Any Grape Growers?
 

[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]I have some two year old grape vines a friend bought for me. Early in the spring I had what I thought were clusters of grapes. Now they seem to be ‘flowering’. Is this the normal process? Will they be grapes someday?[/SIZE][/FONT]

Yep, they will flower and, hopefully, set. Then the grapes will grow. They do take a while.

What kind do you have? I have Muscadine, Scuppernong, and some kind of red, but I haven't done the proper maintenance to get them to their full potential.

[COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana]Thanks for the info.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana]When I was working I took grapes for lunch every day. So my friend bought me seedless table grapes. They are Mars, a dark blue; Reliance, a red; and Marquis, a white.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana]They all say late August to early September. It’s just that I thought I had grapes formed when I saw the clusters in the first photo. Then when I saw them flowering I grew concerned. :panic: I tend to do that a lot with my garden until I know what to expect. :o [/FONT][/COLOR]

[COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana]I panicked over my cantaloupe last year when it seemed all I was getting were male flowers. Now I know better. :D[/FONT][/COLOR]

Jerry,

Have you done any pruning or trellising , yet?

Gary

[COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana]Gary,[/FONT][/COLOR]

[COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana]I do have a trellis system but have not pruned. This is the second year the bare root plants have been in the ground and the first year I have had fruit. I didn’t want to prune and loose any fruit. :?:[/FONT][/COLOR]

Don't prune your grapes unless they are dormant, that is have no leaves. If you cut the vines in summer they will "bleed" out a lot of sap that should going down to the roots to be stored for next year's crop.

My husband grows the grapes, I'm the crazy tomato lady. Those vines look good to me. We spray our grapes with unsweetened grape kool aid to keep the birds from eating them. This spray works for blueberries too. It seems ironic, but it really does work. There is a chemical in the artificial grape flavor that repels birds.

[QUOTE=jennifer28;274893]My husband grows the grapes, I'm the crazy tomato lady. Those vines look good to me. We spray our grapes with unsweetened grape kool aid to keep the birds from eating them. This spray works for blueberries too. It seems ironic, but it really does work. There is a chemical in the artificial grape flavor that repels birds.[/QUOTE]

:shock: Do you think that would work for strawberries & cherries? Every year the cherry trees get picked clean....

I think it would. The trouble would probably be spraying the cherry trees. I think you would need a big sprayer.
I don't use the Kool-Aid on my strawberries. This is because it is mostly groundhogs and squirrels who eat the strawberries. I take weed matting and put it around the base of the strawberry plant. Then I use powdered coyote and or fox urine around that. You just need to make sure the soil is graded away from the plant so when it rains the powdered pee doesn't flow toward the fruit on the plant.

LOL, I can see it now,
[B][I]***note to selves, never eat fruit from Jennifer's house******[/I][/B]

There's nothing like walking outside and picking a bunch of grapes, rinsing them in the hose and eating them right there.

So far, it looks like a good grape year. Has to be better than last year, that was bad. I have a ton of flowers too.
Good luck!

I have Concord, Niagara, and Catawba.

[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]I like the idea of the Kool Aid. I have bird netting draped over the trellising but anything I can do to help reduce bird damage is welcome. This spray sounds easy enough.[/SIZE][/FONT]