Bejay: It's too early for Thompson to be ripe. They don't ripen for a month even near Fresno. The fruit will be small unless you spray GA to thin , then GA to size, and girdle the vine at the proper time. Your vine is not too young for good fruit and 8 bunches doesn't sound over cropped.

Summer Royal is a much better grape and doesn't need anything to have nice size fruit. Flame is a month earlier but needs all the treatments to have good size.

The Fruitnut

Fruitnut -

I understand the first sentence - and thanks for the info, however, you lost me on the 2nd one. Sooo - what is "GA and girdle" - sorry to be so confounded.

The vines are growing quite vigorously otherwise, so have high hopes. What made the grapes start to split - only one bunch tho.

Bejay

Bejay: GA is gibberillic acid that is sprayed on Thompson and Flame that are being commercially grown for table use. The first spray thins the berries and the 2nd makes the remaining berries bigger. Girdling is where they make a 3/16 inch cut thru the bark of the vines trunk. Done early this can increase fruit set and berry size, but lower sugar, so this is what growers do. They get paid by the pound and need large berries. Done later girdling can incease sugar in the fruit...so this is not what commercial growers do...to hell with taste they gotta look good.

If you do nothing to Thompson you will get small berries that may be sweeter than commercial. Thompson grown for raisins don't get all the plumping up, they are like yours.

Planting the newer cultivars like Summer Royal or Princess will get you larger, and possibly sweeter fruit than Thompson. This is because they are naturally much larger berries.

Don't know what made your berries split. Doubt it will be much of a problem on Thompson.

The Fruitnut

Appreciate the reply -

Funny thing - you mentioned raisins, and I had the same idea for them. They do have a nice tang to them. I even considered their sourness as a possible wine idea. But perhaps that would not be worth the effort.

I did plant a 2nd white wine grape (name escapes me) but it doesn't seem to be prospering as well here.

Bejay

Bejay: Give your grapes a month and they'll likely be much sweeter. The only way to tell when grapes are ripe is by taste. Sounds like your's aren't ripe.

The Fruitnut

Fruitnut
Didn't I read somewhere that Summer Royal didn't get the rave reviews that were expected?
John

John: I guess some people have had problems with Summer Royal. Mine did have some berries that split mid season this yr. But only a few. One problem commercial growers have is that the clusters are often not pretty, more scraggly. What I care about is how they taste and, secondarily, are the berries large and how does it produce. On taste Summer Royal has been outstanding for me. I love it!!

Another new variety that some really love is Princess. It tastes much different than Summer Royal. I think, but am not sure, that Princess is a Muscat flavor. I plan to evaluate it further.

Please understand my experience with these fruits is briefly near Fresno, CA and now in a greenhouse in TX. So your mileage may vary. But they are worth a try for one reason alone over Thompson and Flame. They produce large berries without all the spraying gibberillic acid and gridling that are required of Flame and Thompson.

The Fruitnut

Fruitnut
I think you sold me on my next grape purchase. I'm always looking for grapes that will put up with our scorching summers and Summer Royal might work. Maybe, I'll also purchase a Autumn Royal while I'm at it. Thanks for the info.
John