Elongation growth stopped--virus?

[TZ-OH6]

Strangest thing I've ever seen. I had two green grape plants side by side that simply stopped getting taller soon after they were planted. The internode length got (stayed) incrementally shorter towards the top, but the plants thickened as it would with aging. The new top growth was very thin and small. It looked like mini sprigs sticking out of the top of a thicker mature "trunk".

These two plants were in the middle of a line of 20 plants spaced 10"-12" apart, so I don't think the soil was the problem (the adjacent plants--unrelated f2 cross growout-- are growing strongly), I pulled up both plants and what I could see of the roots looked healthy with new roots coming out of the trench planted stems. I did have some other seedlings show signs of CMV during hardening off (shoestring top growth), but it didn't look like these green grapes.


Virus? other?

[Heritage]

I believe Green Grape is now considered to be a determinate even though most places list it as indeterminate. (I think Carolyn posted this info somewhere) The foliage on my Green Grape (original) is, at times, similar to what I'd expect to see with TMV virus (I haven't seen the shoestring leaves of CMV, though) but the symptoms come and go throughout the season and at times are non-existent. It is a compact plant, much more so than my other cherries. Even the seeds are extremely small for a cherry. It is an interesting plant.

Photos?

Steve

[Heritage]

oops... nevermind on the photos... I notice you pulled the plants.

[sprtsguy76]

I grew GG one time and I noticed my plant stopped growing vertically after being planted a month. It still put out horizontal branches with fruit.
Go figure.

Damon

[TZ-OH6]

The parent plant was full size indeterminant. The plants showed no signs of being determinant as no flowers had shown up yet. Both the new top growth and the suckers were "miniturized" so I didn't see any future in allowing the plants to stay around. It didn't look like it was going to get wider. Very strange.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by Heritage

I believe Green Grape is now considered to be a determinate even though most places list it as indeterminate. (I think Carolyn posted this info somewhere) The foliage on my Green Grape (original) is, at times, similar to what I'd expect to see with TMV virus (I haven't seen the shoestring leaves of CMV, though) but the symptoms come and go throughout the season and at times are non-existent. It is a compact plant, much more so than my other cherries. Even the seeds are extremely small for a cherry. It is an interesting plant.

Photos?

Steve

The only place that others have said that an indet Green Grape ( GG) is available is Fedco.

Quite a few years ago I was growing GG and it didn't grow right, det looking and not as many fruits as I'd known from the indet I used to grow. Earl, who used to post here a lot sent me seeds for what he called his indet and for me it was det.

Meanwhile, Tom Wagner was attending a tomato event in the Netherlands and in the greenhouse saw GG plants that were also det.

Shortly after that I was doing a dog and pony show in Pasadena and Tom drove down from Bakersfield and brought me two plants which he said were indet.

For me they weren't.

When Green Doctors became available I switched to that one and like it better than even the original indet GG that I knew. But my favoite green when ripe cherry is Verde Claro, also bred by Tom. And I may have fresh seeds for Verde Claro to offer in my next SASE free seed offer here at Tville.

I didn't know most places were listing it as an indet; all I've ever seen of late is det.

[Heritage]

Originally Posted by carolyn137

I didn't know most places were listing it as an indet; all I've ever seen of late is det.

Carolyn, to be accurate I should have said it is still listed at Tania's, and in the SSE catalog, as indet. (I never checked commercial websites) I'll keep a closer eye on my GG this year to see if the plants terminate with blossoms. It sounds like it might be another vigorous det. variety (indet growth pattern that terminates in the fall)?

Thanks for the history behind GG. As always, very interesting.