63°F
weather icon Cloudy

Some factors cannot be controlled when growing grapes

Question: We had a problem with our Thompson seedless grapes. The grapes are about the size of a BB and dried up and fell off.

Unfortunately, there is not much you can do about that. It was poor pollination. Climatic factors have a significant effect on fruit set. Fruit set is greatly reduced when temperatures fall below 65 degrees Fahrenheit or exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit during set. Rainfall or high humidity may reduce fruit set, hindering pollination. Rain can also interfere with the germination of pollen grains and inhibit fruit set. The berries appear to set and then fall off when they reach a small size.

Bob Morris is a professor emeritus in horticulture with the University of Nevada and can be reached at extremehort@aol.com. Visit his blog at xtremehorticulture.blogspot.com.

Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.
THE LATEST
Some petunia varieties can stand up to our summer heat

There are lots of different kinds of petunias. For instance, the Madness Summer Series can take the heat, but petunias typically are not known for that.

Watch out for hornworms lurking in your garden

Anyone who has been gardening for a while has a horror story or two about hornworms, which infest many vegetables in the tomato family.

What can be done about high boron levels in soil?

Boron is one of the salts commonly found in desert soils. It can be present naturally or it can accumulate over the years in such places as horse corrals.

Do honeybees prefer pink flowers over white ones?

All of the so-called temperate fruit trees flower in the spring. The white-flowered types such as almonds, plums and pluots, apples and pears usually flower a bit later.

Is redbud tree a good choice for pool area?

My landscaper is recommending a redbud tree in the planter attached to my pool. I asked him if that’s a good tree to plant so close to the pool.

Can scent tell me what kind of plant this is?

You should smell a big difference between bay laurel and cherry laurel, which come from different plant families despite their similar names.