Since you have children, you might enjoy making popsicles with your surplus mango and enjoy a cold healthy snack in the summer. Just puree it and put in popsicle forms and freeze and you'll have a delightful frozen treat! Delightful videos!
Great idea, Mark! I once bagged over 100 pomegranates using brown paper lunch sacks and metal bread ties I'd saved up. They lasted all summer and into the fall here in Texas, and protected the fruit very well. The neighbors thought I was nuts.
Yeah, I was on a mission. Absolutely determined not to lose any fruit after watching the birds decimate what would have been a decent harvest the year before. The first years' fruit, no less!
Thanks for the great advice. I will follow that idea. Our mango tree was never able to grow properly. The possums would eat the new leaf growth. Put a net abound the base of the tree which allowed the tree to grow properly. Now, it is covered in flowers so I am hoping for a great mango season. Could you tell me when the flyscreen netting should be placed around the fruit... how big should the fruit be?
This is the best video on protecting fruit that I've seen. This year was our first year our apple trees produced fruit (after waiting 4 years). Squirrel ate all our apples before they were ripe. Thanks for the video Definetly trying this next year.
Thank you for the tip. I have never realized that fibre glass net does protect them from fruit flies. I will use this year. I have mango, Japanese pear, and apple tree.
You can reduce the fruit fly issues by rotating your chickens through the orchard regularly. The chickens will stop the life cycle of the fruit fly by eating the larvae before they can become flies. You can just let the chicken free range every so often and direct them to the trees you need them to get to by just throwing some food around the trees you want them to focus on. They will help with aphid issues as well. Most aphid infestations are a result of ants putting them on plants an protecting them. When you let chickens around trees with aphid issues they will eat the ants protecting them making it easier for the predators to get them. This is a strategic use of chickens not just letting them free all the time. Just every so often to have them work for you. They deal with pests and fertilize at the same time.
It is indeed a very economical way to protect our [hard earned] fruit from animals and birds. Thank you for this video, and I am definitely going to adopt this method during current session to protect my mangoes from the local animals and especially from the passing by thieves.
I have Asian pear trees, more likely Korean pear. First year I harvested more than one hundred. That’s when chipmunks tasted the pear, and ever since I am battling with those tiny animals. Last year I got miserable 6. This year I’ll follow to your method, and I am pretty sure that will protect from chipmunks, ants, and squirrels. Many thanks.
Thanks for the video. Tried this to stop some very aggressive squirrels going after apples in the northeast US, but they ripped through the screening materials (including some that I tried made of Aluminum screening). Any ideas on other materials that are still flexible enough to quickly wrap fruit, or other ideas to stop motivated squirrels?
I used to buy nylon net bags on my persimmon tree b from ebay with nothing much help as animal bit through them. Now I can go to HomeDepot and get some of fibreglass netting , much stronger, easier to install, and cheaper. Great tip as I have been looking for something stronger to protect my fruits.
What a GREAT idea to protect fruit from animals. My pomegranate tree produced for the first time last year- they left me three pomegranates- THREE! lol I am determined to keep more of the fruit- this year. I've noticed that the blooms are only on one side of the tree, the side not near the fence.... Are they getting to the early blooms or is my tree only producing on one side??? THANK you for sharing your knowledge - God bless!
I like what you've done here. When I try to undo a zip tie, I use a tiny flat-blade screwdriver. I don't trust my hands enough to use a knife. I have also used sewing pins, but I got my fingers poked, so I stopped using those. 👍
Thanks. I bought the same screen from Bunnings and I've bagged any many mangoes as I could. About a quarter of the bagged mangoes have been damaged anyway by something sucking through and stretching the mesh apart. Strange that they did this as I have a few dozen mangoes on my tree that aren't bagged. I imagine it would be quite time consuming eating the mango through the bag so that means less time to eat more mangoes therefore still an effective solution.
I just lost mango and my only lychee fruit overnight because delayed netting them. It was my heartbreaking! Just took a few bites and threw it away! Must’ve been squirrels. They weren’t ready yet and it was my first fruit after years. I usually net the entire tree, but I may add this too since my trees are patio size. I relocated and brought my potted fruit trees with with me. 😭😭😭😭
heck of an idea mike I will do that to my trees of mangoes etc etc my wife and I have 6 acres of land in honduras we will this methods and farming ideas you show good deal mike I love what you do I will check you out every week to see what good deals you got going thank you mike
Jake and I are starting to grow fruits and veggies in our backyard and we really love your videos! Two years ago we planted a granadilla (Passiflora liguralis) and its starting to flower! The problem is that birds or possums are eating the flowers, can we wrap them individually like the mangoes, or what can you suggest us to do to protect the flowers? Thanks so much!
Beautiful trees and fruit! Love the bag idea. Might be able to find fiberglass netting here; don't know, haven't tried yet. Hope the kids know how blessed they are. Much thanks!
