Materials to bag flowers

[LIBERTYCHICKEN]

I have read their are about 4 common materials to bag flowers to help prevent cross pollination

organza
tuile
agribon
paint strainer bags

I read bugs can and do eat thru the agribon , Anyone have any experiance with the other materials ? ?

 

[leverhead]

I've used old sheer curtains and paint strainers, either one works well enough. This year I'm using agribon 15 with no real trouble, so far. For me it came down to cost and availability.

 

[DGBAMA]

Bud bags should be called BUG bags. I used organza last year. Had bud worms, and small holes in the bags. Used paint strainers this year, still had bud worms, but no holes.

Conclusion is twofold. A bag too small compresses the flower head and moth will lay egg on the outside, since the leaf is pressed against it, and the larvae eats in. Second eggs can have a long incubation period, laid before the bag is applied only to hatch weeks later and destroy your seed.

Use any of the above materials, make the bags big enough, and spray your flower heads with BT heavily before bagging and regularly afterward.

 

[LIBERTYCHICKEN]

18" by 24" sound right

This year I mixed up the 2 similar strains im growing , so I just planing ahead for next year and the winter

the fabrics seem cheap enouth so Im not trying to skimp out

 

[Jitterbugdude]

Bud bags should be called BUG bags. I used organza last year. Had bud worms, and small holes in the bags. Used paint strainers this year, still had bud worms, but no holes.

Before I attach a bud bag I spray the seed head with Spinosad (BT would work too). A few weeks later when I adjust the bag to account for the expanding seed head I spray again. With this method I have eliminated bud worms.

 

[istanbulin]

This year I used disposable non-woven spunbond (17 g/m[SUP]2[/SUP] - a little thicker than Agribon 15) PP sleeve covers which has an ultrasonic weld seams on both side. So it has a tube shape, I just needed to close one aperture by a knot with a small piece of thread. It was easy to use and really very cheap (3 cents per piece). The only limiting was its size (20x45 cm) so it was only effective on my Orientals, small for the others.

 

[grgfinney]

I use mosquito netting from the military surplus store no problems