Question
QUESTION: I have begun pruning my grape vine and several branches are bleeding. Should I be concerned?

ANSWER: Good day, Steven! Congratulations on having a grape vine.  You did not say what variety, but as my Uncle Bob used to say, "All grapes is good grapes."  Then, he wandered away and we never saw him again.  But back to your question. "Bleeding" or "oozing" of the vines at this time of year is perfectly okay and does not signal any problem.  The loss of this sap won't hurt the vine.  In fact, lots of vines (and trees and shrubs) ooze a bit at this time of year.  Speaking of old Uncle Bob, Charles Baudelaire featured "rising sap" in his poem, "The Seven Old Men" -- "O swarming city, city full of dreams/ Where in a full day the spectre walks and speaks;/Mighty colossus, in your narrow veins/My story flows as flows the rising sap..." Well, you get the idea.  It's a good thing.  Relax and enjoy and remember, "All grapes is good grapes."



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you for your quick and informed response. The vine was planted by my father over twenty-five years ago, and he doesn't remember its variety. Over the years the vine has grown quite large, yet is very productive. However, it is infested with fungal diseases that destroy more that half the crop. Fungicides are too expensive, but I recently learned about a homemade recipe using baking soda. Any suggestions?

Answer
Baking soda has been used as part of a homemade fungicide since the 1930s, and although I have never tried it, I hear it's pretty effective if reapplied after heavy rain.  Other homemade fungicides rely on garlic, eucalyptus oil, and I've even seen a recipe that uses cinnamon!  I think the baking soda idea is worth a try.  It's organic, cheap, and fairly easy to mix and apply, so why not?  Good luck!