Make a Berry House

Hi

I said to Harry "what would be a good opening line!" Never at a loss for words he says "as I sit down to write this with a glass of wine in my hand, I think to all those varieties of grapes that we potted today" We really did bag all the grapes today! I said "that's so corny", he replies in his usual manner, "well don't use it." Well I really do have a glass of wine in hand and if this doesn't get sent tonight and arrives in tomorrows in box, then you'll know that I have had a glass too many. LOL

Back to other things fruity and that's not us!!

The Grape

Properly known as Vitis vinifera, there are many cultivars of the humble grape that we use for fermentation, dried fruit, and dessert varieties to grace our tables or to peel for our loved ones. I guess that the main species we cultivate would be vinifera but there are others species like Vitis amurense or Vinifera purpurea that are very ornamental and are renowned for spectacular autumn colours. Vitis coignetiae is another one and has the common name, Crimson Glory Vine, also grown for its crimson autumn foliage. They still have classic bunches of grapes that I think look really neat and ornamental, but these are usually much reduced and compact looking.

Pete (aka dad) from the gate house (aka cottage) has a swag draped across the front of his veranda with Vitis amurense on one side and the dessert grape Niagra coming from the other way. Now he has set these up on chain and hook swags so that the vines can be lifted off to paint the house. It looks really cool in summer, especially as he does keep his properly tipped, spectacular in the autumn with its warm burgundy tones and we get all the grapes in the late autumn, when they are ripe.

Now for a few grape tips;

Create your structure or framework with the leaders, meaning take the main leaders either up, down or across where you intend to grow it and prune back to this main form every winter. I think that a well shaped grapevine looks very distinguished, almost like a classic espalier. When your plant takes off in the spring allow each runner to have two lots of flowers and then pinch back and keep it pinched back so that the growth goes into the fruit and not runners. When your grapes are maturing remove some of the leaves so that the sun can reach the grapes and help ripen and sweeten them, don't take too many leaves as the plant still needs to make food.
If you follow all of this you won't end up with a giant pot mitt on top of your pergola and hopefully bucket loads of grapes. You may even be tempted to turn them into your own wine.

Raspberries

Nootka,     Willamette,     Heritage,      Skeena

If you're keen to grow your own raspberries then this is the time to get them in so that they make that important root growth and send up new canes that have the all important fruit on their ends.  I reckon the easiest way to grow them would be along side a fence but they will do just as well in the home garden as a large bush. 

 

NEW IN THIS WEEK

Gooseberries, Who remembers these, Gooseberry pie! I havent had one of these since I was a kid! A prickly bush that will like being planted on the cooler side of the house

Blackberry Thornless There are thornless blackberries as well, probably quite a vigorous beastie but train it as a vine to keep in place.  It will look just like a climber except you'll be able to pick blackberries to turn in blackberry and apple pie

Currants both red and black, Grow your own vitamin C and have a bush or two in the garden. Easily grown as a medium bush in a sunny position, won't mind the cooler side of the house.

If you require a bulk deal then please enquire at sales@wairere.co.nz

COMING

Nectarine Mabel  Founded as a seedling underneath a 'Blackboy" tree by the Waikato by a gardener named Mabel, this Nectarine is unique with it's stunning dark purple foilage and delicious sweet nectarine.  Grows well in all areas of New Zealand and is quite hardy to disease.  Self fertile.

The weather has been pretty miserable with all these sporadic cold showers, ideal for conditions for all sorts of fungal infections. Keep an eye out for downy mildew on any new roses. You probably won't see any symptoms other than the new leaves falling off. Spray with Bravo if unsure

 Otherwise between showers Have a great weekend

Cheers, Lloyd and Harry

Make it a Wairere weekend where gardenings not a drag!!!!!