Tuesday, January 17, 2012

THE FATE OF GRAPE VINES.

It used to be two grape vines in Tanah Merah, our former house. They had to endure  9 hour long distance travel. One died, and the other survived. The sole survivor is still in the same large pot, growing up steadily. It is enjoying  the new place and weather. It has interesting growing habit, sending out Y-tendrils, and the moment it touches something solid, it will hold and wind slowly. Thereafter the tendril gets bigger and stronger  changing its colour from light green to red.  It behaves almost a snake holding on to victims, tightening up, squeezing out every little bit of air and energy..

the fate of grape vine 
pohon anggur

Other plants like cucumber and  bitter gourd display different styles, tendrils seem to grab and wind things quicker. It is understandable because their life-span is short, so they have to make full of the short time available to go high up, kiss the sun and produce flowers and fruits preparing for the next generation. Grape vine can take it's own sweet time for the fact that it is programmed to last for decades.......




grape vine: upper part against red brick column

Grape vine: tendrils red in colour

grape vine: the bottom part and the pot.


Grape vine is said to last for over 120 years. After 20 years, vines start to produce smaller grapes. In some places, vines are kept for 400 years, not as productive as young vines, but definitely a vintage, a heritage to pass to the next generation. My concern now is  when would the first set of flowers and grapes be....




bangchik and kakdah
pasir gudang, JOHOR

10 comments:

  1. Poor grape plants that follow your family from one place to another.

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  2. Interesting to compare how grapes vine as compared to other plants that vine! Grape vines are lovely things when old their trunk all twisted and the shaggy bark...still producing leaves if not many grapes! The first grapes I ever remember eating were under an old grape arbor...the grapes were bronze Muscadine! Delicious!

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  3. It is looking good. Mine climbed up the willow tree and looked like a mess. So, I am tearing it down.

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  4. rainfield61
    ~ yes, pity them... so many things followed our family..., including memories; bitter, sweet and sour.

    Theanne
    ~ I have to wait 20 years to see twisted and shaggy bark of grape vines..... yea, I have a feeling this vine will outlast my presence.

    One
    ~ a friend has something like 30 vines in Kg Chap Rimau, Kelantan. He meticulously prunes them to maintain exquisite look! The grape vines look ornamental.

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  5. Your's grows in a pot? Does it fruit well in a pot? I'm fascinated by that. What type of grapes are these?

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  6. This must be very strong one! The vine look healthy too!

    It look like Ornamental vine without fruit! Hope to see them flower and provide you some fruits!

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  7. It won't be long before that little vine will be taking over the whole property. I started with one 6" shoot over a trellis and 3 years later it almost collapsed the structure. Don't know how long it will be before you get flowers, probably next year.

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  8. A few years back there are some enterprising farmers who planted grapes, even in our hot climate. And they were successful because they were able to have lots of fruits and they have 3 different locations in the country. However, maybe they were displeased with the sour taste of their harvest unlike the original plants when grown in the temperate climes. I've tasted them and it is not for table grapes. I don't know what happened as after a few years, they were all gone. In the looks of your grapes it will have to pass through several pruning and growing before it will fruit. I wonder how you repel the pests and diseases too.

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  9. meemsnyc
    ~ yea the vine grows in pot, a very large pot. I have forgotten it's variety. The person I bought it from mentioned about the vine will produce green grapes...

    Malar
    ~ Growers mentioned about pruning all leaves to simulate autumn and winter, then the vine flowers as if it's spring... after 2nd year, it will behave like adults.

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  10. Heather
    ~ i am hoping for the first set of flowers after 2nd year. Reading about your hopeful wait after 3rd year, I need to adjust my expected flowering time...

    Andrea
    ~ there is one farm near Kuala Lumpur International Airport... excellent. They use technology from Thailand. The grapes are as sweet as those from temperate climate.

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