RE: Problematic Pergola

The trick with wisterias is to learn how to prune them. Not hard but calling for dedication, mostly in summer. We have two white wisterias – Wisteria floribunda SHIRO NODA – the very long raceme’d Japanese variety,  and Wisteria brachybotrys SHIRO KAPITAN which is also Japanese but with shorter, more closely packed creamy white flowers. Both have a pleasant perfume. They are about to flower now Down Under the former looking like it will be a week or two ahead of the latter.

 

Cheers

 

Trevor N.

 

From: owner-medit-plants@ucdavis.edu [mailto:owner-medit-plants@ucdavis.edu] On Behalf Of dnjperson
Sent: Thursday, 24 September 2009 4:16 AM
To: benwiswall@pacbell.net; medit plants forum
Cc: dnjperson
Subject: Re: Problematic Pergola

 

Hello Ben,

 

In the summer, we use white shade cloth on ours, which is reasonably priced and sized to order by a company we found online. We had a Wisteria sinensis on the perimeter, but it didn't provide too much shade and got very woody, so it is in plant heaven, and we're trying to find a scented white one to act as a tree centerpiece. Our Roger's Red is on the fence, and we intend to keep it pruned to size. The one grape cluster, after two years, was very sweet.

 

Judy Person, Pleasanton, CA, between the SF Bay and hot Central Valley.

 

 

On MAY 18, 2008, at 10:52 AM, Ben Wiswall wrote:



Hi Steve,

Thanks for that.  Maybe I should leave them alone and give it another year.  In order to secure a shade cloth taut down the length of the pergola, I'd have to notch and re-set all the rafters to be flush with the beam.  Carpentry is not my forte, and sloth is my favorite vice!

 

The fruit drop doesn't bother you?  I'd thought the birds would eat them first, but sadly no.  I might try spraying them in spring with a plant hormone to prevent fruiting (trade name is Florel).  It worked on olive trees on an estate I was managing, where an allee of olives shaded a long formal drive, not sure how it would work on grapes.

 

Your climate is definitely more favorable to grapes than ours, though there are a few commercial wineries in the Los Angeles area, even one in Bel Air visible from the 405, which I'm told produces sought-after (and expensive) vintages.  Wild grapes are rare here, and as David mentioned live along streams, usually in part shade.  Our grapes don't look exactly stressed, but they would grow faster with more water.  As they share their berm with Cistus, Ceanothus, and a few other native shrubs, I'm hesitant to water more frequently than every 14 days, though they get a good stiff drink when I do water.

 

-Ben Armentrout-Wiswall

Simi Valley, CA

From: "s*@comcast.net" <s*@comcast.net>
To: m*@ucdavis.edu
Sent: Monday, September 21, 2009 10:15:50 AM
Subject: Re: Problematic Pergola

What a beautiful pergola!

I have made arbors in my last and current homes, both I covered with grape vines. I live in Sonoma County, California, and I love how the grapes belong in this setting and climate. Both arbors took four to five years to get good coverage. Before the grapes provided shade, I had the arbors covered with shadecloth. I took the cloth off when the grapes had finally covered the arbors. I haven't watered the vines at all after they were established.

My current arbor is somewhat small.. 20 x 12 ft, and covered by Vitis californica, 'Roger's Red'. I am really pleased by how well it has done. It's now completely covering the arbor with dense shade, leafy tendrils hang down on all sides. I prune these every few weeks to improve the view. It's been four years since planting the vine. I haven't watered it at all, and I live on a ridgetop. I do live 30 mins away from the Russian River, and it's my understanding that 'Roger's Red' is a partial native of the Russian River area. This area is in the coastal influence, and is cooled by fog mornings and evenings during the summer.

I've found that you really have to give vines time to cover, and you have to prune regularly. They do drop leaves and stems, and with the grapes, the dried fruit. Sometimes they can attract yellow jackets. I really love the feel of being under the leafy canopy. It's an experience I share with my ancestors going back thousands of years. I really don't mind the mess, I just sweep it off.

Steve French
Sebastopol, California



----- Original Message -----
From: "Ben Wiswall" <b*@pacbell.net>
To: "medit plants forum" <m*@ucdavis.edu>
Sent: Saturday, September 19, 2009 3:41:54 PM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific
Subject: Problematic Pergola

Hi All,

I'm still fussing over a pergola that is not fulfilling its purpose, namely, to provide comfortable SHADY outdoor seating and dining in summer.

 

I chose grapes as the vine to do the job, believing they were tough and fast, and had long historical precedent for growing on pergolas.

So, my question is: does anyone have a pergola shrouded in grape vines?  Does it provide DENSE shade in summer for you?  Does it drop half-dried grapes/raisins on you while you are reposing in the shade?

After four summers, should I give it one more season, or start over with a different vine, or lattice, or shade cloth?

 

Following are some photos of the pergola taken in midsummer.  I increased irrigation shortly afterwards,and the vines have responded by producing some late growth, but not too much.

 

 

Thanks for any advice!

-Ben Armentrout-Wiswall

Simi Valley, inland southern California

 

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