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To plant or throw away (non-resistent varieties)

 
Posts: 21
Location: Italian Alps, USDA 7
6
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Hi,

I have 2 table grape vines that are mildew (oidium and peronospora) resistent (their musical Italian names are Francese Nero, Fragola Bianca Precoca). If they turn out to grow like an unknown vine I had in another location 10 years back, they will be unstoppable: no treatment, monsterous growth, full of grapes (only downside with that vine was: more seeds than the actual good stuff). I originally wanted to plant russian and moldovian varieties up here that are among the toughest but I could not get them here so far.
So anyway, these two varieties are given a trial up here in the mountains to see if they work in my climate (altitude + hoping the sun hours will be sufficient as I get cloud cover often in the summer in the afternoon). Verdict is still out. This is only their first season. I will report on the success or failure.

Now I was given two more - non-resistent - grape vines (Apirena Ametista [grown in the area but at lower elevations], Resistente Bianca [which however is not resistent according to the description]. These are still in pots because...
My question is: should I even plant them? I know that mildew spores exist in the garden as mildew has shown up on cucumbers (late in the season) and on Rudbeckias. The cucumbers produced well without treatment (removed a leaf here and there for good measure). The Rudbeckias don't care and grow like weeds throughout the garden. I'm sometimes gone for a month or two or three during the season  so I won't be able to treat the vines (even with biological things such as milk. ... And, yes, my budding food forest is mostly for the birds in some years... :-/
Three options:
a) I just put them in the garden and see what happens. Worst case: they don't make it, but I can have an eye on them when I'm here.
b) I throw them away because I would in effect just be growing mildew spors if I don't treat them. Worst case: more spors mean more problems for my cucumbers and other plants.
c) I go to some remote part of my property (up the mountain side in my case - I get no winds from there) plant them there and see what happens. There are no other gardens there, just old stone terraces, forest trees that are not affected by mildew. Worst case: they don't make it. But neither sun exposure (for the tall trees) nor alitude would be favorable there. So while this option would make it "safer" for the rest of the garden it would make it tougher on the grape vines that might already be hard at their limit where my garden is.
d) I have a small greehouse (automated watering) and could put one vine in a corner there. I would have to keep it tame to some degree but could protect it from getting wet leaves. That might take care of peronospora but I don't know if that would just make it more prone to oidium?

What would you guys do?
 
pollinator
Posts: 130
Location: Chilean Patagonia
66
homeschooling goat kids dog duck foraging rabbit medical herbs
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I have zero experience actually growing grapes, but I do have years of observation of wild "mustang" grapevines from my childhood in Texas.

My advice? Plunk them in the ground (garden or forest) with a bunch of aged manure if you've got it, mulch the heck out of them, and leave them to their own devices. If they're going to make it, there's nothing more that you can do for them. Mustang grapes are abundantly productive, and nobody ever takes care of them except for an occasional deer or horse who trims the tender tips. They will also grow in full sun or deep shade without any apparent preference.

As far as your concerns about mildew, I don't think that mildew or any other pest will ever become strong enough to do more than negligible damage, so long as your soil and thus your plants are healthy and well cared for. I have cured all manner of diseases and bacterial infections on plants simply by transplanting them into healthy soil or amending their existing area with manure, manure tea, or comfrey tea. It's very satisfying to heal a struggling plant with purely natural amendments.

Best of luck to you and your grapes!
 
Johannes Schwarz
Posts: 21
Location: Italian Alps, USDA 7
6
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Well, Marie, I put them in the ground and we'll see what happens
 
Marie Abell
pollinator
Posts: 130
Location: Chilean Patagonia
66
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I really hope they do well!! Post pics if they do 😉
 
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