Continuing with the Grapevine

The grapevine had grown to the point that it badly needed trimming back. In the post Spring in Indiana - Grape Vines, I explained how quickly grapevines grow, how they tend to over produce and how they are susceptible to fungus. The picture above is after trimming.

	On June 9th, before trimming it looked like this photo. Trimming the vine back helps with the over production. Even if it is past the point in the summer which would give the grapes enough time to ripen, a few cooler days with plenty of rain and additional grapes will pop out. Additionally, trimming back improves the air flow around the grapes minimizing the chance of a fungal infection.
	On May 1st, after a spring trimming to get the old growth cut back it looked like this photo. In less than 6 weeks, the grapevine went from what looked like a few sticks on the trellis to and explosion of green. If you want a screen for something during the summer and don't mind the work of trimming, grapevines are the way to go.

The last update on the grapevine, Revisiting the Grapevine was of photo's taken on May 16th. Here's a couple of comparison photos to demonstrate the growth that had taken place:

May 16th	June 9th

As you can see, not only are the vines doing well but the grapes are growing rapidly as well. So far there is no sign of fungus. Ideally I'm hoping for dry weather through the rest of June and July. The dry weather helps promote the production of sugars within the grapes and minimizes the growth of fungus. If things go well in late July or early August, we'll have fresh jelly.