Re- evaluating bagging fruit

I’m hoping it’ll help the birds not peck them. I have more birds than anything!

I’ve found netting against birds is more effective. It’s easier for me as my trees are short.

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I may have to net, too. We’ll see! It’s my first year having tree fruit out in the orchard where the birds aren’t afraid of snakes. They may all attack it, lol.

Patrick,
I tried to you the bags you recommended on peaches. It did not work well. The drawstring on only one side made it difficult to close the bag tightly. The material is coarser so it was not as pliable as organza material.

PC and coddling moths like to bore holes near stems. It is necessary to close the top of the bag tightly. I tried but the opening on top still has a hole. I can see that it will work better with apples and pears with longer stems. Neactarines and peaches are difficult because of their short stems. Pulling too tight, stems break.

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All us bagging types would love for a breeder to develop longer stem peaches.

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@Reg,

I don’t want to hijack the “Protecting Fruit From Wildlife” thread. So, I will answer your question here.

There are a few reasons I spray Surround on top of organza bags :
1- bugs can’t lay eggs through Surround-covered bags
2- there will less Surround on the fruit (it mainly sticks to the bags) so the fruit look nicer/more appealing
3- less need to spray insecticide throughout the season (OFM here last until late Sept)

I don’t think Surround will help keep bags last longer. Intense heat probably ruin it faster than anything else. I don’t have intense heat were I live. I hope to reuse the bags in the future.

It is a lot of work (and money) to buy those organza bags and put them on all the peaches. I’ve questioned my own judgment at times. It worked well last year (after many fruit were ruined by bugs laying eggs through them before I knew it).

I only have two full size peach trees so I could do it. I don’t see people having more than two peach trees doing it.

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Last week was quite windy 20 mph + all most all weeks. Small apples in bags dropped. Today was even windier. I see a few more bags dropped.

This year, I have waited longer for fruit to get bigger before I bagged. Bigger fruit in bags can withstand a windy condition better I think.

This also meant a couple rounds of insecticide sprays to keep them from being harm by pests.

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Thanks much for all the details :sunglasses: appreciated

I bought the same bags. I have a Reliance Peach Tree near the edge of the woods that is being stripped, most likely by Coons, maybe squirrels. I put bags on a few cluster of peaches, so far no bags have been ripped open. I am putting more on other trees, I do 4 to 6 peaches a day. You are right they are hard to tie on peaches - I just take and staple them shut, in most cases around the branch. I will tie them if the peach is at the end of the branch. I hope this fixes my squirrel and coon problem. About a dozen squirrels have "magically’ deceased recently and a coon trap is on order.

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I need to try with surround next year. I used organza bags without surround and all it did was leave evidence that the squirrel’s were stealing plums. Literally every plum I got had a worm.

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Surround alone does not work 100% or even close to it because timing is so important. Rain could ruin your plan, too.

If you want to go more organic, following @scottfsmith’s approach is the best. I cut corners at times esp. I tends to be lazy.

@SpudDaddy, my biggest problems are PC and OFM, not raccoons or squirrels. So, I need to find magic protection against those pests if there was one. I am talking about less-spray approach. I know about using chemicals.

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After hemming and hawing i found myself cutting baggies again this am. So far this year there has been little stealing by squirrels, I wonder why? So to have prettier fruit I will bag my Jonagolds, Mott Pink and pristine! After the rain for two more days I will spray again on the bags .

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My home made Surround -soaked organza bags. I do question my own sanity at times :grinning:

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Labor of love and it is all worth it.

Tony

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Tony,
I wish I were smarter. I forgot to mix in Nufilm in. I should have used it as sticker. Oh, well. Next time.

When I first start bagging I wonder why I put so much effort into growing fruit but when I look back I know why. I love it.

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I’m beginning to question your sanity too! :grimacing:. Mam, you have beautiful fruit though!!!:yum:

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Ha, ha. My neighbors seem to stay away from me. I wonder why?

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:crazy_face::crazy_face::crazy_face::crazy_face:

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My little copper mesh baggies are doing so well! I don’t know if JBs or stink bugs eat plums, but they are on the tree and no damage except to leaves. Then I had some critter get 3 plums that weren’t bagged but no bagged ones.

I shouldn’t have ever bagged 2 in one copper sleeve, tho. These plums get too big for that, lol. And they don’t ripen together either.

Whatever got one of the plums left half there and it had smaller teeth than a raccoon, I’d think. Maybe a rodent if they can eat a lot, or a squirrel. But all bags are great and still ripening up.

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