a try.
These bags are quite small, but he said that this helps reduce the number which fall off, pulling the fruit with it. Also, the bags are stretched a bit by the fruit and can eventually get torn by the larger apples.
Steps to make:
1.) He takes the snack bags (half the height of a sandwich bag), and cuts them in half.
2.) Seal the seam with a torch
3.) Cut off the corners
4.) Cut the extra off the top
5.) Make a notch for the stem
What is the active ingredient that will stop the bugs before the bag goes on?
Clemson suggested to apply both propiconazole and pyrethroid immediately after bloom and 10-14 days later until fruit are at a thumbnail size.
Apply those fungicide and inecticide again one day prior to bagging for a sanitation purpose. Then bag.
I’ll try to find those. Petals have already fallen. I found a few moths at night looked like they were breeding on the tips, got rid of them.
Well we went to the home center and they didn’t have anything with propiconazole or pyrethroid. The closest poison they had was a general insecticide also listing “peach moth borer” as its potential victim that appears to contain “Dinoteferan” if my translation is correct.
My wife already has some stuff for aphids that contains “Sorbitan Ester”(?).
Not sure if they’ll suit this pre-bagging application. I’m not sure exactly what we’re targeting, or the window.
Petals already fell, so I’m already off the university’s recommended spray regime.
If she’s in the mood I’ll try to go to a real garden center with more selection.
If I do this all natural and don’t spray anything before bagging, is failure likely?
I would spray Surround, if you can find it for protectant, and sulfur for fungicide plus stcker.
Worst case scenario, hope nothing get to it before you bag. examine fruitlets thoroughly before you bag. Bag only unblemished fruitlets.
There’s a spray timeline for grapes too, but I was satisfied with hands-off poison-free results last year on my vine useing only bags.
A concern though is the peach specific bags they carried. All had an open bottom, more like a skirt to shield sun/rain(?), than stop bugs. I’m worried maybe the sealed bags will rot them.
The sealed bags with 2 slits were specifically labeled for grapes, apples, and pears respectively.
Still trying to find a local peach grower for questions!
I bought a set of these sealed peach bags. Same basic twist tie - style closure, with 3 strategically placed vent slots in the bottom. Good price too, 3$ for 100. Apparently they offer both sealed and open bottom locally, so that’s good to hear. They even had s “pest repellant” version: thicker paper treated with a pesticide. I opted for these as they were notched in the top, and less unnecessary poison the better.
Something of note: the shop staff of dubious qualifications said the bags are usually put on in June, with a long list of chemical sprays in regime.
The previously referenced university program recommends when they’re “thumbnail size”. My tree just dropped the petals and fruit is already pea sized.
What is the rational in waiting to bag?
Could I thin and bag now?
The insecticide you mention Dinotefuran is most likely not listed for bearing fruit trees. I say “most likely” because it is possible that it is, but most are not, unless registration changes have recently occurred.
A few years ago, at the height of the BMSB invasion several mid-Atlantic states fruit growers (including my state of Maryland) petitioned the EPA for a one time or one season) permit to apply Dinotefuran. This permit was granted and Dinotefuran was applied to bearing fruit trees.
I believe they wanted DDT (not kidding), but for whatever reason Dinotefuran was settled on. I was never clear on this as it’s efficacy for BMSB was actually less than some already permissible insecticides.
I only mention this because most I see that are marketed are available only through more specialized stores catering to lawn and landscape care companies. It is also sold and utilized in the forestry industry.
Perhaps changes have occurred (which is very possible), but make sure it is indeed listed for fruit tree (bearing) applications.
Update:
I retract what I said, I didn’t realize until now you are in Japan. That changes everything. I saw the Japanese writing on the products in your photo so I clicked on your profile and realized you were in Japan. Dinotefuran is a Japanese introduction, so it is no doubt further along in regulatory proceedings. I have no doubt that it is indeed labeled for fruit trees in Japan. It wouldn’t surprise me if it will be here soon as well.
Sorry for the confusion.
The Nice Guy,
Because bigger fruit make it easier to bag. Bagging pea- sized fruit esp. peaches that have almost no stem is a lot harder than bagging pea sized apples.
You risk knocking the fruit off while bagging. Thses paper style bags seem to require more finesse to put on than the zip lock plastic bags.
I think I could handle the finess part. Just thought there might be a temporal issue regarding size, for example some fruit aren’t properly fertilized or will fall off on their own before a dateline.
If it’s all go as soon as petal fall than I don’t mind risking an early bagging.
Thanks Appleseed. The photos are from another shop that had a full line of chemicals to cover every imaginable peach problem. However, the staff aren’t knowledgeable and my language skills not good enough to determine the minuimum required poisons needed. I think this may be an organic year for me.
Apples aren’t all go after petal fall. But if thinned adequately then not many fall after they reach the size of the end of your finger. That’s assuming no insect damage.
