SteveB wrote:


Today, we went into the garden. A mostly
ignored neglected place that we
had high hopes for last spring. We found a few
edible things, and thigh high weeds.

BUT, along the wall were lots and lots of
grapes. Some as small as a dime
and smaller with a couple of hundred on a
cluster. Then some big honkers bigger than a
quarter, some of them turning purple and very
sweet.

These vines were planted probably three to five
years ago. They have had no care in the last
two.

I want to get in there just as soon as it cools
off, and till out the whole
thing and do it right next year. I have had
gardens, but this year, listened to SWMBO's
schemes, and we ended up with a winter's supply
of food.
If we were cows. Next year will be different,
as she has seen that gardens require a person to
go in at LEAST once a week, and more if you want
more
and better stuff. But like most gardeners, they
get bit hard, and then it wears off in a week.

I could use some sites that make understanding
pruning grapes simple. Also
watering and fertilizing. I've been reading
some of the top sites listed on Google, but
would like some that have pictures, so I can
associate what's
being said. I think if I go in this fall and
cut back and build proper
trellises that I can have a pretty good crop of
grapes this coming year. We all like grapes, so
I might even get some help.

Our peaches are ripening, and that tree had
seven boxes of very sweet
peaches last year. And I think we have three
almonds. ;-)

Thanks in advance.

Steve

Go to Amazon or your favorite book store and get
the book "From Vines to Wines" by Jeff Cox. You
can probably get a used one very cheap. Even new
it is not expensive. It is about 220 pages not
counting the index.

It is written in VERY easy to understand language
and has one of the best sections of pruning
grapes that I have found anywhere.

Half the book is on growing grapes and the other
half is a very good primer on making wine from
the grapes. HTH

I worked at at commercial vineyard after I retired
and now have a backyard vineyard of 110 vines.
Paul