Willsboro NY Cold Hardy Grape Variety Trial

[bilbo-in-maine]

Work!Ha Ha Ha!
 
I have been shoot and cluster thinning recently. I don't like to do it too soon and make the vines go too vegetative. Late July to mid August here seems to work good. I have been dropping about 10-20 pounds per vine on some of them and still leaving a big crop.
 
The vines are just beginning veraison(for all you French folks and Verasion for the rest of you). Only the earliest varieties so far. They are running about 10 days behind normal this year.
 
When the grapes get more color to them to show, I will get some more pictures.  It won't be long and we will apply the netting. We are going to try 4 foot VineSide netting this year even though they are TWC. I'm hoping I may be able to keep doing some skirting after the nets are on that way.
 
How's the weather over thre in Maine?

Funny you should ask. The weather is the chief culprit in this year's miserable crop. We took a big hit at blossom time with a lot of rot that set in, mainly on the St. Croix and St. Pepin (what's up with the saints?!) At this point there is no evidence of veraison on anything. Berry development seems to be stagnant, with little increase in size in weeks.

Keep us posted on development progress there at Willsboro. It is always good to hear about what happens there. It will be great to see your pics.

 

[AlFulchino]

yep...keep us posted.....pics especially!

 

[grapeman]

Bill the grapes are in the lag phase where they do little growing midseason. Here the grapes never seemed to be at that stage this year. They were so late starting that they have just been growing fast all year. Some of the clusters I dropped today were probably over half a pound apiece. You cut a shoot with three of those suckers on them and I would just cry every cut I made!

 

[bilbo-in-maine]

Rich - Lag season it is, but still no signs of color change by mid-August? I know, it is what happens when summer is curtailed by 2/3. Perhaps autumn will be pushed back some also this year, but I have a feeling that the crop will be unsatisfactory for wine making, at least here. Again, I look forward to your reports from Willsboro. That's a great program.

 

[grapeman]

Bill, more change today even over yesterday. I was thinning again today. You should have summer by tomorrow. It has been hot here today and will be getting even hotter the next few days. The downside of that is it is going to be too nice this weekend. I have my first NE SARE Tour this weekend at my vineyard. I had a small response to notices and since they are predicting great weather, it is like rats abandoning a sinking ship! Everybody I asked preferences for date said weekends were better since they work during the week, but now they won't even come on a great day! I feel pretty blue right now....... I have been working my tail off to get ready for this thing- which is for everyone elses benefit, and now nobody wants to come................. This is more cutting edge research than is being currently done at the universities and it's free to attendees!

 

[bilbo-in-maine]

Rich - I'm sorry to hear that. This is indeed a fine time of the year. You would think that, with the increased interest generally in organic growing, and your topic, sustainable growing methods, a beautiful weekend would be a magnet drawing people. You did say it is to be at your own vineyard, and not at Willsboro, right? What have you had to do to prepare for the "non-event."
Heck, I'll drive for 8 hours to attend if you need warm bodies. Well, actually I speak too quickly. I am on duty this weekend helping my wife in her bee yard. And... there's work in my own vineyard, mowing, firewood stacking, work on the house, a visit to my aged mother, and on and on. I hope you get even a few people to make your work worth it.

 

[AlFulchino]

yes...we are interested in the research.....we count too!

 

[grapeman]

I will be posting the procedures used for my research and results obtained when I have them at or shortly after harvest. This is not an organic plot, jst using canopy management techniques along with particular training systems to minimize amounts of spray used, conserve the soil and improve the quality of the juice obtained. It is definitely at my home vineyard. The level of research at home exceeds the extent of the original intent for Willsboro. We are working on expanding the scope of that original intent.


Stay tuned.

 

[AlFulchino]

i am interested in all that you are doing...and very interested in..."using canopy management techniques along with particular training systems to minimize amounts of spray used,..."

