Autumn in summer

Finally raked all the leaves that have fallen off the sycamores over the past six weeks — as big a pile as I'd expect in mid-October. Sycamores, like many other trees, shed leaves to conserve moisture. I mulched them into a fine powder and made a small pile in the back corner.

Meanwhile, the "shroud" (partially visible at left in the photo) continues to protect the vines from birds. I've seen numerous pigeons and cardinals land on the covered vines. They seem to be able to identify the deep blue maturing fruit behind the see-through fabric. But they can't figure out how to penetrate it, so they fly away.

I checked the brix twice this week — only 15. Still a ways to go. I also check daily to be sure that the grapes are not falling off the vine, which St.Vincent grapes will do.

Vineyard update: Japanese beetles long gone, dwarfed by heat, drought

This is a response to a recent flurry of hits based on searches for "Japanese beetles."

In a post about a month ago, I reported that I had covered my vines to protect the leaves from the the shiny green bugs. A photo I posted showed a fair amount of damage to some leaves, but it was localized on the tops of some vines. I didn't have enough cover to protect all the plants, and I pinched off the bugs on the exposed plants. Then, in a week or so, the beetles went away.

I heard several reports of spotty beetle infestations in the area. The rose garden at the Close Memorial Park apparently was attacked, and a vineyard north of town was sacked as well. However, other people I talked to said they hadn't seen any Japanese beetles this year.

With the terrible heat that began in late June and the months-long drought, Japanese beetles seem to be an insignificant and bygone problem. A few grape clusters have shriveled, and some grapes have dropped off:

In response, for the first time since my vines were sticks in the ground, I have watered them — on two occasions this month. After the first time, the shriveled grapes actually plumped up again.

Overall, though, I am finding lots of clusters of early ripening St. Vincent grapes that look really good: