Dr. Boli suggests a cure for rustiness.
John Marshall
goGardenNow.com
goGardenNow.blogspot.com
Monday, July 30, 2012
Friday, July 13, 2012
How close does a muscadine grape pollinator have to be and what would be a good pollinator?
How close does a pollinator have to be and what would be a good pollinator.
The nearer the better. Within 100' should be okay. Within 20' would be better. Plant one or two pollinators with the others and you should be okay. There are many good pollinators. Cowart, Carlos and Triumph are good.
John Marshall
goGardenNow.com
goGardenNow.blogspot.com
The nearer the better. Within 100' should be okay. Within 20' would be better. Plant one or two pollinators with the others and you should be okay. There are many good pollinators. Cowart, Carlos and Triumph are good.
John Marshall
goGardenNow.com
goGardenNow.blogspot.com
How do I prune musadines to run on a trellis, how and when to do I fertilize?
Growing up as a kid I enjoyed gathering and eating wild
muscadines. I decided to try growing some myself. I planted 2 vines in
April. How should I prune them to ensure they are trained to run on the
trellis? What time of the year is the best time to prune the vines? What
is the best type of fertilizer to use and when to use it as well as how
much? I enjoyed your video on prunning your muscadines. Since mine are
young plants I don't want to be to aggressive and lose my plants.
Beginning now (July), choose 1 shoot (the longest and strongest) to train as the trunk. The goal is for it to reach the trellis wire, which should be at 4' height. Tie it to a 4' long stake. Use plastic tape or cloth ribbon. Remove all other shoots growing around the base of the plant, and remove any shoots growing from the "trunk" that are emerging any lower than the trellis wire. You can do that now.
When the "trunk" vine reaches the trellis wire, clip off the upper end of it. This will encourage lateral branching along the trunk. Remove all shoots except for the top two. Those will be trained to the trellis wire to serve as arms.
You can prune to train (as mentioned above) any time of year. When pruning for fruit production, do it late winter or very early spring before growth begins.
10-10-10 fertilizer is about as good as any. Fertilize any time between early spring and mid summer. Amount depends on size/age of plant. For specific recommendations, take a soil sample to your nearest Cooperative Extension Office for analysis. The test results will include recommendations.
I've grown clover for cover crop, and that worked well. I haven't needed to fertilize my vineyard in years.
John Marshall
goGardenNow.com
goGardenNow.blogspot.com
Beginning now (July), choose 1 shoot (the longest and strongest) to train as the trunk. The goal is for it to reach the trellis wire, which should be at 4' height. Tie it to a 4' long stake. Use plastic tape or cloth ribbon. Remove all other shoots growing around the base of the plant, and remove any shoots growing from the "trunk" that are emerging any lower than the trellis wire. You can do that now.
When the "trunk" vine reaches the trellis wire, clip off the upper end of it. This will encourage lateral branching along the trunk. Remove all shoots except for the top two. Those will be trained to the trellis wire to serve as arms.
You can prune to train (as mentioned above) any time of year. When pruning for fruit production, do it late winter or very early spring before growth begins.
10-10-10 fertilizer is about as good as any. Fertilize any time between early spring and mid summer. Amount depends on size/age of plant. For specific recommendations, take a soil sample to your nearest Cooperative Extension Office for analysis. The test results will include recommendations.
I've grown clover for cover crop, and that worked well. I haven't needed to fertilize my vineyard in years.
John Marshall
goGardenNow.com
goGardenNow.blogspot.com
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Is a you-pick-em vineyard feasible?
I enjoyed your great video on pruning vines. Thank you. I do have a question- I live in the west panhandle of Florida the soil is very poor, sandy, etc. Will grapes grow well here? What prep needs doing before planting? I have 20 acres. Is a you-pick-em vineyard feasible?
Muscadines should grow well in your area. I bet if you take a
walk in the woods you'll find some wild ones. But for advice specific to
your area, ask your Cooperative Extension agent. Follow this link and click
on the map of your state to find one near you.
http://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/
It would also be a very good idea to take a soil sample of your site to the
extension office for a soil test. That should tell you what you might need
to add. Compost is always a good idea. Since your soil is sandy, a water
retentive gel will help to conserve water, especially if you don't have
irrigation.
A pick your own operation can be good, but will be more successful if you
are easily accessible by the public. Location, location, location. If you
plant all 20 acres in muscadines, you will probably have more than you need
for a pick-your-own. You'd better find additional markets.
