First Phoenix.

Phoenix is an excellent variety for the UK climate. It is strong growing, well behaved and disease resistant. I have never needed to spray it against mildew. It produces good sized grapes that can be used for wine or eating. I use them for wine.

You will notice it is growing against a fence. This ripens the grapes up to three weeks earlier than if it was planted in open ground - mid september rather than early october.

As you can also see this vine, and some of the others are trained to a four arm system. I will go more into vine training in another post but training them like this will hopefully spread out the canes and fruit exposing them both to the sun and the air.

This year is this vines first "full" crop planning for 30-40 bunches. Last year I allowed five bunches and the previous year only one bunch so all the vine's energy went in to building up the roots and top growth. You can see how strong the stems are.

In the spring new shoots will be restricted to five per arm, twenty shoots in all, for a maximum of 40 bunches as each shoot could produce two bunches.