The Benefits of Bagging your Fruit Bunches
If you are anything like I am, then you’re looking to get the best banana fruit bunches from your backyard. Well, according to those in the know, there is something easy that you can do which may help you grow a more delicious and nutritious fruit. Let’s look at the benefits of bagging the fruit bunches and protecting your banana bunch from many of the challenges they face.
Studies show that the use of a banana cover can assist with bunch ripening and can improve the eating quality as well. Another benefit is the increase the bunch weight. In some instances more than 20% to 30%. Ripening the bunch on the tree can help give the fruit a sweeter taste. This can be achieved if you take a few bananas at a time while leaving the others on ripen. Commercial Banana growers will harvest the fruit while the lowest ones are still green and rounded and ripen in-house.
**NSW Agriculture, Australia Banana fruit covering article can be found here:
The cover is made from a coloured plastic (usually) and many have a silver printed on one side. The silver side reflects heat, so you need to face it towards the sun – this will protect the bunch from burning as it blocks harmful UV rays. PS the different plastic colour (blue in the pictures used here) is simply for farmers to identify what fruit was bagged at what time. They will use red bags in this field, blue the next, etc. CLICK HERE to view Banana Bunch Covers
Another great benefit from using banana bunch covers is that they can protect the fruit from damage caused by leaves blowing in the wind, from insects, rats, mice and birds as the fruit matures.
Traps the Ripening Gas
The ripening gas that is released by the bunch gets trapped inside the cover, helping keep your bunch hidden from rats and birds! It is the ripening gas that attracts them from far and wide.
Ripening the fruit
Since the gas released by ripening fruit speeds up the process further, trapping the gas in the bag gives them the best conditions to ripen more quickly. The gas also gives the bunch a richer, sweeter flavour. Ripe fruit on the tree un-covered is the main reason that birds and other pests are attracted and we all know they can cause major damage to the bunch.
Bagging best-practice
When it comes to bagging the banana fruit, there are two main techniques.
- Once the fruit bunch is beginning to form and the bananas are starting to turn upwards, it’s time to for bagging.
- Alternatively, if birds or other pests are already a known problem to you, the banana bag can be fitted much earlier. Once the bell forms, tie the cover on to the stalk above the first hand of fruit. The cover should hang below the last hand of fruit and be kept open at the bottom for adequate air-flow.
The bunch covers pictured are manufactured in Australia and are available here.
So I hope you have found using banana fruit bunch covers and proper bagging techniques to improve the quality and yield of your homegrown bananas. Enjoy delicious, healthy bananas right from your own backyard. Healthy gardens to you all!
