Grow Your Own Magazine

Hi Y'all, first post on the board .

I don't know if my problem has been discussed before but my grapes are a bit on the small side. In every other respect they are fine - good flavour, high sugar content and the bunches are well formed.

Any ideas?

Hi Smuff

Sorry no idea on the grapes, but juat wanted to say Hi and welcome

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Shortie

"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children; one of these is roots, the other wings" - Hodding Carter

Hi Smuff,

Welcome to the vine. Next year try thining the bunches out a bit that way you'll get bigger grapes. You'll need some long thin scissors to get in to the bunch - You used to be able to buy grape thining scissors don't know if yuo still can.

Your doing something right though if your getting good grapes 600ft up. Are they outside or under cover?

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ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

Hi Shortie, thanks for the welcome.
I've been reading the board for some time now and finally joined up.

Glad you did Smuff. We don't bite, promise (well actually, I am getting a bit peckish... not had my dinner yet )

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Shortie

"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children; one of these is roots, the other wings" - Hodding Carter

Most definitely under glass. It's grown in a cold greenhouse which I keep as dry as possible during winter.
When you say good grapes; I think this is a good year considering my location. There are fewer bunches than normal and they were blasted by the sun for the whole of July which probably helped concentrate the flavour.

Interestingly I just checked the vine and found a bunch with fewer, bigger grapes.
I've heard of thining out bunches before but never did it due to the percieved faff of trimming tiny grapes. I'll be trying it next year though

Hi Smuff & welcome.
I grow outdoor grapes over an arch & my grapes are quite small but used to be very tiny until I started to thin them out a bit. You're supposed to cut off any small bunches & leave just one decent bunch on each fruiting spur & also trim out a few individual grapes from each bunch using scissors (try not to touch the grapes as it can damage them), I usually just cut out any odd tiny grapes from each bunch.

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Into every life a little rain must fall.