And so I begin

[ibglowin]

Spacing seems a little close!

 

[AmityFlatts]

Spacing seems a little close!

I think I should be able to pluck some select leaves and get all the plants some sunshines

Actually I was told to plant them on 4 inch centers, I went with about 6 inch hoping I could dig them easier for transplanting. At least the watering will be easy this summer with the condensed area.

 

[AmityFlatts]

Been watching the vines daily, finally I see something that looks like at least one of them is going to grow.

Lots of fuzzy little looking bumps growing on the vines, but this is the first thing I recognize as plant life. It been about a month in the ground to get to this point. Maybe I will celebrate and go buy a harvesting tool.

 

[AmityFlatts]

I didnt count, but I am going to guess around 400 of my plants are going to grow.

 

[mgmarty]

That's amazing. How wet do you keep them? Fertilizer? Root enhancer?

 

[AmityFlatts]

I tilled the spot, added a little triple 16 and some mulch got tilled in before I planted. I have not been watering as it has been raining in Oregon.

Looks like this week I will have to drag a hose over soon, as the temps will be high 70's low 80's this week.

No root tone, just stuck the cuttings in the dirt.

 

[grapeman]

Did those get calloused before setting them in the ground? If not you may experience a collapse soon. The buds will sprout and grow without callouses but not the roots. I am not sure if the soil gets hot enough (80 degrees) in Oregon to callous directly. If you have no roots, the buds that began to grow will wither and die. I hope I am wrong and you got good callous and root formation.

 

[AmityFlatts]

I haven't had a collapse, but the little guys are developing grapes it looks like




That's a quarter in the pic for size reference. About 2.5 months, from cutting hitting dirt to grape

I assume I should be cutting these grapes off so I grow plant and not fruit

 

[Stressbaby]

If I were you I'd snip those grapes. Those plants need to direct their energy into root formation. Have you dug one of them up to check for roots?

Also, the soil looks pretty darn wet. How is the drainage there?

 

[GEM]

Yes, snip the grapes so all of the plants energy goes into the root structure. Do this for first 2-3 years, then you will have bountiful crops.

 

[AmityFlatts]

If I were you I'd snip those grapes. Those plants need to direct their energy into root formation. Have you dug one of them up to check for roots?

Also, the soil looks pretty darn wet. How is the drainage there?

It was wet because it was raining, happens in the NW quite a bit

 

[AmityFlatts]

I have been watering my grapes and watching them grow.

Tonight I got a hard count on how many plants I have. I counted 293 pinot noir cuttings I placed in the ground, and 210 of them have leaves and appear at this point will make it. About 72% success.

I counted the Pinot Gris and I have 224 cuttings in the ground and 183 look like they will make it. About 83% success.

I also have 6 of what were told to me were white table grapes. Only two of them have leaves, or ever had leaves. About 33% success.

I don't know on the ones that didn't grow, if I got them upside down or if they just didn't make it for other reasons.

I just keep watering them, and watching them grow. :>

 

[AmityFlatts]

Time to ask the experts for some advice.

I spent some time this weekend prepping the field for the transplant of the cuttings I planted last year.





I have made 5 more passes with the tiller on each of the 8 rows since I took that last pic, soil is about ready to plant. I will wait a another week or two and till it some more to knock down the weeds that think they want to invade. Lots of work chasing that tiller up and down the field. At least now the passes are easier that the sod is busted up


I need to dig up my plants and move them to the rows in the field. Some of my cuttings have two sprouts out of them. When I dig them to transplant, should I trim one of the sprouts off, let them both grow, or ???? In the foreground of the following pic, is a cutting with a growth out of the upper and lower bud I planted above the ground. Which one do I let grow, and where do I trim them, or not?



Some of the plants grew quite a bit last year, I was told to trim them back to 4 buds, does that make sense? For example the following pic has a growth from the cutting that is probably 3 feet long. What do the experts say on what I should do with the long sprouts when I transplant them?



When I get the post and wires set in the field, I plan to do a top row cordon wire for the fruiting vines at about 6ft high. I just gotta get those plants tall enough to reach it :>

Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[TicinoVintner]

You should of done the tilling in the fall. They need a soil that has had time to settle in. Everything I have read over viticulture recommends that you prepare the soil in the fall then let it overwinter before planting.
Sorry I can't help you on what to cut as I'm on my iPhone an cant see the plants too well. All I can say is go with what ever looks the most vigorous. Training them is not the most important step at the moment.


Sent from my iPhone using Wine Making

 

[mgmarty]

Training them is not the most important step at the moment.

I agree, ( from my very limited experience). Just put them in the ground this year with a stake to train a trunk.
Oh, and get busy with the posts!


Baco Noir and Seyval Blanc in Utah

 

[AmityFlatts]

Yesterday was the day I have been dreading, we moved the plants from the nursery to the field. I think it was about at this point when I wished I had sprung for pots instead of just using the ground.



Most of the plants had a pretty good root system, some only had a few small roots, I sure hope they all grow.



I talked my son into helping me dig the 320 holes



The wife helped me plant them. It was a nasty day to be working outside. Friday we had 1.69 inches of rain, and I know we had over in inch Saturday while we spent the day moving plants. I don't think I need to water them for a while

Some of the plants didn't have any roots, and showed no sign of growth wanting to emerge, I tossed those. I ended up with 182 Pinot Noir, and 138 Pinot Gris. I have about 20 or so Pinot Gris left in the nursery when I was done and my rows were filled.

I started out pruning last years growth while digging them, after a while I just quit as it was muddy work. I will prune them in a few days in the field when I am not quite so tired and sore.

 

[grapeman]

Sorry it took me a while to see this updated post. I think you have been going in the right direction so far. There are two trains of thought for beginning them. One is to prune back pretty aggressively and the other is basically what you have done. I usually prune somewhare in between, shortening long canes, but keeping them all or at least most if not a lot. You will want the vine to basically grow this year which will put a lot of nutrients into the roots for a great start next year. I put in a stake next to each of them and generally just keep it growing upright for this first year. Looks very goo so far. Keep up the good work.

 

[AmityFlatts]

Thanks grapeman, I went to the local vineyard supply house and priced stakes last week. It was $30 and change for 250 4ft bamboo stakes 7/16 diameter. I will purchase those when I have something to tie to them.

 

[olusteebus]

Looks great to me. Impressive.

 

[AmityFlatts]

The guy I got my cuttings from stopped by last night and checked over my work and showed me how he wants me to prune the plants.

Pretty heavy handed pruning was done, cutting back leaving two buds on each of last years growth. It was pretty easy, and only took about 30 minutes, the buds have a green tint to them like they are about to show a leaf emerging so they were easy to see.

We are lime deficient in the Willamette Valley, and he wants to put 1 pound of lime around each plant, and 1/2 pound of triple 16. Told me to pick up some powder at his office to mix in my sprayer to keep the weeds down. Don't remember the name of it right now. Told me he would have it ready for me to pick up. So it looks like lime, fertilizer and weed control this week after the pruning.

He also told me to get my stakes picked up, I would need them soon.