To: "North American Fruit Explorers" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] grape cultivars
Date: Tue, 18 Sep 2007 16:52:14 -0500
Ginda Fisher wrote:
There's no practical way to fence anything on my property, but this grape
vine is growing on an ornamental archway, and fencing it would make it
impossible to pass from one area of the yard to another, not to mention
looking really weird. Even if I did fence it, the vine is close enough to
some nearby oaks that the squirrels can certainly jump to it.
I had a similar problem with my grapes, even though they are on the
three-wire systems within a fenced veggie garden. Critters are persistent.
After losing all my grapes last year to these pests, I did what my
Grandfather did in the 1940's. I wrapped each cluster in a wax paper
sandwich bag when they began to put on size. I secured the top of each bag
at the stem with a clothes pin. It worked! I've been harvesting grapes
galore, and they are plenty sweet.
Doreen Howard
Zone 4b-5a, WI-IL Border