Château Lockwood

[Dead Squirrel Running]

Also pruned the apple, damson, plum, apple and pear trees right back to try and get better fruit.

last years planting of cherry pear and plum trees should fruit this year too.

Hoping to get the peach trees (2...quite large) to ripen its fruit fully too, it grew loads of fruit last year but they didn't ripen. It's possibly because (more reading) they blossom really early, before the bees and such like are around to pollinate them properly, so I've been round with my little soft brush pollinating them myself (what a busy little bee...lol)

These might help. I started Mason bees a couple of years ago. Also a pix of their home.

http://gardening.wsu.edu/library/inse006/inse006.htm

Gad I hope your wife or booze have slowed you down. Sound like my place - too many things planted, so I keep removing them and adding back more, the rotation seems to work and still keeps me busy.

Pruning correctly is OK, but have you checked for the right polinators? That might help the fruit setting, but not riping doesn't sound like a polination problem. The fruit/blossoms would drop. Have you thinned the fruit? I thin apples about 4 to 6 inches apart and still they seem to always be too thick. I know your close to the artic circle but peaches should grow in your area. Does the sun shine through the fog ? ha ha

[lockwood1956]

The sun is through the fog today

so pruning begins! I pruned the greenhouse vines yesterday, the main one (seedless) was getting huge and was (Sort of) cane pruned last year, and didn't fruit much, this year I have (heavily) cane pruned it, we shall see.....

The outside vines will be tied to the wire for the first time, on a quick look yesterday I may have to cut back some of the three year ols Rondo to two or three buds again, they just arent thick enough to tie to the wire, they are 6ft tall but very spindly, and I think they would benefit from another year establishing. (can't hurt)
The Reichensteiner on the Pergola had all side shoots removed for the last three years and are ready to fruit (even though they are in 50cm pots the trunks are quite thick, looking forward to watching them cover the pergola this year, and hopefully getting some grapes from them.

Last year I planted some (3) Russian vines ...Tubeyshevski (cannot at the moment find the right spelling but that wasnt it!) but thats the phonetic spelling!!!

They will apparently produce very very black grapes and in bunches that weigh 3/4 kilo each....cant wait. Just need to find somewhere to put them.

Also plan on taking cuttings from the cabernet (1) and maybe try some grafting (Scared )

[Dead Squirrel Running]

Also plan on taking cuttings from the cabernet (1) and maybe try some grafting (Scared )

Me too. I going to do some t-grafting from a links I think (poet) from one of the California guys.

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/propagation/budding/budding.html

I have about 25, Cab Franc 2 year old vines coming in around the 1st of March most of which I'm selling to a friend, the rest to plant and a couple I'm going to slice off a couple of buds and try grafting on to my Lemberger vines.
I've done a lot of grafting on fruit and nut trees, but my grapes never turned out so I hope this works.

[lockwood1956]

Got all my pruning done. three vines were almost dead......replaced them with vines from pots...so the pinot noir and chardonnay are now in the ground.

Decided to plant the cuttings from the cabernet in the greenhouse, to see if i can grow new vines, and take cuttings from them later.

Had a great day in the garden and greenhouse, most fun I've ever had with my clothes still on (quote from someone, can't remember who)

regards
Bob

[lockwood1956]

Snip snip bend twist

[Duffbeer]

So whats in yer pouch then, it looks heavy.

[Hippie]

Maybe it's a little BobRoo?

I love to watch others work!

[Duffbeer]

Hehehee maybe a little bobblybobaroo ! You're spot on Glenvalle cant knock a man working, tending his vines, he certainly looks the part.

[lockwood1956]

Hehehee maybe a little bobblybobaroo ! You're spot on Glenvall cant knock a man working, tending his vines, he certainly looks the part.

Maybe it's a little BobRoo?

I love to watch others work!

There will be a price to pay............


mwahahahaha


It's my Secateurs silly!

[StockeyDAW]

Oh! Oh! looks like there has been some kneeling down on the job? Hope the knees in the jeans hold up to the well fertilized soil (knee patch time). Cheers - good to be in the outdoors it always seems to make the day that much better. DAW