Bagging Sleeves

Starlight · December 30, 2016

While at the local hardware store this morning, I found the neatest mesh bag sleeves. They was only 1.49 each. Got me 15 to start with.

They like this

https://www.amazon.com/Trimaco-11313.../dp/B0038RRPI2

same company as what I got. They are a real fine mesh and about 22" across at the top of the sleeve and about 17" across the widest part of the sleeve.

They are a real fine mesh, don't even think a gnat can get through it. What is great about it is you always get those branches that harder than heck to try and cover, or the small bag you put on fall off.

With these you could do a basic slip stich or just gather and tie to the branch or use a wire or something. Fast and easy.

Just thought I would let folks know about them. Trying to get supplies all gathered now.

ginger2778 · December 30, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by Starlight

While at the local hardware store this morning, I found the neatest mesh bag sleeves. They was only 1.49 each. Got me 15 to start with.

They like this

https://www.amazon.com/Trimaco-11313.../dp/B0038RRPI2

same company as what I got. They are a real fine mesh and about 22" across at the top of the sleeve and about 17" across the widest part of the sleeve.

They are a real fine mesh, don't even think a gnat can get through it. What is great about it is you always get those branches that harder than heck to try and cover, or the small bag you put on fall off.

With these you could do a basic slip stich or just gather and tie to the branch or use a wire or something. Fast and easy.

Just thought I would let folks know about them. Trying to get supplies all gathered now.

At Amazon your link has them for a much better price, about 35% discount over what you paid and free shipping if you order enough things. Good stuff!

Gardeneer · December 30, 2016

I buy and use nylon tulle from fabric store. Cost couple of bucks per yard. I started using thos for flea beetles but have discovered many uses for them, rats, rabbits, squirrels, ..

Rajun Gardener · December 30, 2016

You can get them from your local Sherwinn Williams paint store too, they have 5 gallon and 1 gallon size in stock.

spacetogrow · December 30, 2016

Has anyone tested a particular brand for longevity? I've been using the ones I get at my local builders' supply store to cover clumps of 4-5 bush bean plants, with the rim buried a little in the soil, but I'm lucky if I can get more than 1 season out of any of them before they're holey.

Rajun Gardener · December 31, 2016

I use the 5 gallon paint strainers from SW for dutch buckets and this is the 3rd season I'm using them.

spacetogrow · January 4, 2017

Thanks for the feedback.

JLJ_ · January 10, 2017

Great tip!

I use white fairly fine tulle for bagging blossoms and for other things -- but ready to use bags at a reasonable price would be useful also.

I found it particularly interesting that paint strainer bags had been used successfully in the south as it's seemed that many times the difficulties people have had getting fruit to set inside the bags may have been due to heat -- especially with muslin bags. My tulle enclosed blossoms usually do set fruit -- I've thought probably due to a little better air circulation -- but perhaps the paint strainer bags also allow that -- and they're white.

Even with the tulle, some plants just don't seem to like to be bagged. Blackfoot, last summer, firmly declined to set fruit when blossoms were tulle-bagged -- so I cut off a large piece of tulle and wrapped an entire cage around the plant -- after which it consented to make fruit -- but it was so late in our short season that to get fairly mature fruit I ended up babying the plant during cold spells with multiple layers of protection -- big towels around the top, rug around the base, sheet and quilt over everything, all inside a plastic tent -- to keep it surviving until winter began in earnest here in November.

:::shaking head::: Sane people would never believe the things we sometimes do to look after our tomato children.

HudsonValley · January 10, 2017

I use sheer organza fabric wedding-favor bags with satin ribbon drawstrings, similar to these: https://www.uline.com/BL_5517/Organza-Bags
I buy them at a local party-supply store, in smaller quantities and in white/off-white. I think they cost about $.75-$1.00 each for the larger sizes. They're hand-washable, and they add a festive flair to my plants.

Ricky Shaw · January 10, 2017

The long and slender organza's 6½" x 15" better? Or the bigger square ones like 12"x14" or even 22½" x 25"?

HudsonValley · January 10, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ricky Shaw

The long and slender organza's 6½" x 15" better? Or the bigger square ones like 12"x14" or even 22½" x 25"?