 

[grapeman]

Well I got that meeting over and accomplished. It was sunny, no wind and 90 degrees! There was only 11 people who showed up. I guess they all wanted to do a beautiful weekend full of activities. It was a good well behaved crowd and only got a bit rowdy after pumped full of free wine! Well at least I think they all enjoyed it!

 

[AlFulchino]

i am sure they did....and remember..its not always quantity that counts...you may have met one person that you have really impacted, that would not have had a question answered if there had been a hundred people.

 

[OilnH2O]

I wish I was no. 12

Sometimes a group that small will get far more out of it - "knowledge transfer" -- than a much larger group! Especially if it was just you giving the tour. Was it a mixed bag of growers and hobbiests? Look forward to your "report!"

 

[grapeman]

Actually I did a recount, and there were 13 of them. Most of them were actual growers, but we are all small, being a new industry in the area. I was the only speaker at this one, although my technical advisor was there and added comments here and there. It opened a few eyes to the possibilities that exist from this work. Some of the results are quite striking and a bit unexpected by all.

 

[grapeman]

I haven't reported on this in a while now. We had our annual Tour of the Willsboro Baker Farm yesterday and I got some pictures, but not many. I didn't take any at the vineyard- sorry. I will try to get some tomorrow to show the progress it is making this year.

We had about 60 brave souls show up for the tour in the almost 100 degree heat with growing humidity. Our research farm is about 350 acres total and a number of research projects are being conducted here at any one time.

It includes lysimeter plots where we have 16 individual plots. These are used for a number of studies including soil studies, water studies, leaching of nutrient studies and so on. Here is a link to the type of system we have here.



http://www.llansadwrn-wx.co.uk/graphics/lysf2.jpg

Talks were given by the Cornell Soil Scientist in charge of the research using them. That was followed by the University of Vermont researcher talking about Sunflower research being done to make fuel and what is being done to help power farms using their own crops.

We then moved down to Biomass research plots where the researcher talked about his project with a number of grasses grown for fuel.

A picture of the group near the biomass trial (one of two) The taller green grass is Switchgrass and is about 4 feet tall and will almost double in size before harvest.

The group was moved around by trailers and wagons. To show how humid and hazy it was, Lake Champlain is in this picture between the two big trees. You can't even see the Green Mountains 30 miles away. The vineyard is located to the left of those old barns.

This picture shows organic small grains trials where wheat is grown along with some soybeans. The wheat is grown for researching best varieties for the Northeast for local bakers.

We then moved over to the vineyard where Kevin Iungerman from Cornell Extension's Northeast Fruit Program told of the history of the trial and what research we are conducting there. After two hours in the sun, we hastily retreated to the shade of a huge maple tree at the office for a small wine tasting. I had brought a half dozen samples to pour. It was so hot and everyone was in such a hurry to leave that I never even poured the last two. I started with the whites hoping to get them in the mood for it, but it was just too hot for much interest.

 

[ibglowin]

Wow, thanks for the report and update Rich! You guys are certainly having the heat wave these days (please feel free to keep it all to yourself!) ......

BTW, that Kevin sure has purty legs!

 

[grapeman]

I figured somebody would think that - should have know it would be you. That is Heather from UVM. She is the one with Sunflowers and wheat trials. I didn't put in a picture of Kevin......... his legs aren't that pretty

 

[Runningwolf]

Awesome! I was wondering about Heather also. She didn't ask about me did she? Oh Crap she doesn't even know I exist!

 

[grapeman]

Heather really is an example of being "Outstanding in her field". Be nice now guys. She is a good example of a down to earth person - part of her work is taking soil samples.

 

[Runningwolf]

Heather really is an example of being "Outstanding in her field". Be nice now guys. She is a good example of a down to earth person - part of her work is taking soil samples.

Thanks Rich your absolutely right, did I tell you I was feeling a littlesoily today?

 

[Waldo]

I don't know Heather either but she probably knows me