mostly...

i got enough of a crop to make jam.

(long-winded follows of course )

it was a lot of very picky but pleasant
work in the shade under the arbor as
i had to go out each day and hand pick
the rot from the bunches. some bunches
in the end had only two or three grapes
left, but many grapes were the size of
a quarter. there were still some nice
bunches to pick. i had enough this year
for 20 cups of grapes. i threw out
about half of this-year's crop due to
rot.

last year i had about 4 cups (we went
away in early August and the rot did
most of the crop in -- the birds did in
what was left -- not sure if it was grackles
or not, but this year the grackles have
been kept away by the air rifle and i've
had only some minor damage to the
grapes by the birds -- as extra insurance
i put up netting last week. ) i'll need
the netting next year for the strawberries
and grapes again so it was a good $15
investment (and the old singer featherweight
machine got a good run out of the deal too).

the funny thing is i still have blooms
coming here or there on the vine from
spots where i've trimmed it to increase
air flow. and the remaining grape
bunches are enough to keep me happy
for a while as they ripen too. depending
upon how many the birds and raccoons
let me have. the netting remains on
for a few more days tho it is not secure
as before. it looks like a brain illustration
out of an anatomy text.

the plan for this fall and next year is
to turn the triangle shaped arbor into
a straight line arbor (one middle
support with a T shape to get the
vine higher above the frost and fog)
which will increase air flow. also
i want to remove the tiered stacking
from more than one layer of branches
(so one branch does not drip on
another branch or the bunches from
another branch). by having the T i
can spread the vine out over the top.
i think 64 sq feet of arbor will be
enough space for an established vine.
i'll have to come up with a system for
spurs and renewal wood for fruiting
that isn't in a book but i think i can
manage that.

once the frosts are done and the
cooler weather is here i'll remove
a lot more older wood (to reshape
and renew the spurs but also to
get it removed from the two thirds
of the arbor it won't be on any longer)
and i'll take the time to remove any
rough/loose bark where the fungus
is hiding. i'll probably soak it with
a fungicide (several bacteria species
might be helpful for this approach) and
then a compost tea bath (to give the
fungus some additional bacterial
competition).

oh, yeah, i have to move the rhubarb
too. the rot likes the rhubarb.

since it is effectively the wrong
plant in the wrong location i know i'm
fighting more than i have to but i'm
not really wanting to give up concords
and this is the only place in the near
term where the grapes can be. i've
some research on alternatives, but
i'm not sure they do taste the same.

yesterday, when i was picking grapes
and trying not to stuff my face with them
it was heaven to smell them under the
vine. all this work is worth it besides
being a good reason to go outside on
a nice day.

peace and happy harvests to all,


songbird