Grapes for the Table

Hi

Manopause

OMG...! I have come of age as I sit down with my laptop  and well put on my brand new re.. re... rea...  reading gl.. gla...... glasses. Denial doesn't get one anywhere as I stand in the shop holding the spray bottles further and further away. You know that you really have to do something about it when you can't hold the writing far enough away  to read even if you could. As Harry has been telling all and sundry as they come into the shop that ‘Lloyd is suffering from manopause", His sympathetic words as my next coming of age birthday looms. Well its not every year that one reaches another very special decade and well, the glasses were kinda the icing on the cake!! LOL  But gosh don't they make such a difference, should have got them a couple of years ago.

Grapes I was wandering around the nursery the other day checking it out as you do and making list of things that need attending to and it's all looking pretty organised. Cherie and Craig have been busy getting all the fruit trees in alphabetical order so that its easy to find them.  Then they have been working on all the ornamentals and have sorted all the Magnolias and Cornus (Dogwoods) into order of height and alpha as well.  Last year we had a awesome range of grapes and this year its even better.  I had better quickly qualify and say that all the varieties that we now have in stock are table grapes

We all need to know a few things or two about grapes and the first thing that springs to my mind is the genus name. So to impress your friends with these big long winded Latin names, Vitis vinifera ( is the one for grapes and there are plent of cultivars of) are of  European origins or the other main variety is Vitis labrusca being North American or hybrids of the two. Muscatel generally refers to a flavour or style of grape.

Sex is pretty important when it comes to fruits and grapes can manage perfectly well by themselves though a gentle breeze helps. So before you all get carried away grapes are wind pollinated and so as such need an open airy spot though too much breeze will take the pollen too far away.  When you buy a new plant you need to grow it against something like a fence or trellis or even build a special frame. In the first year, one needs to create a framework and this means growing the new runners where you want the branches to be. I would guess that if growing formally along a fence, then start your first runners going sideways at approx 60 to 70cm from the ground. The next set of runners should be at approx 50 cm intervals above that and then after each fruiting season prune back to your frame work. Each spring allow each new shoot to have two sets of flowers and then keep the vine pinched back for two reasons. one is to allow the growth to go into grapes and the other is so that you don't end up with a giant pot mitt on your fence or pergola. Now a little tip that might be handy if you intend to grow along a verandah like we have, is to put up a chain with big hooks to grow the vine along so that when you want to paint the house you can lift the vine off for such maintenance.

The other issue with grapes is that sweetness and flavour is enhance with what is happening below and the length of time grapes are on the vine and so a soil that drys out at the time of ripening may have sweeter grapes. The other trick that I have, Harry showed me, is that by removing some of the leaves at ripening time lets the sun in to ripen the fruit. Dont take away too many though as the vine will still need its leaves to make food to keep feeding itself

NEW IN THIS WEEK.

Helleborus Ice Queen, These are just gorgeous and the last batch of these icy white winter roses moved out pretty quickly so if you want a plant or two for yourself then be in and either order on line or fire Rose in admin an email and she will sort it for you.

Ladys Mantle or Alchemilla mollis, An oldie but a goodie an easy and hardy to grow perennial that can used as a border or in drifts. Has unusal green flowers that look awesome in a posie of flowers and look stunning in the garden with the morning dew on them.

Cordyline Green Goddess and Midnight Star. I really like these cabbage trees. Green goddess only getting to approx 2 to 3 metres high. Ideal as a feature plant,  in large tub or pot

Asparagus. Sweet succulent and tender and of course you can grow your own. Now you have to remember that Asparagus is a true perennial and so needs its own spot in the garden. I reckon that if you have the space make a dedicated Asparagus patch.  Plant the crowns now to get well established before the summer. As with most perennials the crown will get bigger yielding more spears as the years go past. They love lots of food so feed them well. Hopefully we have sorted the software and you can have 4 packets sent for $5.00 NZ wide so just add them to your shopping cart if wanted.

Raspberries  Found that we had a few more of these than we thought so its still 10 canes for $30.00 but email Rose in the office (accounts@wairere.co.nz ) and she will sort you out and dispatch next wednesday. But its time to get these in the ground as spring is marching on and getting closer and closer.

 

Goodness its August, where does the year go! I always think of this month being early spring as the daffs are all out doing their thing. Hope everyones week is a good one

 

Cheers, Lloyd and Harry and the team