WINTERING YOUR GRAPEVINES
Thanks Stan for your newsletter. Our neighbour would like to
know what he should cover his grape vines up with over the winter.
(They are in a cold green house.)
We sure enjoy your program on Sunday
mornings.
Elaine
Elaine - Your neighbour has the best situation to grow and enjoy
a wider variety of grapes that would be from zones 3 to zone
5.
Foch , Stueben , Valiant , Niagara and Thompson seedless are
but a few and easily obtained from the local nurseries. And yes,
we can grow seedless grapes under these conditions.
Remind the neighbour that the mash from the grapes including
the seeds are excellent as a compost starter.
The prime consideration for cold house growing is to maintain
a soil temp. either just above freezing, or no more than 5 degrees
below freezing. The lower temp. does not hamper the Foch or Valiant,
but does harm, if not kill the others.
Use cardboard boxes at least 15 to 24 inches square and no less
than 20 inches high. Cut off the bottom and water 5 gallons to
each plant, then contain each grape. Fill the boxs with dry peat
moss to the top of the box.
Because these plants are in a confined area that can and will
heat during the days of sun, the vines should be draped with
coarse sacking or some such material to hamper the bud formation
from bolting. If left with out cover, auxins will begin to bring
the plant from dormancy too soon. By March, the shading material
is taken off the vines. Prune as necessary and take only half
the top volume of peat from the plants, when the buds begin to
swell, take all the peat from the grapes; cultivate 2 or 3 inches
of soil around the stem and water well.
Grapes thrive in bright light, good moisture content well draining
soil and a complete fertilizer like triple 20 for the initial
growth of vines and leaves. When the flowers are declining, and
'be-be' size grapes begin to cluster, alter the fert. to 15 15
30. This water soluable fert. need not be use more than 3 times,
or until the grapes are fully formed.
To obtain the best tasting fruit, the grapes require that the
carbohydrates be changed to sugar, and that is accomplished by
a minus 2 to 3 degree frost in the fall.
I shall expect a delivery of the initial ice wine by December
next.
All this...and I don't even have a French
accent!
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