Muscadines should grow well in your area. I bet if you take a
walk in the woods you'll find some wild ones. But for advice specific to
your area, ask your Cooperative Extension agent. Follow this link and click
on the map of your state to find one near you.
http://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/
It would also be a very good idea to take a soil sample of your site to the
extension office for a soil test. That should tell you what you might need
to add. Compost is always a good idea. Since your soil is sandy, a water
retentive gel will help to conserve water, especially if you don't have
irrigation.
A pick your own operation can be good, but will be more successful if you
are easily accessible by the public. Location, location, location. If you
plant all 20 acres in muscadines, you will probably have more than you need
for a pick-your-own. You'd better find additional markets.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
How to construct a "tree of life" with muscadine grape vines
Hi John, found you on Youtube. building a labyrinth and in the
center of this labyrinth I want to create a dual effect.
Is this reasonable? what plant do you recommend that has a nice thick woody trunk leading up the turret? At the turret base for the plants how much depth and width should i allow for soil? Suggestions on how to trellis for strength and effect? can you supply the plants at what cost plz? location is Pilot Mountain NC. 27040
Also, at the top of turret will be copper transitional piece to shoulder a 24" copper genesa crystal. the turret is filled with quartz crystals inviting earth energy to flow and then broadcast by the genesa.
Thanks for asking. Your project sounds intriguing. Most muscadines should be cold hardy in your area, but you should check the hardiness of the varieties you consider. Some are hardier than others.
I don't sell muscadine vines any longer, but can recommend some growers to you.
Muscadines are shallow rooted, so soil depth shouldn't be much of an issue. But the roots can spread a long way. So long as you don't have pavement around them, they should be okay.
The trellis at top should be very sturdy. Muscadines live a long time. I imagine something like a steel umbrella. The steel post could fit inside the terra cotta turret. A round steel plate could be welded on top of the post with c-channel steel posts (or something similar) radiating outward. A steel ring, fitting around the outside of the turret, would provide support for braces (as I said, it would look like a big umbrella). This structure would be fabricated (find a welder/fabricator in your area) elsewhere and installed over the
turret.
The radiating arms (perhaps you have a number in mind) needn't be too long. Maybe 5' or 6' long.
Individual grape vine arms could be trained to the radiating arms. They could be fastened with plastic Ag-Lock fasteners.
The vine arms would be permanent. Lateral vines would be pruned annually to keep the tree neat and productive.
Grape vines would be easy to work with. Akebia quinata produces colorful flowers and edible fruit, but grows very quickly and may get away from you. Hardy kiwi (Actinidia arguta) should work, but seems to me that Vitis has more ancient lore and cultural interest.
You could also espalier fruit trees like apple or pear around the turret, but they would take longer and be more difficult to train.
( Readers may follow this project at: http://www.facebook.com/OdinstoneLabyrinth )
Return to goGardenNow.com.
- A. Tree of Life
- B. DNA ladder symbolism.
Is this reasonable? what plant do you recommend that has a nice thick woody trunk leading up the turret? At the turret base for the plants how much depth and width should i allow for soil? Suggestions on how to trellis for strength and effect? can you supply the plants at what cost plz? location is Pilot Mountain NC. 27040
Also, at the top of turret will be copper transitional piece to shoulder a 24" copper genesa crystal. the turret is filled with quartz crystals inviting earth energy to flow and then broadcast by the genesa.
Thanks for asking. Your project sounds intriguing. Most muscadines should be cold hardy in your area, but you should check the hardiness of the varieties you consider. Some are hardier than others.
I don't sell muscadine vines any longer, but can recommend some growers to you.
Muscadines are shallow rooted, so soil depth shouldn't be much of an issue. But the roots can spread a long way. So long as you don't have pavement around them, they should be okay.
The trellis at top should be very sturdy. Muscadines live a long time. I imagine something like a steel umbrella. The steel post could fit inside the terra cotta turret. A round steel plate could be welded on top of the post with c-channel steel posts (or something similar) radiating outward. A steel ring, fitting around the outside of the turret, would provide support for braces (as I said, it would look like a big umbrella). This structure would be fabricated (find a welder/fabricator in your area) elsewhere and installed over the
turret.
The radiating arms (perhaps you have a number in mind) needn't be too long. Maybe 5' or 6' long.
Individual grape vine arms could be trained to the radiating arms. They could be fastened with plastic Ag-Lock fasteners.
The vine arms would be permanent. Lateral vines would be pruned annually to keep the tree neat and productive.
Grape vines would be easy to work with. Akebia quinata produces colorful flowers and edible fruit, but grows very quickly and may get away from you. Hardy kiwi (Actinidia arguta) should work, but seems to me that Vitis has more ancient lore and cultural interest.
You could also espalier fruit trees like apple or pear around the turret, but they would take longer and be more difficult to train.
