After seeing your pictures I decided to bag my apples (all 3 of them) I think that slit makes a huge difference. Last year I bagged a lot of my peaches but ended up getting bags all over the yard blowing around. But I could tell how well they fit with that tiny cut. Hoping to eat 3 apples off my tree.
I think this is another tree that you’d chop off in a heart beat. Couple of years in the ground and hasn’t grown 6 inches since I bought it. I have to add a new Apple tree next spring.
A paper punch in the center of the zipper works well, too.
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The slit Tippy uses has held onto my fruit well. It is rare to find an empty bag. My opinion is that most drops are natural or didn’t get pollinated. If you can better choose the apple the tree intends to keep the less drops you will have. There will still be some drops but the number can be reduced.
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“ this is another tree you’d chop off in a heartbeat”. I have a reputation to uphold, you know 
What variety is your apple?
@Auburn, Bill and I could assure you that bagging apples is very effective way to protect your fruit with no spray (after bagging).
Your yard has serious soil, moisture issue, I think. It may be too much moisture in your soil. Pleae consider growing all yoir fruit trees in raised beds. I have found that apples on M7 or G 41 work fine with me. They produce by year 3 and they are not big trees. My yard is small. I do not want or need big trees.
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Yes, raised beds. Too late for this round. But next tree, definitely. Next tree will be my last tree. Unless things die on me. Then I gotta replace them.
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These zip lock bags are better than the nylon coverings? I would think the zip locks would make the fruit too hot in the high temps of August.
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I don’t know if one is better than the other. It gets pretty hot in my location. I have noticed that my bagged apples and pears tend to ripen a little sooner than the ones not bagged.
How do your fruits not cook in those bags? I can’t imagine it not getting to 120F+ on a sunny day.
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@Auburn is in zone 7 b. I am in zone 6 a. It’s never get too hot in the bags for apples. I’ve seen some of Euro pears get russeted in bags vs non-bag pears. In general, I don’t bag pears. I don’t need to and there are too many of them.
I don’t know why they don’t cook. Our high temps from June-August range from 90-100F. I’m not sure how hot the inside of a bag is but you would think the temp only goes up. Unlike most who bag I do drill a few vent holes in my bags.
Bill,
I’ve grown many of the varieties you have and have over the years gotten
rid of most of them. Except for Goldrush, Grimes Golden, and few others, they just don’t do well in my heat. Hopefully your climate is better than mine.
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GBill uses home made bags with a lot more ventilation holes throughout the bags. ziplock bags have only two bottom corners cut off. His specially made bags could be the reason why his apples are not cooked. Regular ziplocked bags may not have enough ventilation for warmer zones.
@MikeC, the footsox probably can gandle heat much better than plastic ziplock bags. I used to use those footsiox. To me, it takes more time to out on and they are more expensive. If you are un cooler zones, ziolock bags are cheaper and easier method.
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