I was pruning and retraining grapes this week and wanted to share my grape trellis tie method. My main trellis wire is 14 gage galvanized electric fence wire. Wherever I want to tie a vine in place I have a piece of 17 gage galvanized electric fence wire fastened securely to the main trellis wire. The tie is about 8" long with the loose end folded back on itself so there is no sharp end to deal with. The tie is wrapped loosely around the vines to hold them in place but not tied shut, just looped around once or twice. I've left these for two or three seasons sometimes without any problems because the loops will just uncoil to give the vine more room to grow. Pictures of wire tie, newly set vine, and old vine attached.
I have Siegerrebe, Interlaken, Einset, Glenora, Black Monukka, and Flame.
The trellis is made up of 7' 1.33# T Posts from a farm supply store. Steel posts are about 10' - 12' apart. Corner posts are 7' x 4" treated wooden pasture fence posts I have braced to my "raised bed" frame. The trellis encircles my garden. The garden entrance is two 10' x 4" treated fence rails set about 4' apart. I have these tied together with a wire at the top. I have the trellis wires set at 5' and 3' height. The trellis wires are anchored at the garden entrance. Each wire has a tightener on the opposite side of the garden. If I built the trellis again I'd just go with the wire at 5', the vines on the lower wire always shade out and don't produce anything. I have not had to adust the wire tighteners since I built the trellis about 10 years ago so maybe not necessary to install them.
Dubyadee, nice setup.
Since you are a bit north of me - Battleground WA - I imagine your situation is a bit cooler than mine. Are your grape varieties productive with the cool summers?
I have experience with Price, Interlaken, Venus, and Canadice in Vancouver WA. All of these do well. They are on a south facing high arbor for more sun and warmth. Unfortnuately I fell off a ladder pruning them this week, and Im not crazy about that. My newer vines in Battleground are on a much lower trellis. The high arbor does not prevent animal predation. Possums love sitting up in the arbor munching on the grapes, and birds like them there too.
I am propagating the Interlaken and Price for the newer vines, and have Buffalo, a NOID, and Enset already started, with fruit so far only from Bufffalo. I prefer the "grapey" tasting grapes like Buffalo and Price, and I like seeded grapes but others don't. They had Black Manukka and Himrod at Fred Meyer this week. I added those, for variety and to see if my season can be spread out.
I'm with you, Daniel. I like the foxy tasting wild American grapes. The ones in the grocery store are sweet and bland with very little flavor. I also think Concord et al probably have more antioxidants, resveratrol, etc. and fewer disease /pest problems. When I started seriously gardening about 15-20 years ago, they said, "Don't grow Concord here. They won't ripen.' It was true then. Now I think it's a good idea to spread out your harvest. I also like the seeded varieties, which are natural for the plant. I don''t want to have to get in my car to drive to the health food store to purchase grape seed extract and drive back. I get them for free.
John S
PDX OR
In theory, I'm not against eating seeded grapes whole, but when I tried that with my Muscat Ottonnel, they tasted awful and the texture was bad. I've got to remember to try it with some others. I know sometimes the taste is acquired. All my other grapes are seedless.
Several years ago I started eating the seeds in watermelon. I've learned that some varieties are much better suited to that than others, and it is now one of the characteristics I consider when planting. New Queen, an orange fleshed variety, has nice crisp seeds that are easy to chew.
I grew up on seeded grapes, especially Concord and Niagra. I love those but my choices here were bashed on Lon Rombaugh's recommendations for PNW cooler shorter summers. I think Price is very good, although the bunches are small. Buffalo reminds me of Concord, based on one bunch, the first, last summer. I do like Interlaken which is seedless but those grapes are kind of small on my vines.
For me, seedless grapes seem to be smaller than seeded, and like John says, grape seeds are a healthy food. the do make for an unusual jam. People don't like seeds in their jam. In raisins they are more OK.
Ive been reading on thinning clusters and on girdling canes. I want to try those methods for larger grapes thus year.
Deer might be s problem this year. They have already munched away on our roses. I'm trying some Milorganite, but trellising the vines higher might be better.
Idyllwild
simplepress
jafar
Marsha H
Viron
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