For the past several years we didn't get to enjoy our Scuppernong grapes, except the ones we found as they were beginning to get ripe. Starting in August, before the grapes were fully ripe, the raccoons came at night and had a family reunion in our grapevine. They didn't even clean up after themselves. The next day, the ground was covered with split open grape hulls. Each day I searched for some grapes to eat and also picked up the grape hulls and any grapes that had fallen and kept the ground clean. Before the grapes got ripe they were all gone.
This year, I outsmarted the raccoons by using my old rubber snake and several pieces of black rubber hose that look like snakes. Each day, I picked up any fallen grapes and moved the snake and hoses to different locations. Only one or two grape hulls on the ground that looked like they had been eaten by animals. Keeping the ground clean kept the gnats and ants away as well.
On September 14th, Hurricane Florence made landfall at Wrightsville Beach in North Carolina. I knew, starting that afternoon, we would be getting a lot of wind and rain. Most all the grapes were ripe enough to pick so we quickly gathered all we could reach which was most of them. I had enough grapes to bag 5 quarts to put in the refrigerator and enough left over to share with the neighbors. Right after we finished picking them, it started raining.
We sure are enjoying these grapes, even the ones that haven't turned brown yet.
If you have listened to the news, you have heard about the devastation in North Carolina from hurricane Florence. Many in the low country are without power and are flooded. Please pray for them.
In our area, we are thankful to have not lost power and have had very little wind damage. The storm has moved on and the sun came out today. This morning, I checked the grapevine. I found only 4 grapes left hanging on one branch and there were no grapes or hulls on the ground under the vine. I'm glad we had time to pick them before the storm got here.
When the wind dies down, I'll get out my baby pool and start cleaning up the yard.
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That's a great idea. Glad you were able to get some grapes finally. What a beautiful bowl that you had your grapes in.
I love that bowl. My sweet daughter, who loves making pottery, gave it to me.
We live in Northwest Florida & we have been having problems with deer eating our grapes, purple muscadines & bronze scuppernongs. We have an overhead arbor & also use line arbors for our grapes. It got so bad one evening my husband called me to come out. He shined a light at the overhead arbor & all you could see was deer hind legs. Of course the next morning we had no grapes. The line arbors didn't fair too much better. We tried fencing but they just jumped over it. We finally solved our problem with a two pronged approach. 1st I cut strips out of "swiffer" dry floor wipes & soaked them in a deer & rabbit repellent. We used "Liquid Fence Deer & Rabbit Repellent" found at our local Walmart garden center.
Thank you. I will see if I can find that and use it next year. It will probably work for the garden as well.
I'm glad you will be able to enjoy your grapes this year but I'm really glad to hear that you are safe and the hurricane did not do a lot of damage in your area. We are all susceptible to natures storms so it is good to know it has passed and maybe everything will return to normal soon.
Thank you. The southeastern part of our state is still cleaning up and water is slowly receding. Homes have been flooded. Two of our main interstates, that were closed, opened in the past few days. The worst hurricane I can remember was Hazel in 1954 and it was in October. I will be glad when hurricane season is over.
Well - I live in Florida and I will also be very glad when hurricane season is over!
Nice article LG,
Your picture of the bowl of grapes had me look up something I've been curious about all my life. I'm posting a link here and hope it applies to your grapes. I'm curious, did you plant this vine or was it on the property when you moved there? You are fortunate to have this vine.
I'm just seeing your comment.
We actually bought this grapevine from a nursery. It was small but it does not take long for a grapevine to get large. We actually rooted a piece from it and set it out on our daughters property a couple of years ago. Last fall, it was full of grapes and they were as good as these. That vine is ready to be put on a frame for this summer. That is something we need to do this month while it is in the dormant stage.
Hi, that's great news you put in all the hard work only to lose your fruit to a scavenger. The same happened to my Cherries 3 years in a row the Cherry tree was laden with fruit I put a net over the tree this did more damage than the birds tied old DVD and cd disc. useles they still got them this year beat them to it they were sour and went mouldy.
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