CC's Fruits, Veggies & Food 2023

[Crealcritter]

What are you going to do with all that food? That's a lot of trees! That's a lot of grapes!

Eat

Jesus is Lord and Christ

 

[Crealcritter]

Will you prune the vines in spring? I'm hoping to find someone who has skills with pruning them.. My parents have these big, beautiful grape vines but the last few years all the growth is vegetative, zero fruit. I'd like to help them get it productive again but don't know how.

I believe you are probably correct that they could probably use good pruning. Grape vines need regular pruning to produce. Here is an article that may help.

How to Prune Old and Overgrown Grapevines

Pruning an old, overgrown grapevine requires a form of severe pruning that removes about 90 percent of the plant’s total growth. Severe pruning directs the plant’s roots toward producing fresh new growth. Fortunately, grapevines are such hardy, vigorous and forgiving growers that just about any ...

homeguides.sfgate.com

Jesus is Lord and Christ

 

[Crealcritter]

Potted baby grafted peach trees. They say grafting is best done on dormant 1 year old wood. Some of the rootstocks were tiny diameter. But I grafted them anyways, did my imperfect best.

I'll leave them indoors where it's warm, for a few weeks and hopefully the grafts will callous together. Then I'll set the pot outside.

I'll babysit them this spring and summer. If the grafts take and grow big enough i'll set them out in the late fall/early winter when they go dormant.

If the grafts don't take I'll keep the root stocks alive, then I can chip or t-bud graft onto them in August.

I'll probably have a mixed bag... Who knows maybe in 3 to 5 years I might get a peach

Jesus is Lord and Christ

 

[Crealcritter]

Unbelievable, but the blackberry seeds I sowed Sunday, are starting to poke up. 2 days, 3 nights that was quick I guess I need to get a kiddie pool fastened down to a pallet rland filled with barn scrapings and sawdust pretty soon. So I can transplant them when they need to be

I did some crazy stuff with kiddie pools last year that worked out great.

Jesus is Lord and Christ

 

[Branching Out]

My parents have these big, beautiful grape vines but the last few years all the growth is vegetative, zero fruit. I'd like to help them get it productive again but don't know how.

We had a similar scenario last year with my parents' grape vines, so after consulting with my Italian garden buddy the decision was made to cut off a LOT. My friend says you really need to cut them back hard. We still got some grapes last year, but a smaller harvest due to the hatchet job. This year we left some longer vines and we are hoping for a good crop of table grapes.

May I recommend a very enjoyable book on the subject of cultivating grapes? It is called A Vineyard In Tuscany, by Ferenc Mate. I was able to pick up this gem at a second hand book sale, but libraries may have it as well. It is such a wonderful read, and along the way you learn quite a bit about the nuances of planting grape vines.

 

[Crealcritter]

10 apple scions grafted onto M111 (semi dwarf) root stocks. I got some potting to do here in a little bit, after the treecoat dries.

My daughter in law said she had fun, she grafted most of them. Her hands are so clean

Edit: potted stuck in a corner along with others. I have 3 more apples to graft then I'll be done bench grafting.

Jesus is Lord and Christ

 

[heirloomgal]

We had a similar scenario last year with my parents' grape vines, so after consulting with my Italian garden buddy the decision was made to cut off a LOT. My friend says you really need to cut them back hard. We still got some grapes last year, but a smaller harvest due to the hatchet job. This year we left some longer vines and we are hoping for a good crop of table grapes.

May I recommend a very enjoyable book on the subject of cultivating grapes? It is called A Vineyard In Tuscany, by Ferenc Mate. I was able to pick up this gem at a second hand book sale, but libraries may have it as well. It is such a wonderful read, and along the way you learn quite a bit about the nuances of planting grape vines.

Thank you!

 

[Crealcritter]

I reckon I had 4 more apples to graft. Two pink ladies and 2 golden delicious. These are my own air-layered rootstocks and scionwood. I want to believe I'm done grafting now.

I'll leave them inside in the warmth to callous over then move them outside and babysit them until the are ready to plant during dormancy. The grafts that don't take, I'll continue to care for the root stocks. Then I can chip or T-bud come august or wait and try again next march. Various grafting techniques used on these. Whatever worked with what we had to work with.

Whip and tongue works well when rootstocks and scionwood is the same diameter.

Bark graft works when for large diameter rootstock and small diameter scion wood and the bark is slipping.

Cleft graft works well when the bark isn't slipping and for larger diameter rootstock and small diameter scionwood.

The number one cause of graft failure is grafting the scionwood upside down. Buds need to face up

Was a fun learning experience. We'll see how many take, I'm expecting some failures, else how would I learn?

Jesus is Lord and Christ

 

[Crealcritter]

We had a similar scenario last year with my parents' grape vines, so after consulting with my Italian garden buddy the decision was made to cut off a LOT. My friend says you really need to cut them back hard. We still got some grapes last year, but a smaller harvest due to the hatchet job. This year we left some longer vines and we are hoping for a good crop of table grapes.

May I recommend a very enjoyable book on the subject of cultivating grapes? It is called A Vineyard In Tuscany, by Ferenc Mate. I was able to pick up this gem at a second hand book sale, but libraries may have it as well. It is such a wonderful read, and along the way you learn quite a bit about the nuances of planting grape vines.

I really enjoy it, when people offer honest sincere help. Please don't stop, keep going.

Jesus is Lord and Christ

 

[Crealcritter]

More critters...

This is my dog baxter and tomcat jack. This is one of my favorite pictures taken this past fall. Jack acts more like a dog than a cat. I think he thinks he's really a dog with tree climbing superpower.

Jesus is Lord and Christ