( Readers may follow this project at: http://www.facebook.com/OdinstoneLabyrinth )
Return to goGardenNow.com.
Friday, May 4, 2012
A question about training muscadine vines to a single wire trellis.
I want to do a forty foot single wire trellis, planting a Carlos
on one end and a Tara on the other. Will this work and what should I do
when they meet in the middle? This is my first experience in planting
scuppernong/muscadines. Am I headed in the right direction?
A single muscadine vine can produce 50 lbs of grapes. With two vines, you could have 100 lbs of grapes on the trellis. It should be able to bear the load. You could construct an H-brace on each end. This article on fence bracing from University of Wisconsin Extension shows how it's done.
But that may be more than is necessary for 2 vines. I suggest you install 3 steel fence posts 20' apart. That would give you a 40' row. String MAX-TEN 200 High-Tensile Trellis Wire between the posts. The wire should be 4' from the ground. Tighten the wire with a Hayes-style wire tightener. Install a duck-bill anchor at each end and attach to the end fence posts. That should give you enough support. You can buy Hi-Ten wire, tighteners and duck-bill anchors from Kencove.com if you can't find them locally.
Plant your vines 10' from each end. Train your vines up to the single wire trellis. Snip the growing tip (terminal bud) from the top of each vine. Select 2 arms per vine and train them to the wire growing in opposite directions.
Each arm should grow 10' long. When the Carlos and Tara arms meet, snip out the growing tips at the ends of the arms. Don't allow the Carlos and Tara arms to grow over each other.
You are on the right track.
A single muscadine vine can produce 50 lbs of grapes. With two vines, you could have 100 lbs of grapes on the trellis. It should be able to bear the load. You could construct an H-brace on each end. This article on fence bracing from University of Wisconsin Extension shows how it's done.
But that may be more than is necessary for 2 vines. I suggest you install 3 steel fence posts 20' apart. That would give you a 40' row. String MAX-TEN 200 High-Tensile Trellis Wire between the posts. The wire should be 4' from the ground. Tighten the wire with a Hayes-style wire tightener. Install a duck-bill anchor at each end and attach to the end fence posts. That should give you enough support. You can buy Hi-Ten wire, tighteners and duck-bill anchors from Kencove.com if you can't find them locally.
Plant your vines 10' from each end. Train your vines up to the single wire trellis. Snip the growing tip (terminal bud) from the top of each vine. Select 2 arms per vine and train them to the wire growing in opposite directions.
Each arm should grow 10' long. When the Carlos and Tara arms meet, snip out the growing tips at the ends of the arms. Don't allow the Carlos and Tara arms to grow over each other.
You are on the right track.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
A question about training young muscadine vines to a pergola
I have just become the coordinator for our school garden. At the
entrance is a pergola with a muscadine vine planted at each post. They
have been growing for 3-4 years. At this point they are bushy,
sprawling outward from posts, 3-4 feet tall, leafed out with tiny grapes
already. I am unsure if they have every been pruned. It seems to me
that they are too bushy at the entrance somewhat blocking the pathway. I
have never grown muscadines myself though I have picked them at
grower's places. I do not know how to proceed to help train them up the
post and hopefully thin them at bottom? Move them? Any advice or
direction to instructions that would pertain to this particular type of
situation would be helpful.
I'm assuming you want to grow them up the post.
At each post, sort through the tangle and select the longest vine. That will be your main trunk. Prune off all other vines from the main trunk. Tie the main trunk to the post with some 1" wide plastic tape. Train the main trunk to grow up the post by tying it as it grows upward. If the tape gets tight, cut it off and tie again loosely. It's not too late to prune. You'll probably lose some of the small grapes, but that's okay because the vine is too young to bear anyway. If allowed to bear, it will slow the upward growth process.
During the summer, new sprouts may grow along the trunk. Prune them off. You can simply rub them off if they are soft and young enough.
John Marshall
goGardenNow.com
goGardenNow.blogspot.com
I'm assuming you want to grow them up the post.
At each post, sort through the tangle and select the longest vine. That will be your main trunk. Prune off all other vines from the main trunk. Tie the main trunk to the post with some 1" wide plastic tape. Train the main trunk to grow up the post by tying it as it grows upward. If the tape gets tight, cut it off and tie again loosely. It's not too late to prune. You'll probably lose some of the small grapes, but that's okay because the vine is too young to bear anyway. If allowed to bear, it will slow the upward growth process.
During the summer, new sprouts may grow along the trunk. Prune them off. You can simply rub them off if they are soft and young enough.
John Marshall
goGardenNow.com
goGardenNow.blogspot.com
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