North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[road's end farm <organic101@linkny.com>]

On Tuesday, December 21, 2004, at 11:19 AM, Charles Paradise wrote:

> So what do you all think?  Are you for my planting the grapes at the 
> base of the pines, or against it?
> Charlie Paradise
> zone 5ish Massachusetts


I was also waiting for Lon to weigh in on this, but maybe he's not going 
to.

I think the climates in which grapes are often grown mixed in with trees 
are further south. In Massachusetts, I'd plant them well away from the 
trees; I think they're going to need all the sun they can get. Grapes 
growing even in corners of vineyards near trees in my area often don't 
ripen as well as those further from the woods.

Try also to get them somewhere where you can get good airflow through 
the vines, to dry them as fast as possible after rains. Grapes in shade 
and/or poor airflow are more liable to diseases, especially in the 
ripening fruit bunches.

If the rest of the lot is shaded even more than the bottoms of the pine 
trees, then you could give the pines a try. The pines may not be happy 
about the grapes, though, if the grapes escape pruning and climb all 
over the tops of them.


--Rivka
Finger Lakes NY; zone 5 mostly