My setup in Staten Island, NY

[Dominick]

Just an update: Photos from JUNE 15TH 2008

 

[grapeman]

It looks like it has been raining there today. We got slammed last evening with some pretty heavy rain. We are up to 4.00 inches this month- and it's only half over. Keep an eye out for black rot and mildews with this weather. Looks like you got a pretty good berry set this year. Mine are just blooming and I'm all abuzz by it(actually all the bees in them have me abuzz).

 

[Dominick]

yea it down poured today a ton of rain..
i cut more leaves off the vines today after the rain stopped.
Hope i didnt cut too many heh..

 

[Dominick]

UPDATE: (there gettin bigger hehe)

had to remove a few immature grapes, some did have spots on them..so i had to remove some not many maybe total of 10 grapes. Too much dampness and rain!! Hope to have a decent harvest.

 

[Wade E]

Lookin good over there!

 

[grapeman]

They look pretty good for all the rain in the east. I can see three grapes in that picture with black rot. They are the ones with the black spots on them. The spots will get bigger and when they start to ripen , they will rot and fall off. Best to pick the infected ones off as they form if you can't spray- just like you have.

 

[Dominick]

too much rain, and now there saying another 5 straight days of rain.
expecting more black rot

living in the wetlands doesnt help either.

I just spent like 100$ on damprid products for the basement to control the humidity/moisture. The electric bill gets way out of control with the dehumidifier i have here. So damprid was the next best thing as far as i know, that and opening the windows on dry days with fans blowing air into the basement/cellar. Need to control it cause its where i will be storing my wine. I was thinking about buying a Eurocave Cellar, but they are pricey. Right now the cellar is at 73F and 67% Humidity, trying to get the humidity down, temp isnt bad for me as im fermenting wines etc. In the winter i hope it levels to around 55F and 50%-60%humidity.

Edited by: Dominick

 

[Wade E]

That humidity isnt that bad as long as it doesnt get much higher. Ive read that 60-65 is a decent humidity. I think 75% humidity is probably the line between to high where you might start getting mold and damp labels.

Edited by: wade

 

[Dominick]

Thought I would of had more black rot being that we got somemuch rain this summer. It's also been extremly HOT and ARID. I noticed I got more black rot this year then last. But, also seems Ive got a bigger harvest then last year.


It also seems some of the grapes are missing, I think the deer are eating them or the birds are. Didnt see any deer prints though, but saw a doe eating berries off one of my trees. - Weird.


I have removed 70% of the leaves.
The grapes seem to be doing fine.
Havent been watering, letting nature do its thing.


Posting this from work, so could only upload 1 photo. More to come.

Edited by: Dominick

 

[NorthernWinos]

Hummm...Missing berries????
They look too immature to blame 'finger-blight'....I would guess birds.

Must be time to put up the nets.....glad I bought a few more packages of netting....

Thanks for the photos and the heads up about bird damage....

 

[grapeman]

What I suspect is that as the BR develops, the berries drop from being diseased(it could also be anthracnose- they look similar). They aren't really missing, it's just natures way of dropping the bad seeds. Hope you get a good crop.


NW I just got in a 1600 foot roll of VineSide Netting. The kind that you put on each side and attach the top and bottom. Hope it works well. I also have 1500 feet of 14' bird netting coming.