Recent content by saddlebronze

I think I will let them hang as long as possible and then wash before crushing. I moved from Connecticut to Arizona and it’s shocking how fast we ripen here. Probably harvest in the next 30 days. Brix is already 15-20.

hey guys, is it possible to wash mancozeb off grapes? I just put some on and a week later we are into veraison so I won’t make the 63 day before harvest interval. This is just a test batch, not for commercial sale. Thanks.

Also, I made my spinning jenny from some old angle iron, a piece of rebar and some threaded rod. just stuck the threaded rod in the ground, put the reel of wire on and off we go.

I used Kencove for my 12.5 wire and what they call "Kwik ends" for the terminations. Very slick. You just drill a hole in the post, pop one in, push the wire through and bam you are done. Good company.

Wanted to hear from any of you on the petite pearl wine and vine? Yields, numbers and most importantly Taste??

Just to be scientific about it, because I am a scientist, you could do a post harvest soil test with your cooperative extension, tell them you are growing grapes and see what they recommend. While it is correct that adding nitrogen at the end of the season is generally a bad idea, it might help...

Some very good news on this vine, it's well established, will never need watering in merry old England and has been pruned for the season. Watch it grow, enjoy it and taste the berries. You have quite a specimen there. It's unlikely to be a wine grape, based on how well it's doing in England.

Thanks johnny. I suspected this would be easier than the other east. I'm in north Scottsdale.

Hi all, I have been busy moving from connecticut to arizona. I am now growing vinifera, Petite syrah to be exact and was wondering what the spray schedule might be. hoping someone growing in the southwest could clue me in as to what disease pressure I should expect and what to do about it. Would...

Hey all, the yellow jackets are wrecking my grapes. They sting the berries at the top of the clusters and then the other flys eat the berries. Can I add some insecticide like sevin to the mix, I mean will it help??

Interesting. Yours looks like mid wire cordon. I have a wire that high, and I solved my deer problem with fencing. They were awful before that.

Just wanted to see if anyone has any experience with trellis systems for Petite Pearl. I am currently on 4 cane kniffen on everything, but I am going to concentrate on the pearl, so wanted to know your thoughts. Less than 100 vines so labor is not a factor. Thanks!

Mancozeb is a good product, but you have a limit on the number of applications per year and pre-harvest limits. Also, you need to rotate fungicides throughout the year or you will develop resistant strains. I like to use Mancozeb until just after bloom and then switch to captan or stylet oil for...

Just to put my two cents in. I use mancozeb on a 1/4 acre vineyard with about 100 vines. At bud break it might take a gallon or two but when the vines are fully leafed out it takes the entire 15 gallons of my ATV sprayer to get it done. The key is to wet both sides of the leaves and that depends...

This whole topic is one that all vineyard owners have to deal with. And for what its worth, the hind sight is 20/20 here. The first question seems to be if you are going to be a hobbyist or a commercial vineyard. If you are going commercial, you have to grow what people will buy. If you are a...