yup, first year here. Planted Concord, Lakemont, Reliance, and Swenson Red. cant wait to taste them. Im planning on canning grape juice to drink year round

I'm at my second attempt at first year. The deer got mine last time at the old place.

i bought a reliance, Candace, Cabernet savniogn and a corot noir or something like that.

im hoping the bunnies don't like grape vines.

That's nice and fancy. I'm going vineyard style for mine due to the fact that it's on borrowed land and something that fancy would actually be a bad thing. They want my garden to not be noticeable.

I had Reliance grapes until they got wiped out by -18 degrees two winters ago? They were really tasty but very low vigor vines. I have Concord left. Ok for fresh use (I don't mind the seeds) but mostly I use them for jelly and juice. I just opened up a quart of juice last night. Mighty tasty!

I have such wasp issues that I am hesitant to grow any varieties that ripen too early in the season as the Reliance were always a battle to see who got more of the crop, me or the wasps. Putting out wasp traps baited with Mountain Dew every 3 days was the only way I ever got any Reliance grapes for myself.

My concords get hit by wasps too but not as bad.

Good to know, I'll just have to try pruning differently to try to make up for the lack of vigor.

What do wasps do to grapes, vines?

after many years of searching I found a species I can get fruit off of.

himrod

i have put in a series of cuttings

this year in other places, even a neighbor.

these are along a south wall that I will train low and block the sun.

i am in the process of putting in a sidewalk here too.

Spartan,

Interesting info about the reliance and wasps. What process do you use to can grape juice? if you don't mind me asking

Sean:

Where I live (SE WI) it seems many of the early grape varieties get attacked by the wasps. Not just Reliance. Friends who grow grapes also tell me the biggest issue is wasps. It seems in August/September around here the wasps get aggressive as their food sources deplete. I get wasps attacking all my early grapes, ripening plums, any over ripe pears ect.

The later in the season I go with grapes, the less damage I seem to have from wasps. This is why I chose to keep my Concord and will not plant any grapes that ripen earlier than Concord. Perhaps in your area of NY, the wasps are not such a pest in late summer.

I can my grape juice in quart jars. I am not sure without checking my recipe but I think I process it in a boiling water bath for about 20-25 minutes/quart.

It can be frozen too. I once knew a guy who commercially grew table grapes to make juice and he froze all his juice. Sold it all frozen. Now he finds growing wine grapes for local wineries to be more profitable.

I would try setting out a pan of water. Maybe they are just thirsty.