WINE GRAPES with Colin Free
THE grapes are slowly progressing into the ripening phase – they are at least two weeks behind the normal development stage because of the cooler weather through the growing season.
Downy mildew has taken a reasonable amount of fruit and powdery mildew is causing issues, as well as, to a lesser degree, scale, apple moth and the odd angry snail.
There won’t be any grape harvesting for another month or more yet I’d say.
Most of us are just wanting to get through this season and look forward to what comes next.
If China opens up again it would help, if not it will be a grind for a longer period. The lower production year this year from disease will certainly assist with lowering the over-supply.
I have two pairs of pigeons that are trying to add to their numbers in my shed, I have relocated the nests and contents twice and the third relocation is expected this week. They are very persistent.
The more eviction procedures I conduct, the more they perch above my tractors to better steer their business onto my tractors.
The starlings are totally confused with minimal colour in the grapes at this time of the year, you see them holding up their small calendars as they fly along checking the dates and wondering what the hell is going on.
The green yuppie movement has been introduced into the creature world and I was shocked to hear that the new generation of orb spiders are not wanting to sit out all night catching bugs when they can simply use the web to order in a trendy plant based delivery via “Chinook Air”.
All those dragonflies we see everywhere this season, it’s not what we thought, they are probably eating some of the skeeters but they are mainly zooming around like little Chinook helicopters delivering trendy food to the spiders.
Talk to your mates!
