Grapes

http://www.durgan.org/ShortURL/?AOMWC 24 May 2008 Grapes.

There are four grape vines in the garden. Concord, Sovereign Coronation, Baco Noir, and Niagara. They are on a trellis and Niagara (white) is along the fence. This is the third year, and I expect a good picking. Last year I let the Concord produce and got 16 large clusters. The plants were planted in the Spring of 2005. This is my first effort at growing grapes, so it is a bit of a learning experience, particularly with pruning. Full sun and adequate moisture seems to be the main criteria, plus watch for bugs, like the Japanese beetle.

http://www.durgan.org/ShortURL/?UANFQ 14 July 2008 Grapes.
All vines are producing well. The downside is the Japanese Beetle appeared today. I squashed four. The beetles appeared to be quite small, so I assume it is not a good year for them. I can hope.

http://www.durgan.org/ShortURL/?PVWNZ 25 August 2008 Sovereign Coronation Grape
This is the third year for this vine, and my first fruit production. The clusters are almost ripe and I removed one cluster, and found the quality and taste superb. It is similar in taste to the Concord, without the sharp bite when first breaking the skin. An excellent choice for the home garden. I have a bit of fungus (Downy Mildew) since it has rained almost some part of every day for the last three weeks, keeping the foliage wet, which is ideal conditions for mildew growth.

Sovereign Coronation grape is a table grape variety now in the marketplace. Developed under the Plant Breeding Program directed by Lyall Denby in the 1970's. Created at the Agriculture Canada Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre, Summerland, BC, Canada. Coronation grape is a cross between native North American varieties Patricia and Himrod. The Coronation grape is a fairly hardy variety, ripening in late August, and is available in the market earlier than other traditional varieties. It is virtually seedless.

http://www.durgan.org/ShortURL/?SYLHD 1 September 2008 Grape Juice made today
Niagara vines produces green grapes, which are pleasant eating, but too many for the table, so I decided to make juice. Procedure is to remove the grapes from the cluster, mash in a pot, bring to a gentle simmer for ten minutes, strain through a colander, then stain again through cheese cloth, then store. This juice is as pure as one can get. Total time 2 hours and 20 minutes.One pound of grapes produced about a cup of juice, or 400 ml. Total from the vine was 8 lbs so just over quart of juice. The media periodically opinions that a daily glass of wine is good for people, since there is some ingredient in grapes that protects the heart. No doubt sponsored by the wine industry.

http://www.durgan.org/ShortURL/?OHFOQ 2 September 2008 Sovereign Coronation Grape Harvest
The grapes were removes from the vine today. Some where starting to split. A total weight of 12 lbs was taken off this vine. They are an excellent eating grape.

http://www.durgan.org/ShortURL/?HSMDC 6 September 2008 Baco Noir Grapes Harvested for juice
These grapes are basically a wine making grape. Six pounds were obtained from the vine, for a total weight of 7 lbs, and reduced to 6 lbs when removed from the clusters. The juice is a nice dark colour and pleasant to drink. It may be thinned with water, but I prefer the pure juice of the grape. A pound of grapes produces about a cup of juice. The clusters are very crowded, and the grapes are smaller than say the typical Concord variety.

http://www.durgan.org/ShortURL/?DXRNQ 16 September 2008 Concord Grapes Ripening
Two clusters were picked today. The grapes are superb, and as good as any I have bought in stores over the years. The clusters are about half ripened. The Japanese beetle seldom attacks this grape as opposed to the other three types in my garden. This may be a coincidence.

http://www.durgan.org/ShortURL/?OBQOT Summary: Grape Growing Experience