North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Lon J. Rombough" <lonrom@hevanet.com>]

> Interesting article in U.S.A. Today on wineries in the U.S.
> 
> http://www.usatoday.com/travel/vacations/destinations/2002/2002-06-28-wine-mai
> n.htm
> 
> Also have a question regarding the need to girdle the vines for seedless
> grapes, regarding timing and the specific varieties that need it.  I 
> thought I
> had saved the article on it, but I can't find it.  Can anyone refresh my
> memory?
> 
> Brian Raby
> Sheridan, IN, where I saw the first of many more to come Japanese beetles
> munching on the grape and raspberries leaves yesterday.
You don't have to girdle seedless.  Just leave twice as many fruit buds as
usual at pruning time, then remove 3/4 of the clusters at or just past bloom
time.  At bloom time for loose clustered varieties, just after set for tight
clustered types.  You'll get berries as big as with girdled vines and the
total crop weight will be as high as if the vine was just pruned the regular
way.  Broken record time - I wrote this up in my book, due out in Sept.
-Lon Rombough
Grapes, writing, consulting, more, plus word on my grape book at
http://www.bunchgrapes.com