Chateau Michaelena Vineyard

[ibglowin]

I did fertilize about every 8 weeks. Our soil is pretty bad and wanted to give them some help. We will see if it hurt them or helped them in a few weeks.

We are still getting a few light freezes every few days. They look like they are just starting to swell a bit. Our average last frost is May 7. We are supposed to get another front through tomorrow so probably another light frost on Friday AM......

 

[ibglowin]

We have signs of life! Lots of swelling on many and bud break at the very bottom on a few like these. Perhaps we will make it through the -17F freeze after all. Lets hope we don't get any more freezes.

 

[grapeman]

Did you prune them back at all this year? If you got that cold, some of the buds may have been killed. The small diameter vines can benefit to cutting back to a few buds in their second year. Those growing at the bottom take off when you do that and form a nice trunk for the future. The Marquette really benefits from it.


Good luck with them this year! Looking good.

 

[ibglowin]

Haven't trimmed anything yet, was waiting to see if I had any signs of life. Is it normal for bud break to occur from the ground up like that? Or is that a sign that the vines has died back to the ground? Some vines have swelling like they may pop open further up the vine in a few days.

 

[Randoneur]

Mike,

Bud break should be at the very end of the vine first, not at the base. You can check by pruning back a few inches at the very top.If you cut it off and there is no green then you are cutting dead wood off the vine. It won't hurt to prune back a little at a time to see if you can get to the green wood. The only problem with the buds at the base, like you have, would be if you are on a root stock. If so, the buds could be from the root stock and not from the varietal vine. If your vines are own rooted they will be fine and grow like weeds this year. I've had own rooted vine die back to the ground and come back stronger than ever.


Good luck with them

 

[grapeman]

Mike I will guarantee they are own rooted vines. I know the grower personally and he doesn't graft.

You can cut them back a bit Mark said and see if they are green. The Marquette will be fine, although they may have died back a bit. Quite often these hybrids will begin growth at the ground first because of the extra heat of the soil. I would wait a few days if you like and see if some of the upper buds pop out or not. If not, just cut back leaving 2 or 3 good shoots growing at the bottom. Don't cry too hard as you cut them. Those few buds will be 8 feet long in a couple months and much thicker than they would be if you leave all of the current growth.

 

[ibglowin]

Thanks for the quick reply's Rich & Mark!

We had a very warm day today and here are a few more pics of other vines that went crazy in just 8 hours. I can easily tell my "grafted" vines from those that were not. I only have 6 grafted vines from "Double A" and they have a 1" thick root stock! The others are pencil thin.....

Looks like the Marquette is turning into the leading early bird winner. Coret Noir and Noiret are coming along behind nicely. Lots of swelling and a few more buds breaking open in just a short time today.

 

[patc]

Hey mike great pics!!! Just curious are those pressure treated supports your using? just curious because they look like it and if so you might want to replace them

 

[Runningwolf]

Nice pics Mike. Thanks for sharing.

 

[ibglowin]

Redwood (au natural)

Hey mike great pics!!! Just curious are those pressure treated supports your using? just curious because they look like it and if so you might want to replace them

 

 

[patc]

Good going! they sure looked pressure treated to me, wouldn't want the arsenic to interfere with the taninns of the grapes

 

[grapeman]

Seagrape most treated posts are no longer using arsenic in their formulation. They used CCA. At least here in NY it is banned from use in PT. Now you need to flash with copper instead of aluminum because it reacts with it and eats the al away. ACQ-C (Alkaline Copper Quat Type C) is used here.

 

[Scott B]

Look great

 

[patc]

Seagrape most treated posts are no longer using arsenic in their formulation. They used CCA. At least here in NY it is banned from use in PT. Now you need to flash with copper instead of aluminum because it reacts with it and eats the al away. ACQ-C (Alkaline Copper Quat Type C) is used here.

Good to know!!!!! Thanks for the information

 

[Randoneur]

Now that you vines have made it through the winter and you know they will grow - you can expand and get rid of all these green weeds growing in your yard.

 

[ibglowin]

I have thought about it but this guy.......

Would be extremely sad. We have to play fetch 2-3 times a day. Sometimes he just runs circles around the yard to run off excess energy. Sometimes he just lays in the sun in the grass.

I want to come back as a pampered pet in the next life!

 

[OilnH2O]

Looking great, Mike. You're farther along than we are, but even at your elevation our "last frost" dates are similar. Yesterday we had a 20 minute snow/gropple shower that covered the green grass! Ah, spring!

 

[ibglowin]

Our ave last frost is May 7th. We had snow on Mothers day one year......

Probably safe this year! They are really starting to bust out all over now. I keep whispering easy, easy not too soon.........

 

[ibglowin]

Here comes our setback. 80% of the vines have bud break to some extent and the low tonight is supposed to be 24......

I bought trash bags to pull down on the post and cover those vines that have budded out.

Hope it is enough!

Not sure what else I could possible do.

 

[grapeman]

Rent a Chinook to hover all night!


Good luck Mike. That is cold!