Last summer I planted concord grapes on the south side of our home. We live in Indiana, Zone 5. The vines grew very well. This spring they have really blossomed...I was excited to see what I thought were grapes developing. I was envisioning the harvest and the enjoyment that my family will get out of them. However, my baby bunches (the buds were the size of a nerd (candy)) look like they are evaporating and blowing away. Is this normal? If not, what do I do?? I don't have any experience with grapes what so ever. When exactly are they suppose start bearing fruits? Any help or advice is greatly appreciated.
This is called "shatter" and is a result (mostly) of the flowers that failed to fertilize. They atrophy and drop off. It is normal, and often will exceed 50%, however the remaining fruit will become a normal crop. Look at this thread: http://www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/forums/showthread.php?t=7707&highlight=shatter Lost grape clusters - UBC Botanical Garden Forums Ralph
Ralph ~ Thank you so much for the reassurance. I referred to the link you posted and it left me a bit puzzled. Im wondering why my grapes did not produce any type of flowers before forming their clusters? I know with previous experince in vegtable gardens that plants usually start out with a flower and then produce the fruit. I thought it a bit odd when my grapes did not follow that sequence. Any words of wisdom?
That is also true of grapes, but the scale is so small and the flower development different from the "usual" that it can be a bit hard to follow. The un-opened flower bud is approximately 1mm in diameter. The petals open at the base instead of the tip and briefly form a "cap" before blowing away. This exposes the flower "parts" - stamens, ovary etc. (see http://web1.msue.msu.edu/fruit/concrdgw.htm Concord Growth Stages) and the bunches will briefly look a bit hairy, then those parts fall off, leaving the fruit which is still only about 1mm. The unfertilized ones will fall off (that's the "shatter") and the rest will hopefully develop and mature for the birds which will arrive about 1 day before you are ready to pick them! Ralph
Thank you so much for the great information you have given me. The pictures posted on the MSU website you referred me to look exactly like the process my vines went through. Im very excited to know that my vines are actually going to bear fruit. :) Now all have to do is buy some netting so the animals don't feast before we do.
