New Vineyard - Hanover VA

[vaaccess]

Hey everyone. Thanks in advance for your help, this looks like a great forum!

I live in Hanover County, VA (just north of Richmond) on 10 acres. Most of the land is wooded, and what area is cleared we're keeping as lawn...part of which surrounds a 1/2 acre spring-fed pond.

Over the last two years I've been clearing hardwood near the pond and have about a 1/4-acre fully cleared. The land was chosen because it will get morning light from over the pond and will not get late-afternoon/evening sun because it's surrounded by trees. The land slopes well towards the pond, so drainage shouldn't be a problem though I might add additional drainage in a natural settling area if needed. I've also got the option to add a pump to water from the pond, if needed...

So since I've cleared all this by hand and without large equipment, I still have stumps and haven't tilled or done anything else.

I'm contemplating just planting the vines around the stumps, versus doing anything with large equipment to rip everything out. Does that make sense?

In that kind of scenario, any recommendations or thoughts on what type of planting approach I should make, or trellis approach? I'm going to put a 8' -10' fence around the area to keep the deer out.

If it matters, currently thinking that I'll be planting Tannat, Pinotage, and Chardonnay...Though I haven't ordered the vines yet so willing to hear recommendations on that as well.

Any other thoughts/ideas?

Thanks!!!

 

[grapeman]

Hey everyone. Thanks in advance for your help, this looks like a great forum!

I live in Hanover County, VA (just north of Richmond) on 10 acres. Most of the land is wooded, and what area is cleared we're keeping as lawn...part of which surrounds a 1/2 acre spring-fed pond.

Over the last two years I've been clearing hardwood near the pond and have about a 1/4-acre fully cleared. The land was chosen because it will get morning light from over the pond and will not get late-afternoon/evening sun because it's surrounded by trees. The land slopes well towards the pond, so drainage shouldn't be a problem though I might add additional drainage in a natural settling area if needed. I've also got the option to add a pump to water from the pond, if needed...

So since I've cleared all this by hand and without large equipment, I still have stumps and haven't tilled or done anything else.

I'm contemplating just planting the vines around the stumps, versus doing anything with large equipment to rip everything out. Does that make sense? NO

In that kind of scenario, any recommendations or thoughts on what type of planting approach I should make, or trellis approach? I'm going to put a 8' -10' fence around the area to keep the deer out.

If it matters, currently thinking that I'll be planting Tannat, Pinotage, and Chardonnay...Though I haven't ordered the vines yet so willing to hear recommendations on that as well.

Any other thoughts/ideas?

Thanks!!!

Welcome to the forum.
That really is not a good idea.................
You really need to get rid of all the obstacles.

 

[vaaccess]

Welcome to the forum.
That really is not a good idea.................
You really need to get rid of all the obstacles.

Can you elaborate as to why?

Part of the reason I didn't do this with larger equipment to begin with is the difficulty in getting the equipment in there. I've contemplated renting a tracked "larger than a bobcat" device, but some research I'd done wouldn't allow them to be rented for what I wanted to do.

To get really big equipment in there I'd probably have to have them build a road in from another part of the property...Doable, but it will help to understand the detriment of not clearing them out.

Thanks for your help.
Mike

 

[grapeman]

If all you want to do is plunk in some vines wherever there isn't a stump you could do it, but.......... you will set yourself up for a ton of extra work,

You want a nice smooth well prepared area to plant in. Vineyards are a long term project and you live with your decisions for the life of it. Stumps will take decades to rot out and in the meantime will be in the way of planting your vines, spraying and maintenace of the area between rows. If you plan on planting grass or other cover crop between the rows, it will require mowing. Stumps make that very difficult if not impossible. Some trees give off substances toxic to the vines - black walnut for example (although there are others also). Unless you are very lucky when you set your posts, there may be a stump or it's roots in the way. In that case your post will need to be set somewhere else other than where you want them. I could go on and on with reasons.

