March 8, 2003

• thinking about growing grapes...saw them at lowes last couple times. Q and A on grape growing, history of pontchartrain vineyards. checked out some other stuff: usda plant hardiness zones map, and the iloveplants pages.

  
  

  from a tulane health bulletin:

  
  

  Grape Potential Beneficial Uses: maintain capillary integrity, improve peripheral circulation, act as an antioxidant to scavenge free radicals, prevent and treat cancer.
  Possible Side Effects: none known.
  Anti-Cancer Action: In January 1997, a group of scientists at the University of Illinois at Chicago, described how resveratrol (a grape skin component) prevents cancer in test tubles and in animals. Their preliminary tests shwed that resveratrol may interfere with the development of cancecr in three different ways: by blocking the action of cancer-causing agents, but inhibiting the development and growth of tumors, and by causing precancerous cells to revert to normal. -Prevention, June 1997

  
  

  and here is our version of nunghui...not quite finished, but up on the wall already. ours black bg, original w bg.

  
  

  
  

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  p*s* 

  Grapes:
  PlantingGrapes send their roots deep where they can, and they prefer a soil that is rich in organic material. You can encourage growth by adding an organic supplement at planting time and mulching the roots afterward. The site should have good air circulation because grapes are subject to disease in stagnant air.
  

  Fertilizing & Disease ControlGrapes need to be fed only nitrogen and may not always need that. If the leaves yellow and there is little growth in the early part of the season, they definitely need feeding. Late feeding during the ripening period can force excessive growth and spoil the fruit. Grapes mildew badly and need good air circulation and often treatment with a fungicide. The classic remedy is copper sulfate.

  
  

  PruningGrapes fruit on lateral shoots on year-old canes. All grapes require heavy pruning to produce fruit. Leave two whole canes from the previous growing season and two canes cut back to two buds. The short canes will form replacements for the others when they are through fruiting. When fruit forms from side growth along this cane, clip the cane off beyond the next set of leaves. You thereby encourage two new canes that will bear fruit the following year.

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  Raspberries Planting  Set raspberry plants in early spring. Prune the canes to within six inches of the ground at planting time for best results. For home garden plantings, a single hedge row at one end or along one side of the garden is desirable. Space new plants 3-4 feet apart in the row. They will fill into a solid hedge row when cultivated on both sides of the row. Raspberry plantings should be cultivated thoroughly and frequently. If weeds and grasses get a start, they are difficult to control. Winter Protection  Raspberries are extremely hardy, so no special protection is needed except in the coldest mountain and plains climates. Where winter temperatures stay extremely low for long periods, and winds add to the chill, you should protect your plants in the following manner: Lay canes of the current season along the row or trellis, pinning portions that arch upward. Be careful not to snap them. Where mice are not likely to be a problem, cover the canes with straw or sawdust to a depth of several inches, and then cover the mulch with poultry netting to hold it in place. If winter mouse damage is probable, bury the canes under 2" of earth.In spring, uncover the canes before they begin to leaf out, just as the buds swell. If the buds break white still covered, they will be extremely tender to even light frost.

  • 7:07 pm
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