Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Bunch grapes in the semi-tropics...


More on grapes... I ended up getting Black Spanish Bunch Grape and Bronze Fry Scuppernong from Willis Orchard. The Black Spanish is resistant to Pierce's and to mildews.

I might get another bunch grape vine from "Grapes of Kath," but I'm running out of easy arbor space.
Grapes No. 4, Issue 5: "After harvest, water and nutrients are withheld from the vine to slow it's growth, and the vine is manually defoliated. Leaves may be stripped by hand, or sprayed with a chemical such as urea to burn them and make them drop. In the tropics, this is usually done at a time when a dry period is underway. The vine is left in this condition until time for it to start growing again. Then it is pruned much the same way as a truly dormant vine would be, and it is fertilized and watered. This will force the vine to resume growth, bloom, and set fruit. Properly timed, it is possible to get two crops a year from a vine this way."

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