Heat stress? Could be worse

Since my last report about heat and drought stress, I've noticed a few more raisins developing on clusters that are high on the vine, not as well shaded as the lower-placed fruit. 

Leaves at the top of the plants are turning brown, but what else can I expect? It's 100 every day with no rain.

Actually, the grapes mostly look really good. The yield is high, and the fruit seems to be ripening a little early. I suppose it's possible that I did not do the vines a favor by thinning only a few clusters last month. But it's hard to argue with success ...


 
... or at least signs of success so far.




I have decided to stop watering the vines. I did that a couple of times in July, but now I plan to let the sugars and acids concentrate. This is what Erv Langan at Keltoi Winery has been doing all season long — allowing the vines to stay stressed for maximum grape quality, as described in a report by Brad Douglas, KODE/KSN News, at OzarksFirst.com.

One last thing: I have made an exception for the youngest plant in the row, whose leaves are turning brown throughout, not just on top. I watered this one today:

 
 I'm wondering whether some of this damage (detail below) is black rot:

One last note: If we as a planet are now in the grip of palpable global warming — if Missouri's average high for July and August is destined to be 100 — is it worthwhile to keep growing grapes? Maybe we should switch to cacti and make tequila ...

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:

"Butterfly" connections: Gretchen Parlato

While I was doing research for an interview, I came across this video of Gretchen Parlato singing "Butterfly" from Herbie Hancock's "Thrust" from his mid-70s Headhunters period.

Amazing how Parlato echoes not only the melody, but also, from the original version, the timbres of the percussion and the nuances of Bennie Maupin's saxello solo. Then she moves on to deliver her own interpretation with some tasty note choices. 

Compare to my earlier notes about Bennie Maupin and his contributions to the original recording.

Richard Bruton Band live at Pappy's

Richard Bruton

 

The Richard Bruton Band has been playing regularly for nearly a year at Pappy's, where co-owner Scott Keese has made a home for the group.

On June 26, the band did a live recording for a CD, which Bruton said he plans to hand out to supporters at Pappy's. The beer garden was packed, and the evening was even more festive and friendly than the typical Pappy's vibe. With a larger crowd and a recording device in the house, the band clearly had an extra measure of energy that night.

My highlights were "Lament," the J.J. Johnson tune that featured Sid Norris on trombone — followed by Cannonball Adderly's "Work Song" with a long unaccompanied intro by Bruton.

The video above is a simple audio slideshow with photos running parallel to sound clips from the evening.

The band plays Thursdays at Pappy's, starting around 6:30 p.m. Members are Bruton, tenor saxophone, flute and EWI; Norris, trombone, Ryan Talbot, keys; Ian Erickson, drums; and Austin Wilson, bass. Thanks for a great evening!

Thinning grapes, grudgingly

Two clusters were too close together. I thinned one of them; can't recall which.

I've heard another voice of advice urging me to thin grape clusters from vines. The reasons for doing so are set forth succinctly in a Ohio State University Extension bulletin:

• Balance the amount of fruit with the growth of foliage.
• Assure that each shoot will be capable of maturing the fruit retained.
• Avoid allowing vines to overproduce and lose vigor.

I have encountered several rules of thumb for thinning. The one I have followed is:

• Remove any clusters on shoots of 8 inches or less.
• Allow one cluster on shoots up to 15 inches.
• Allow two clusters on longer shoots.

However, I became easily confused as to what constitutes a shoot. I understand a trunk and a cane, and anything running off a cane must be a shoot. 

But what about sub-shoots running off of a shoot that's sturdy, almost woody in strength? I ran into a bunch of those and thinned to one cluster per sub-shoot. However, it's possible that I should have thinned the entire group of sub-shoots down to a couple of clusters total. Hard to say.

In any case, I thinned grudgingly and, it turns out, sparingly — but I did thin.

Japanese beetle update

We put up the "Shroud of St. Vincent" for the third year in a row. It was obvious that we would not be able to pick off and crush even the moderate number of Japanese beetles that were munching the leaves. 

As you can see (above), we did not have enough row cover to enclose all the vines. However, the vast majority of the area is covered, and the bugs seemed to have mostly lost interest in the leaves that remain exposed (the buffet is much smaller). The uncovered leaves have sustained minor damage (below).

I have ordered more row cover, but it's not expected to arrive until late next week.Too bad!

Related posts:

Japanese beetles, once again (earlier this month)

Fighting Japanese beetles (2011)

Urban vineyard update; The Shroud of St. Vincent (2010,with exciting photo slideshow)

Spectrum Road: Lifetime and beyond

Here's a cover/legacy/repertory/(whatever) project that stands head and shoulders above the usual type of effort in this area. Jack Bruce, Vernon Reid, Cindy Blackman Santana and John Medeski have teamed up to play the music of Tony Williams Lifetime.

Among the players in the current group, Spectrum Road, Bruce was a member of the original Lifetime, and Blackman was mentored by Williams. It's clear that all members are using this music as a starting point for something new, not as a nostalgia trip.

"Vuelta Abajo" (video above) showcases the fierce drumming of Blackman Santana and the intense shredding of Reid. It's interesting to hear, around the 2-minute mark, how the dynamics ratchet down a notch, but Reid's playing becomes more creative, integrating blowtorch runs with shreds of melody.

I'd like to hear more of Medeski's input and listen more closely to Bruce's approach to the music that he helped create 40 years ago. Spectrum Road has recently released an album by the same name — which must be added to the lengthening list of must-haves.