A Question About Pruning A Tangled Muscadine Grape Vine Mess

We have a bronze scuppernog that was 4 years old when we planted it and is now 6 years old, with some bad advice it has become a tangled mess. It has 6 main branches and is on a wire trellis that has been weighed almost to the ground. I was going to prune it back and put it on a steel pipe trellis. Should I prune it all the back to the main branches or just cut off all but two branches and prune them the right way? It was covered in small clusters this past spring but they got no bigger than the head of a pin.Thanks.

Without being there and pointing out specifics, the best advice I can give is that you should carefully examine your vine. Choose 1 good trunk that is relatively straight, or if crooked can be straightened by lashing it to a sturdy stake. From that trunk, choose two sturdy arms extending in opposite directions down the trellis. Remove everything else. It may seem radical to cut off so much, but new vines will be produced this growing season. Even if you make a big mistake, it will only be temporary.

It's kind of like what an art professor told me once; to carve a bird, visualize a bird, then remove everything that doesn't look like that bird.

If the undeveloped clusters were flowers, then you don't have adequate pollination. You'll need a pollinator variety. If the undeveloped clusters were tiny grapes, there are other potential causes.
 

John Marshall

goGardenNow.com

goGardenNow.blogspot.com  

Results of Community Poll Ending Jan. 1, 2013 About Pesticide Preference

Our Community Poll asked the question, "What kinds of pesticides do you use?"

• 50% of respondents use only organic pesticides.
• 50% of respondents use "organic pesticides and chemical pesticides. Whatever works."
•  Zero percent use synthetic pesticides only.

Obviously, gardeners prefer organic pesticides, but 50% of them will resort to other stern measures to protect their crops.

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How To Grow AAS Winner 'Melemon' F1

AAS Winner 'Melemon' F1

The mission of All-America Selections is "To promote new garden varieties with superior garden performance judged in impartial trials in North America." To do that, AAS tries to "inform gardeners about the AAS Winners", so the organization produces excellent information about growing them.

I recently highlighted the new Melon 'Melemon' F1 AAS Winner in this blog, so here's some information from AAS I want to pass along to you.

"The earliness, high yield on healthy, strong plants and superior taste all contributed to this melon becoming an AAS Winner. Judges related the taste of this melon to honeydew but with a surprising and delicious tanginess. A uniform fruit shape makes it perfect for market growers as well as home gardeners. Each personal-sized fruit has refreshing crisp flesh and a unique sweet and tart taste."

AAS® Winner Data
Genus species: Cucumis melo L.
Common name: Piel de Sapo type melon
Unique qualities: Unique sweet-tart taste, fruits hold one month after harvest
Fruit weight: 4.5 pounds
Fruit Size:  6.5 inches in diameter, 6 inches in height
Fruit shape: Oblate
Fruit color: Green rind turns to chartreuse at maturity, white flesh
Foliage Color:  Green
Plant type: Vining
Plant height: 10 to 12 inches
Plant width: 28 inches
Garden location: Full sun
Garden spacing: 14 inches
Length of time to harvest: 70-80 days from transplant, 89-95 days from sowing seed
Light Needs: Full sun
Water Needs:  Normal
Season Type:  Warm Season
Staking Required:  YES
Closest comparisons on market: ‘Lambkin’ F1, ‘Kermit’ F1, ‘Saporosa’ F1"

As for other members of the species, soil pH should range from 6.1 to 7.5.

If you're thinking you'd like to plant melons next season, you should definitely consider 'Melemon' F1.

John Marshall
goGardenNow.com
goGardenNow.blogspot.com

Another question about poor muscadine grape yields

There is an old Muscadine vine at Mama's that grows the sweetest grapes I've ever tasted. The vine is strung east/west if that makes a difference. What I'm asking about is an oak tree at the west end of the vine. In the last 3 years when the vine buds out in the spring and fruit is forming it looks like we are going to have a bumper crop but most of the grapes will shed long before they are of any size. In your opinion does the oak need to be cut down or is there some additive that will stop the shedding? I have been told boron will take care of the problem.

Various factors can contribute to your problem. 

If grapes are forming but falling off, poor pollination isn't your problem.

Insufficient boron can be a problem. It's best to determine whether there's a deficiency by having leaf samples tested. Sandy soils with high pH are most likely to be deficient. You can take leaf and soil samples to your nearest Cooperative Extension Service office to test for boron. This link can help you find yours. http://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/

Insufficient moisture can be a problem. Oaks tend to be heavy drinkers, so the oak could contribute to that. If the oak is casting a lot of shade on the grapes, that can be a problem, too.

Powdery mildew can cause flowers and small grapes to drop. It is most active when the temperature is between 60 and 80 degrees F. It can occur in sun or shade, but shade encourages it. Powdery mildew looks like a gray, dusty powder on the flowers/fruit. Fungicides can control it, but if you can eliminate contributing factors, do so.

Some insects (beetles and bugs) will feed on small grapes and flowers. Check in spring to see if they're present.

You mentioned the East/West orientation of your trellis. When planting in full sun, I prefer North/South orientation so that the vines can get sun on both sides of the trellis as the day progresses. Regardless of the orientation, full sun is always best.

John Marshall

goGardenNow.com

goGardenNow.blogspot.com 

I had almost no muscadine grapes. How can I get big yields?

I have a dozen muscadine grapes, all different varieties. This past summer they produced a very large amount of foliage but almost no grapes. I had very few spring blooms. Although I do not prune too closely, I have had grape yields in the past. I use only organic culture... How can I get big yields?

 There are a few things that can contribute to poor muscadine yields. But since you noted that you "do not prune too closely", I expect that's the problem. If you haven't pruned enough in the past, plants will produce a lot of thin, unproductive shoots. I suggest you prune closely this season, leaving only 3 or 4 buds per spur. In addition, reduce the number of spurs.

All-America Selections Announces Four More Winners for 2013

Geranium ‘Pinto™ Premium White to Rose’ F1 - Photo courtesy All-America Selections

On chilly and rainy days like this, gardeners like to sit at the kitchen table and dream about their future spring plantings. That's exactly what I'm doing. Next year's seed catalogs have't arrived yet, but I'm checking out the newest All-America Selections (AAS) winners for 2013. Each winner was trialed beside a few other similar varieties on the market, then analyzed with regard to taste, growth habit, disease resistance, and similar considerations to determine if they are actually better than those already available. Only superior plants are granted the AAS Award. After the 2012 trialing season, two melons, a tomato and a geranium are the latest to receive official AAS recognition.

Melon 'Melemon' F1 - Photo courtesy All-America Selections

Melon ‘Melemon’ F1 received the AAS 2013 Vegetable Award. It yields early and heavily on strong plants. Each fruit is just enough for one person to enjoy. The taste, judged to be superior, is comparable to a honeydew, but with delightful tanginess. The flesh is crisp and sweet. The uniform shape makes it ideal for commercial growers and home gardeners.

Watermelon 'Harvest Moon' F1 - Photo courtesy All-America Selections

Watermelon ‘Harvest Moon’ F1 also received the AAS 2013 Vegetable Award. It's a hybrid, triploid seedless melon similar to the popular heirloom variety, 'Moon and Stars', but the healthy vines are shorter. I ripens early with a higher yield. Fruits are medium-sized with sweet, pinkish-red flesh. The rind is dark green with yellow dots.

Tomato 'Jasper' F1 - Photo courtesy All-America Selections

Tomato, Cherry ‘Jasper’ F1 is the third AAS 2013 Vegetable Award Winner. High yields of sweet fruits of uniform size are produced on vigorous plants. In fact, the vines are so strong they require little or no fertilization. Add to that Jasper's high disease resistance to Late Blight, Fusarium 1 and 2, and Early Blight, and its resistance to weather-related stresses. The fruits stay on the vine well after ripening, and last longer after they've been picked.
Geranium ‘Pinto™ Premium White to Rose’ F1 (see photo above) is a AAS 2013 Bedding Plant Award Winner. Loads of early, long-lasting 5" blooms change color from white to rose. The plants are full and dense with well-branched stems and dark green foliage. Even in the extreme heat of last year's summer, 'Pinto Premium White to Rose' performed extremely well. Gardeners who want a care-free, colorful garden next summer should definitely plant this one.

When your seed catalogs arrive in the next few months, look for Melon 'Melemon' F1, Watermelon 'Harvest Mood' F1, Tomato 'Jasper' F1 and Geranium 'Pinto Premium White to Rose' F1. If you prefer to buy your plants already started at retail, request your favorite garden center to carry them.

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What is insecticidal soap? How does it work? Can I m ake it myself?

What is insecticidal soap? How does it work? Can I make it myself?

Insecticidal soaps are environmentally friendly formulations made from mineral or vegetable oils that kill soft-bodied insects either by suffocation or destroying their cells. Insecticidal soaps do not leave toxic residues. They must contact the insects to be effective.

Here's a quick and easy way to make insecticidal soap. Mix one cup of cheap vegetable oil with one tablespoon of dishwashing liquid. Do NOT use soaps formulated for automatic dishwashers because they may contain chemicals that can harm plants. Do NOT use soaps with bleach added. Add two teaspoons of the soap mixture per cup of warm water in a plastic spray bottle. Stir thoroughly. Test a bit of the mixture on a small part of the plant to assure that the mixture won't do damage to the plant. Spray only on cloudy days or before dusk. Hot sunlight combined with insecticidal soap can damage plants.