Grapes

[Beeboy]

Any body have some good tips on growing grapes?

I put out some Himrod, & Candidace grapes last weekend, but I don't know much about them.

Any help would be appreciated.

[BoilerJim]

I have been growing Concord grapes for a few years. I built a wood and wire arbor and tie the vines to the arbor in order to manage the growth and vines. They are pretty much self sufficient. We make grap jelly and grap juice.

[Beeboy]

How tall do you make your arbor?

[minz]

I tore out some himrod this last fall, I attempted to trellis them over some red raspberries and they got so big I got no Reds. 
Make your trellises just as high as you want to pick.  They will fill it. You can make more by pushing some cut off branches in the ground in the fall.  These things are a weed! The harder you cut them the harder they grow.
http://smallfarms.oregonstate.edu/sites/default/files/publications/growing_table_grapes_ec1639_may_2011.pdf

[Beeboy]

I tore out some himrod this last fall, I attempted to trellis them over some red raspberries and they got so big I got no Reds. 
Make your trellises just as high as you want to pick.  They will fill it. You can make more by pushing some cut off branches in the ground in the fall.  These things are a weed! The harder you cut them the harder they grow.
http://smallfarms.oregonstate.edu/sites/default/files/publications/growing_table_grapes_ec1639_may_2011.pdf

How would you grade the grapes in size, flavor, juiciness, etc.

[minz]

About marble in size, they go from a green to a yellow green.  Clumps all over a pound.  Very sweet as they are ripe.  When ripe the starlings and birds will move in and clean off 5 plants in about a day (way worse than blues or cherries).  We have juiced them in the past with a crush and strain method because they all come ripe at one time.

[Beeboy]

Thank you, minz.

[Beeboy]

What about Canadice grapes, does anyone have experience with them?

[brooksbeefarm]

I don't know much about grapes, there are sprays(fungicides) that keep from having black spots on the grape and to keep them from drying up in the clusters (mummies). Anyone know how to avoid this?? Jack

[LazyBkpr]

We have concords growing all along our fence rows.. and we have plans to plant about 500 Marquette in the next year or three.  I am currently attempting to investigate the fungicides and insecticides "normally" used..
   Fungicides I can spray at night using lights on the tractor and spray bars..  by morning they will be dry and less of an issue..  Insecticides and keeping both birds and bugs out of the developing and ripening grapes is a more difficult challenge...  Birds can be discouraged by netting with openings large enough for bees to get through...   the insect issues are still under investigation, and are the prime reason we have not YET planted grapes....   If I ever get an acceptable plan of action together I will certainly post it to get opinions.

[brooksbeefarm]

Grandpa use to put rubber snakes on top of his strawberry patch to keep birds out, kept us kids out too until we knew they wasn't real. I'm going to try that on my grapes to see if it works. I won't tell the grandkids either, they might as well learn like we did. Jack

[LazyBkpr]

LOL!!!  Would keep my wife away too!

   No, I take that back...  I would have a chopped up snake and a mutilated grape plant!!

[Gypsi]

watch out for the grape leaf skeletonizer larva. Looks sorta like a monarch caterpillar. I will have to spray with BT this year if they come back, squishing didn't work fast enough, almost lost my grapevines

I got lowes special, I think Black red and white. 2 vines lived, not sure which 2. I WILL be bird netting once I see baby grapes, the mocking bird nailed them.

[mamapoppybee]

I will add a vineyard next spring have to many projects at the moment. Do have a great location though. Its my old garden and have the fence i grew peas on.

[brooksbeefarm]

My grapes are loaded this year , Does anyone know if your supposed to cut the runners back? They are laying on the ground not enough room for them on the fence. I think i remember Dad saying, grapes need to be trimmed back for air ventilation so they won't mold? I haven't sprayed with anything yet, and they don't look like anything is bothering them. Is there something i should be doing before it happens. I know very little about caring for grapes. Jack
PS. Where is a good place to buy netting?

[Beeboy]

I have always heard that grapes love to cut back hard...at the right time of the year. However, my brother's grapes wouldn't produce grapes until he quit pruning it back. So I guess so what works for you, & go for it.

Gardening is such complicated thing because the rules are different in every area.

[LazyBkpr]

Grapes are produced on the new runners. If you do not cut them back in the fall the grapes it produces next year will be on the "new" vines that grow out of the old. If you do not prune the grapes will continue to move away from the main or "hard" part of the vines.

[Gypsi]

Home Depot and Lowes sell deer/bird netting pretty cheap