Thank you for taking the time - the video is very practical and useful. You made a wonderful use of the benefits of the age in which we live. Grate garden.
I went to Bunnings and got fibreglass screen and bagged my first couple mango today. I'm just hoping it doesn't fall off prematurely as my tree does that a lot when they're half grown. Thanks for solution 😊
Thanks we used this idea by bagging with fiberglass insect netting such as you used here. Unfortunately, squirrels chewed right through the netting and stole the mangoes.
@@Yankees177 I am happy to report the netting has been more effective this year so far. Perhaps the squirrel population is down. In any case, I would now recommend using this. There is no downside except for the cost. I got mine on Amazon.
We only get bats so last year I used brown paper bags, which are strong enough to last the season even in rain, and cloths pegs, and no bats touched them. I noticed the bats don't come close to the ground because we have so many neighbour's cats patrolling the yard at night, so I feed the cats at night so they hang around.
Newbie gardener really. I have a fruit salad tree - one tree with 4 grafts - plum, peach, nectarine and apricot. I netted the whole tree. Big mistake. It cramped the branches and birds, I assume, sucked the fruit through the net. So I will definitely use your method. I have some of the white netting bags too. They seem ok for tomatoes.
I just lost near all my mangoes to cockatoos, I didn't net due to sickness and finding it difficult to do alone. This would be awesome I wish I'd seen it earlier. I think I would sew them to bags with a drawstring top to make it even simpler to put on. I was thinking about softdrink bottles cut in half, poke holes for ventilation, slice off top and slit up top section to wrap around and slit on sides to clip in and hold together. But this would work better to include Insects... or maybe somehow combine them... the top of the bottle would spread the net out...hmm, thinking...
Ingenious!!! Love this idea and will definitely use it when my trees start producing. I might have to try it on some of my larger tomatoes and other vegetable fruits. Thank you so much for sharing this!
Just spotted a group of 5 Rainbow Lorikeets on my apricot tree. They chewed all but a couple of the baby fruit off. Problem is, how would you suggest netting when the fruit is half way along the branch.
I have gigantic Valencia Mangoes, never seen such big ones. Don’t know what’s stealing mangoes, eating them when unripe really hard! American opossum or Florida roof or regular rats, tiny flies and papaya wasps will get through if used on papayas right?
Hi I love your rap program and I’m just wondering I do have problems with parrots Galahs lorikeets and eating fruit and sweetcorn have you had the same problem with the birds getting through the netting if not I’m going that way and I’ll put it on thanks buddy kit
Can this type of bagging work for dragon fruits? I have a couple that have just flowered and I’m waiting for fruits, when should I bag them and should I loosen it as they get bigger?
Yeah love this idea Mark, thanks heaps. We got our first season of mandarins last year but every one had been stung by fruitfly. I was thinking about buying the bags but we have some spare flyscreen lying around, will definately give it a go this year. Cheers from Wollongong!
I bagged my persimmons and lemons last year with ample fiberglass mesh material, but squirrels, and maybe rats just either gnawed holes through the bags, or learned to untie the twist ties at the top. What else can I do? I got 0 fruit last year and spent many hours bagging.
I have problems, larvae in Feijoas fruits. Not sure from the Moths or common flies laid eggs in to the fruits of flowers stage. What is the best method to protect them.
This year here in central Florida, I am furious that i've had about 6 beautiful and delicious mangoes gone the way of the pesky squirrels we seem to have so many of. I am definitely going to get some of that mesh and try to save the rest of my crop.
Hi Mark I tried your method wrapping every mango with fly mesh but the bloody fruit bats managed to eat & suck on the mangoes through the fibre glass mesh 🤦🏻♂️Any advise would be much appreciated
I love your videos! I just found them on here and I am very excited to watch more of them to learn more about gardening.. I know a good bit already.. but there is always room to learn! Also.. you are very informative and very easy to listen to. Thank-you for doing what you do! :)
I guess I understand people's frustrations with the birds or bats eating your fruit...but this seems to be alot safer then other nets that flying fox get caught in. There is alot to get stuck with a flying fox...poor babies. I hope that the bats can still enjoy the food they need to survive.
Are the possums a wildlife reservoir for TB as they are in New Zealand where they were introduced and currently being culled because of the disease implication for cattle?
+Wendy Rowland possums are a native to Australia and protected by law. In NZ they are trying to eradicate the population due to the damage they cause on the local environment because there are no natural predators unlike here where possums are common but the population is still kept under control via snakes which we also have plenty of... :)
good solution but in our culture our ancestors used to have just one Tree from each type just for the animals and birds and the bees. now a days it doesn't happen as much though. ...just a thought....
Bees always have access to the flowers but as for the other animals they can eat the native fruits in the bush I don't grow food for them lol... cheers :)