I typically use 6 1/2 x 15 for indeterminates, and 5 x 7 for determinates, but you could use any size, I suppose. I guess it depends how long you plan to leave them on. I put the bags on when I first see buds forming. When I see blossoms, I tap/shake to pollinate. I remove the bags when I see fruit setting, and loosely tie a twister-tie (white, not green) around the stem of each individual fruit being saved for seed. Seems to have worked so far.

December 30, 2016	#1
Starlight Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: AL Posts: 1,993	Bagging Sleeves While at the local hardware store this morning, I found the neatest mesh bag sleeves. They was only 1.49 each. Got me 15 to start with. They like this https://www.amazon.com/Trimaco-11313.../dp/B0038RRPI2 same company as what I got. They are a real fine mesh and about 22" across at the top of the sleeve and about 17" across the widest part of the sleeve. They are a real fine mesh, don't even think a gnat can get through it. What is great about it is you always get those branches that harder than heck to try and cover, or the small bag you put on fall off. With these you could do a basic slip stich or just gather and tie to the branch or use a wire or something. Fast and easy. Just thought I would let folks know about them. Trying to get supplies all gathered now.

December 30, 2016	#3
Gardeneer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: NC - zone 8a - heat zone 7 Posts: 4,916	I buy and use nylon tulle from fabric store. Cost couple of bucks per yard. I started using thos for flea beetles but have discovered many uses for them, rats, rabbits, squirrels, .. __________________ Gardeneer Happy Gardening !

December 30, 2016	#4
Rajun Gardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Tomato Cornhole Posts: 2,550	You can get them from your local Sherwinn Williams paint store too, they have 5 gallon and 1 gallon size in stock.

December 30, 2016	#5
spacetogrow Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: MN zone 4 Posts: 359	Has anyone tested a particular brand for longevity? I've been using the ones I get at my local builders' supply store to cover clumps of 4-5 bush bean plants, with the rim buried a little in the soil, but I'm lucky if I can get more than 1 season out of any of them before they're holey.

December 31, 2016	#6
Rajun Gardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Tomato Cornhole Posts: 2,550	I use the 5 gallon paint strainers from SW for dutch buckets and this is the 3rd season I'm using them.

January 4, 2017	#7
spacetogrow Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: MN zone 4 Posts: 359	Thanks for the feedback.

January 10, 2017	#8
JLJ_ Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Wyoming Posts: 759	Great tip! I use white fairly fine tulle for bagging blossoms and for other things -- but ready to use bags at a reasonable price would be useful also. I found it particularly interesting that paint strainer bags had been used successfully in the south as it's seemed that many times the difficulties people have had getting fruit to set inside the bags may have been due to heat -- especially with muslin bags. My tulle enclosed blossoms usually do set fruit -- I've thought probably due to a little better air circulation -- but perhaps the paint strainer bags also allow that -- and they're white. Even with the tulle, some plants just don't seem to like to be bagged. Blackfoot, last summer, firmly declined to set fruit when blossoms were tulle-bagged -- so I cut off a large piece of tulle and wrapped an entire cage around the plant -- after which it consented to make fruit -- but it was so late in our short season that to get fairly mature fruit I ended up babying the plant during cold spells with multiple layers of protection -- big towels around the top, rug around the base, sheet and quilt over everything, all inside a plastic tent -- to keep it surviving until winter began in earnest here in November. :::shaking head::: Sane people would never believe the things we sometimes do to look after our tomato children.

January 10, 2017	#9
HudsonValley Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: Hudson Valley, NY, Zone 6a Posts: 626	I use sheer organza fabric wedding-favor bags with satin ribbon drawstrings, similar to these: https://www.uline.com/BL_5517/Organza-Bags I buy them at a local party-supply store, in smaller quantities and in white/off-white. I think they cost about $.75-$1.00 each for the larger sizes. They're hand-washable, and they add a festive flair to my plants.

January 10, 2017	#10
Ricky Shaw Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Zone 6a Denver North Metro Posts: 1,910	The long and slender organza's 6½" x 15" better? Or the bigger square ones like 12"x14" or even 22½" x 25"?