Lots of stuff

What I Did:
     Canopy cleanup, put netting on one row, Sevin spray, prepared electric fence

Comments:
     It was a hot morning, but lots of work had to be done.  As you can see below, some critter has been attacking the seedless Concord grapes, which are beginning to ripen.

As you can see, this is an early ripening variety.  Note also the clear signs of anthracnose. This is the only plant I have seen the disease on this year, thankfully.  Maybe I'm beginning to get it under control.  In the photo below, you can see many grapes which had been ripped off the vine.  I suspect raccoon, though perhaps oppossum or, less likely, deer.  My money is on raccoons.  I also saw one of our other seedless varieties has been attacked, though it shows no signs yet of any color change.  They don't seem to have bothered anything else.  So, I decided to put netting on this row, since the birds have also been at some of the top grapes, and then string up the electric fence to discourage the mammals.

It will make canopy management a bit harder, but the grapes are too good this year to lose them to the raccoons.  I might even set up the live trap as well.

     I also took off quite a few low leaves and leaves on the back sides of the vines to allow better airflow and spray penetration.  As you can see in the photo above, though, the Japanese beetles do their own share of work allowing air through the leaves.  We think now the beetle onslaught was just delayed, as they are out in huge numbers right now.  So, I did a spray of Sevin.

I likely killed as many as 5000 beetles today.  They were really destroying some vines, and I couldn't let that go on.

9th week since bud break

What I Did:
     Spray with Sevin, Captan; open canopy; put in permanent posts on last row of Nortons

Comments:
     This was a busy week, spread out a bit.  The first thing I did was to install the new posts on the 3 Norton vines.  It was a very hot day to be digging post holes, but I made it through the job by about 12:30 and called it a day outside.  I knew it would be tough getting the vines onto the new lines, since the new ones are much higher than the old.  I should have done this early in the spring, after pruning, if I had been thinking right.  Doesn't always happen.  They look good now though, and I will retrain the vines next spring.  I also did some work on opening the canopy on the concords, though I need to make sure I do that before I spray.

New supports for the Nortons

     All in all, I'm very happy with the way the grapes look.  There is the smallest sign of disease I've experienced since introducing hybrid grapes.  I have only seen one grape that has split open resembling a PacMan character (signs of powdery mildew).  Every year this has been a problem, and these are the first to begin to show rot in late summer and the rot quickly spreads throughout the bunch.  Also very few birds-eyes, which would indicate anthracnose.

Some brown spotting on these seedless grapes

     We have been following the Japanese Beetle annual assault with a bit more interest this year, since it seems their numbers (fingers crossed!) are slightly down this year, so far anyway.  Is it a natural decline or possibly just due to the crazy summer we've had in which everything is slower?  Hopefully it's a sign of a change for the better.  Of course, there are still plenty of them around and they are making their presence known, as evidenced by the skeletonizing seen below.  It still amazes Kathy and I when we talk with people about them.  Many think we're talking about Asian beetles and are seemingly unaware of the Japanese beetles.

     They have also not attacked our red raspberries as much this year.  The reds produce two crops in a season, and last year I don't think we harvested a single berry in the early season.  The beetles got to them so much we just left them alone.  This year, the crop is very healthy looking and, again, though the beetles are present, many very good berries have been picked.

     The reds are not the only ones doing well this year.  Kathy found this little patch of black raspberries that have produced some of the biggest black raspberries I've ever seen.  I hope this patch spreads!  Our own domestic berries need some work, and we continue to be disappointed with their production and health.  Thank goodness for a great wild crop.

This photo doesn't do the berries justice--they are huge!!

     I don't know if I will make a batch of black raspberry wine this year, though.  We're going away for a week and by the time we return, there may not be much left on the bushes.  We'll have plenty for eating and pies, though.  Also, when I return it will be time to bottle some more of last year's wines, our DeChaunac and the Niagaras.  Can't wait!