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| 'Reliance' before pruning |
I had some errands to run in the morning, so it was nearly 1:30 p.m. yesterday when I ventured outside. I immediately realized that cleaning the front bed was not going to be feasible in the high winds, so I turned to other spring chores. First and foremost was washing out the garage floor to remove the tons of mud carried in from the gravel road this winter on the cars. There were actual dry mud piles stuck to the garage floor at each tire, and I removed a full three gallon bucket of soil from the floor before I turned the hose on the floor to wash out the rest. I had it all done before Mrs. ProfessorRoush arrived home from her own errands, and nearly 18 hours later my loving spouse has yet to notice or acknowledge the improvement. Next time I just wash the side where my car sits!
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| 'Reliance' after pruning |
I had been eyeing the asparagus patch for several weeks, knowing that I need to remove the dead growth, and that is where I turned next, readying the patch for those first green sprouts. Next, I decided to check pruning the grapes off of my springtime bucket list, since pruned twigs won't blow into my eyes in the wind. You can see the "before and after" shots here, this old massive 'Reliance' grapevine visibly relieved from several years of unpruned growth. 'Reliance' is our favorite grape around here and this vine produces well, at least during years I pay proper attention to it,
One of ProfessorRoush's many failings is that once I rouse my slothful soul to start a project, I really hate to stop before I'm done, so I didn't prune the 'Reliance' and call it a day, I pruned ALL the grapes. We have about 8 living vines, and you can see another line of vines I attacked with pruneers in the final picture, now readied for the rapid growth of early summer. In my renewed determination to garden right or give up, I promise to make sure that this year they get sprayed at the proper times to prevent mildew and other fungus. But that will be much later on in the year and today beckons right now, predicted to be warm, sunny and windless. Garage, check. asparagus bed, check. Grapes, check. Maybe I'll get another crack today at finally cleaning those front beds.
It has been very nice weather all weekend, and I relished the chance to get out and get some stuff done...it short sleeves too! Alas, not much to show of it for the blog, just some turning over of soil and clearing of leaves that get trapped in the courtyards during Fall and Winter.
ReplyDeleteDo you lose much of the grape harvest to wildlife? I know we used to have a vineyard here, though I'm told the wine wasn't too great and then they were accidentally crop-dusted by herbicide instead of pesticide, so that ended that.
I've watched coyotes standing and eating grapes off the vines so I have to say yes. Although, truthfully, I probably lose more grapes to forgetting to spray early for fungus and to June Bugs.
ReplyDeleteLotta preparing
ReplyDelete