 

[LittleBearGameFarm]

Not sure if this would affect vines or not, but I had a tree die in our front yard. I cut the trunk flush with the ground and put a planter bed around it with some perennials and a few bushes. First couple of years the plantings looked good and then year three, pretty much dead. My mom, who has been gardening for most of her life, attributes it to the decaying tree giving off certain compounds that are killing plantings. I would hate to get to year three with some vines, finally expecting a yielding harvest, only to see all my vines wither.

Thanks

 

[Pat57]

Find a guy who owns a bulldozer and see if he could do the job for you. Might cost you $500 or so for the day, but the site would be clear of stumps and debris. As long as the slope isn't too steep it should be doable?

Pat

 

[vaaccess]

The declination, top to bottom, is only about 7', not too bad.

Oy...I was hoping to avoid the expense and damage that a large machine would cause, but admittedly would prefer level/smooth ground. I was just trying to be creative with the technique, but clearly you all are bringing up great thoughts. And I appreciate that.

Now do any of you have advice for telling my wife???

 

[grapeman]

Do you currently make wine? Does your wife enjoy wine? If so does she like your wine? If yes to all of those things and she enjoys time without you, then she will love the idea of you growing your own grapes for wine. She gets plenty of time without you drinking wine!

Once you plant the vineyard you will be spending plenty of time in it.

 

[vaaccess]

Do you currently make wine? Does your wife enjoy wine? If so does she like your wine? If yes to all of those things and she enjoys time without you, then she will love the idea of you growing your own grapes for wine. She gets plenty of time without you drinking wine!

Once you plant the vineyard you will be spending plenty of time in it.

Yeah. So I just bottled my third wine, all from kits so far so not enough science learned yet. Crawling my way towards buying grapes (fresh or frozen) to start making it similar to how I will ultimately do it with my own grapes.

If I could rewind, I would have purchased a house with already cleared land. It's been so much work to get to this point. Though using a chainsaw, chipper/shredder, and axe are very cathartic.

 

[garymc]

Sounds like a grape vineyard is what you are wanting, since you have actually decided on varieties. But have you considered making other kinds of wine? Elderberry bushes don't require trellises, can be producing fruit in a couple of years. The same for some blackberries. They both make great wine and can be used for other things like jelly and eating fresh (blackberries). I grow muscadine grapes and do very little spraying on them. I don't recommend it, but I have one muscadine vine that's not on a trellis or arbor. It just grows all over the ground and covers about a 12 foot circle. It has produced grapes and they are suitable for eating right there within inches of the ground. Anybody growing any other kind of grape would be horrified by this. Being on the ground is an invitation to all kinds of mildews, fungus, blights, etc. Apparently this vine just doesn't care. They do like internally well drained soil, though. That means sandy if you don't do ag-speak. Just a couple of suggestions for a fall-back position if the vinifera dream doesn't come true.

 

[vaaccess]

I think that's fair feedback, but those types of wines aren't ones that I personally enjoy. We are going to grow blackberries, red raspberries, and other stuff on the property as well. My worst-case fallback will be to turn it into a big, kick-butt garden. hehe

Sounds like a grape vineyard is what you are wanting, since you have actually decided on varieties. But have you considered making other kinds of wine? Elderberry bushes don't require trellises, can be producing fruit in a couple of years. The same for some blackberries. They both make great wine and can be used for other things like jelly and eating fresh (blackberries). I grow muscadine grapes and do very little spraying on them. I don't recommend it, but I have one muscadine vine that's not on a trellis or arbor. It just grows all over the ground and covers about a 12 foot circle. It has produced grapes and they are suitable for eating right there within inches of the ground. Anybody growing any other kind of grape would be horrified by this. Being on the ground is an invitation to all kinds of mildews, fungus, blights, etc. Apparently this vine just doesn't care. They do like internally well drained soil, though. That means sandy if you don't do ag-speak. Just a couple of suggestions for a fall-back position if the vinifera dream doesn't come true.