LIFESTYLES SL SO THERE’S this guy that keeps trying to grow tomatoes in a sand pile. He put a second mortgage on his home in order to buy more fertilizers and he waters twice a day every day. Pretty crazy guy, eh? Then there are the grape grow- ers in the Okanagan. The provin- cial government has been pouring assistance into the area over the Jast two decades and still nobody buys the wine. Then along come the Feds and Free Trade. The Okanagan wine industry will wither on the vine, but not be- fore receiving even more tax dollars so that it may die with dignity. Well I think the first fellow should give up on his tomatoes and should start growing grapes. Besides the obvious benefits of producing a sufficient quantity of fruit to produce a_ non-toxic, perhaps even palatable wine, he may qualify for federal and pro- vincial financial assistance. Seriously, if you have a sunny location with reasonable soil con- ditions and realistic expectations, I strongly recommend the addition of a few grape vines in your garden. You may not produce an award winning riesling, but you could produce a reasonable harvest ESHER SBA WE RS RAD pe 8 of delicious fruit on an attractive ornamental vine. Strong sunlight is required if you wish to produce fruit with a high sugar content. If the fruit is of secondary importance, you may grow these vines or ornamentals in locations which have more shade. Too much shade can increase the risk of mildew. Although the moderately fertile soil should be well drained, these vines will also scquire good water- ing practises throughout the grow- ing season. If you water during the morning hours and keep moisture off the foliage, you will have fewer problems with disease. This requirement for moisture combined with good drainage, and this plant’s high-nutrient require- ments will necessitate the regular addition of high nitrogen fertil- izers. You can use the composted ma- nures such as steer or mushroom (or Doug Collins’ columns), but I prefer small amounts of bloodmea!. Bloodmeal is very high in nitrogen as well as iron, both of which are essential. New plants can easily be started from hardwood cuttings taken from mature vines cut in the mid- dle of the dormant season. They should be 10 to 12 inches in length and inchide two or three bud 13 - Friday, August 12, 1988 - North Shore News are essential. Do not prune new vines throughout the first, full growing season. During the next dormant season, thin out all but the strongest vine and prune it back to three or four buds. Growth should be restricted to a single, strong over the garden gate points. Set the cuttings six to eight inches into the ground in a sheltered location, keep moist, and move to a permanent position in eight to 12 weeks. Previously rooted plants car be purchased in packaged or potted forms at very reasonable prices. Whichever method is used to ob- tain your plants, the first three to four years of training and pruning : "eeeey eas ® qs Geoff Tobiasson vine for the second year which is then tied loosely to a trellis or stake. From this point on, much de- pends on how you wish to grow your vines. They can be trained in the traditional cane form on hori- zontal wires, arbors or trellises, or as stand alone bushes. Whichever method you choose, prune the plants back hard in the »eACTI aba PITTS ITY TEENA ORE, aE “SAP OPEN THIS: WE * EXAMPLE USED RAILWAY TIES. second and third summer to develop a strong trunk. The thicker the vine the smaller the amount that needs to be removed. Back to two or three buds on pen- cil-sized vines to four or five buds on thumb-sized canes. You should continuously remove the suckers which appear at the base of the plant. Allow the plant to increase by two to three vines each year, removing the smaller ones over the dormant season. Mature vines should be pruned back to four or six buds each winter. There are many varieties of grape which will produce quite nicely in our coastal environment. Among these are: Bath — a red, midseason Campbell Early red, Concord type Fredonia — red, early, Concord type, good for arbors Interlaken Seedless — white, very early, sweet and productive White Diamond — white, early to midseason, tart early, Good luck and, as always, have fun. If you happen to produce anything palatable and alcoholic, I will be happy to test it for you. On Factory 2nds (end of lines), Patio Slabs, Planters, Paving Stones, and MORE! 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