Urban vineyard update; The Shroud of St. Vincent

Last year was the first time the vines produced grapes. The yield was negligible, about 100 grapes all told, but, with so little to lose, the season provided a valuable education in the war against pests. Last year’s campaign went badly, as Japanese beetles devoured the leaves in June and, in August, birds scarfed at least 50 of the 100 grapes. However, toward the end of that campaign, I had learned how to fight. This year, I believe I have the knowledge and the means to win.

First, here are two lists of things that don’t work:

To fight beetles, I sprayed the vines with carbaryl. That poison killed bugs on contact, but new arrivals didn’t seem to be affected. I also tried those “traps” that lure the bugs with sickly sweet bait. They are worse than useless; they actually attract the bugs to the foliage. Even though I followed directions and placed the traps at a distance from the vines, I still attracted thousands of Japanese beetles from other neighborhoods. Some ate themselves to death in the traps. Others explored the area, found the vines and shredded them.

Against birds: I tried fishing line, mylar streamers, shiny clattering objects, and a fake owl. Birds ignored them all. I encased grape clusters in garden netting of thin, black, half-inch mesh. Fluttering birds inserted their beaks into the gaps and plucked one grape at a time.

Then, late in the battle against the birds, I tried something called seed guard, a white, lightweight, see-through garden netting from Dewitt Co. in Sikeston, Mo. I wrapped the areas of the vines where grapes still grew. Birds could not reach them. This gauzy fabric proved to be effective against pests but also allowed plenty of ventilation for the vines. I watched for a possible greenhouse effect, but the wrapped areas remained vital.

This year, I am using the Dewitt seed guard on a large scale. I’ve wrapped the vines as if they were the object of a Christo project. The netting undulates in a breeze, creating a ghostly presence, especially in the evening. For this reason, I have chosen to call my installation The Shroud of St. Vincent, after the variety of grape I am growing.

The shroud is a labor-intensive project, though. For one thing, it’s fragile, held in place by garden staples and clothespins. Earlier this month, two storms blew it down. It takes about an hour to reconstruct. Whenever I need to apply fungicide, I have to unwrap the vines and rewrap. That's a small price to pay — I'm winning the war.

The Japanese beetles are here, but they can’t penetrate the shroud. Hah!