Alive And Well - Cabernet Sauvignon

The Cabernet Sauvignon vine that was coaxed inside the greenhouse earlier has responded to the extra warmth and is beginning to bud. As you can see I have a choice of two buds to choose as the main stem when they start to grow longer.

It looks like two of the three Interlaken cuttings are going to take. Here are two of them pushing out growth strongly.

These are exciting times imagining what these new varieties, new to me at least, will become.

Easy Choice.

It is sometimes difficult to decide if a grape vine is strong enough to carry fruit, even if it's only one cluster. Particularly if you are growing a new variety you are naturally curious about the fruit but wary of letting the vine crop too soon.

The small Regent plant in the greenhouse is growing a flower cluster but as it's far too small to carry any fruit it's a very easy decision to remove it. However I shall wait a couple of weeks for the cluster to develop further and the shoot to elongate more in order to remove it with the least damage to the developing shoot.

You will also notice a second smaller shoot below the main one. That too will be removed in a week or two so all the plants energy is channeled into the remaining shoot.

The Merzling is the first outdoor grape vine to break bud this year. Chardonnay is the variety that usually is the first out of the blocks but Merzling has beaten the Chardonnay to it.

First Green.

As any grape grower know this is the time of year that is full of expectant promise but also the trepidation that a bad frost could damage or even destroy newly emerging buds and shoots. Right now the great expectations are to the fore as the first vines are greening up.

The Perlette grape vine in the polytunnel is greening up nicely.

And one of the pot grown Regent plants in the greenhouse has this very healthy shoot.

An eagle eye is being kept on the weather forecast for any hint of frost so preventive action can be taken.