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Tuesday Time to Tackle: Bagging Apples


I love the idea of fruit trees.  Yesterday, I wandered out in the backyard multiple times, unable to resist the ripe apricots.  We planted the apricot tree four years ago (I think), and it is just now really taking off in its production.  It's still a small tree, but it is covered in ripe, tasty apricots.

No, I didn't do a very good job thinning apricots this year.

While I've had success with apricots, both this year and in the past at another house, I don't have as good of a track record with apples.  The trees seem to produce buggy apples.  The first thought is, well spray the trees!  That would probably work, if I remembered to do that at the appropriate time.  However, I don't remember the dormant oil spray until it is too late.  So, what can I do?  Google to the rescue!

I saw the idea of bagging apples, using plastic sandwich bags.  I cut two corners off for ventilation (but won't the bugs get in that way? I guess we'll find out.)  Then I placed each bag over a developing fruit, and zipped up the bag.  The result now is a ridiculous-looking tree that hopefully will produce good, bug-free fruit.  I'll let you know in the fall how it worked.


Do you grow fruit?  Do you have any tips for me?
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Thanks for new-to-me ideas!

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Comments

  1. ChristineMay 13, 2014 at 1:27 PM

    We grow fruit, but I have no tips. Our trees are mostly old, and it seems every other year they bear lots of good apples. We don"t spray. Just go with luck. Of course we don't prune either. We are horrible farmers. On good years, though, we love to can those apples!
    I don't know why, but our pears have never had trouble with bugs.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Rozy LassMay 13, 2014 at 2:13 PM

    I'm envious of your apricots, my favorite fruit! Good luck with the apples. I've never lived long enough in one place to plant, grow and enjoy fruit.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Dyanne @ I Want BacksiesMay 13, 2014 at 4:23 PM

    How many baggies did it take?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Marisa BMay 13, 2014 at 5:09 PM

    I don't grow any fruit but my dad and uncles grow fig trees and they all have a fig tree in their yard...My dad gave us a cutting, but did not do well...in the winter you actually have to wrap it .... in my childhood home we had a peach tree and fig tree in the yard and it yielded some delicious and beautiful fruit.

    Good luck with your apple trees.
    :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. UnknownMay 13, 2014 at 8:07 PM

    I am curious to see how this works out. With our hot temperatures I would think having apples in baggies would cause them to bake! I sure hope it works!

    ReplyDelete
  6. HaddockMay 15, 2014 at 3:53 AM

    Let us hope the bugs don't get in that way :-)
    This reminds me of the fruits that we plucked and had from the orchard of Josy (Bed & Breakfast) the place we stayed in when in France.
    In case you want to see the fruits:
    http://joezachs.blogspot.in/2011/08/josys-bead-and-breakfast.html

    ReplyDelete

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