I have Pione and Kyoho grapes that have turned color and are edible, but the sweetness is not quite there yet. They are organic and bagged and under a rainproof trellis. They look fabulous and there is quite a few, this will be my first year to get a real harvest.
How do you know the optimal time to pick them versus waiting too long? I imagine the sweeter they get the more likelihood there is a bug attack getting through the bags.
Now and The next entire week or so is also heavy rains every day forecast.
2 Likes
I pick when they sweeten up, I found that my grapes hung on the vines, once ripe, a long time, and none of them seemed to get overripe. That said, I don’t have any bug pressure.
1 Like
Ok thanks. If they can hang on the vine a long time, that will make it easier so I don’t have to harvest them all the same time.
2 Likes
Well huge success guys. After 5 years work I’ve finally got a harvest and they are amazing! Picked the first ones a couple days ago. Kyoho ripen slightly earlier than Pione, so good stager. All organic, which is rare in our area.
10 Likes
Wow those are nice. I’m very happy for you. You’ve put a lot into this and the success is well deserved…!!
1 Like
Beautifull! Congratulations! 
1 Like
Those are huge!
I have no bug issues. I do barely anything and seems grapes are happy. I got my grapes just beginning to turn color here. The 2 varieties I grow are Concord and Catawba. They are nearly the same color and flavor, both seeded, but sometimes one tastes a bit better than the other. They blend well if juice or jam.
1 Like
Those are beautiful, they are the size of my plums LOL
1 Like
Thanks a lot guys, the encouragement means a lot! I’m not sure how to multi quote and reply to each person in one post. I’ll have to wait till later to reply properly and give more details, as I’m heading up to the garden tonight due to splitting I just noticed.
There’s 36 bunches in total. I just noticed quite a few of the Peone grapes are splitting as we’ve had heavy rains all week. Light rain scheduled every day for the next week. I imagine sun is required to ripen more. Kyoho appear to be no spliting so far. Most of the grapes are actualy ripe enough now.
I imagine they won’t last long on the vine and get fungus? Our family will run out of fridge space pretty quick and I can’t put them all in there.
These are really sweet juicy grapes.
Some of the nicer ones we can give away.
Wondering what I can do with all the extras, especially split and unused ones that are still edible.
Wine (never made it)? Juice? Or…?
3 Likes
Thanks a lot Fruitnut. They taste really good. I think the rain covered trellis is the main reason I’m able to get a harvest this year . I got pretty close a couple years ago, but all the leaves got chewed up by beetles and the rest fell off from fungus.
This heavy rain seems to be screwing up a perfect harvest a bit, but I think they should still be pretty good.
This is a rare occasion where my fruit looks better than the stuff in the store.
2 Likes
Thanks Luisport!
2 Likes
Thanks!
Someone who works at a local vineyard said they spray the same grapes about 10 times per season. One of the reasons people don’t eat the skins here I guess.
2 Likes
Ya I find them quite striking as well. I didn’t treat them in anyway, so they have two big seeds in the middle. I think if I cut the bunch smaller when thinning I can get all of the grapes like balloons, lol.
3 Likes
Yes make juice, jelly, etc.
I just used my nutrabullet blender and put in whole grapes with sugar and poured it over vanilla ice cream.
2 Likes
I have a small cold press juicer and putting the whole grapes and seeds and all made very good juice. As it’s organic, I can also make tea from the skins.
3 Likes
Just picked the last of them. It was a terrific success this year! So about a 3 week span on harvest.
I’m going to try and do a little more local research for fine-tuning. For example, one guy has gone many more grape bunches on very short branches, like maybe a foot long each. He’s also cut the bunches down to maybe a quarter of the original size, and somehow has 100% flower fertilization, whereas mine is more spread out along the length of the bunch.
2 Likes
I have concord nearly ripe, by end of the month usually ready.
Then it will be Catawba next. It is just barely starting to color.
Is there a simple way to get just the juice out, to make juice?
4 Likes
I love concord juice! I’m sure there’s juicing experts on this site somewhere. I just threw a lot of the junky grapes whole into a cheap cold press juicer, and the results were good.
3 Likes
I grew seedless Concord for juice. It is easier to juice without the seeds.
Tony
3 Likes
But what are the best methods to remove the seeds? I’m sure juice will be best seedless. When making purée/syrup for putting over ice cream I just use the whole fruit in nutrabullet. Seeds are good for you, but not good in juice.
1 Like