Fish Farm Vineyard

[Joanie]

Ugg! Whose idea was it to root and plant more vines????

Oh yeah...it was mine!

 

[grapeman]

OK, what's the story behind that comment? Have they rooted enough to set out already? At least if they did, they are tiny so they don't need big holes!

 

[Joanie]

That planting stuff is hard work!

I have had the cuttings that have popped roots in peat pots. I decided to plant them. I have 4 other cuttings that haven't budged so decided to use the rooting hormone on those again to see if that will get them going. I will wait on planting the remaining rooted ones until those four either root or not so I can plant like varieties together. Except for my original 4 rows (each had 7 vines now), the rest is a semi-hodgepodge so don't want to make it even more messed up!

 

[grapeman]

Looks like you are getting a pretty good sized vineyard going. You must be getting leaves on your vines by now. Probably about a week ahead of us. My brother from down there called today and said the wind was blowing the last of the apple blossoms off today. They just started blooming a couple days ago here. Some varieties were in full bloom today and a few others just starting.

 

[Joanie]

Things are coming along...just slowly!

 

[Joanie]

Eleven more vines planted!!! Whooo hoo! I still have 4 to plant (hopefully) but last I looked no signs of roots or callusing. When should I say when?

I suppose 25 out of 29 viable vines isn't a bad percentage, is it?

 

[grapeman]

That's super Joan. If I was lucky enough to get that high a percentage I would be in trouble this year. I have about 1500 cuttings total. I put out about 500 this afternoon of St. Pepin that I cut last fall and buried over the winter upside down in the sand. I dug them up 10 days ago and put in a tub in the greenhouse in vermiculite. They were budding and fairly well calloused, so I put them in the nursery. I am posting the pictures in my posts.

 

[Joanie]

What do you mean you buried them upside down? Why?

 

[grapeman]

Joan the idea is to make the cuttings before winter damage to the primary buds. You put them in a protected area in well drained soil to overwinter. You put them upside down so that as the ground thaws in the spring and the sun warms the surface, it warms the bottom of the cuttings so they callous. The tops, down deeper remain cool and the buds don't push too soon. This is the way cuttings were done for hundreds of years in cold climates. Neat huh?

 

[NorthernWinos]

Appleman.....I'll have to try it like that....... tho I don't plan on planting anymore grapes....I only have about 45 vines and think that is enough with all the other fruits.....and...being way up here on the high plains we are so limited to the varieties we can over winter....So, it goes....envy...envy....!!!!

 

[Joanie]

Who in the world ever thought that one up???

I didn't get enough rain to hold the dust down so I watered all the Spring babies! They said, "Thanks, I needed that!"

 

[grapeman]

Well I sure didn't think that one up, but I did try it about 30 years ago for the first time. I had a Catawba vine that I needed to remove from the middle of a field that had been planted many years before. I wanted to make sure I could continue the vine growing, so I read up on this procedure and gave it a shot. I buried a bundle of cuttings in the middle of an acre plot. I don't remember how I ever found it again in the spring, but I did. In the spring I stuck the cuttings and by summer many of them had rooted. Unfortunately I decided not to plant them after all and ended up plowing them under. What a dummy! I hope I am a bit wiser now.........

 

[Joanie]

I'm thinking that falls under the "if only" category!

 

[rrawhide]

Joan

Ok youse guys - you are making my mouth water!!!!

OK, I have room for about 12 vines along one of the fence lines coming up the driveway. I was thinking about 1 thompson seedless and 1 seedless flame for momma and 10 merlot for me. I know that merlot grows in this hot central valley as well a syrah so question - would you get 10 merlot or 5/5 merlot and syrah? Also, what can you expect for yield? Can these few vines do anything? like make a 6 gallon batch? or or or?

We have alot of acreage (20)(cattle ground) but everything we seem to have tried in the past has made our ground squirrel population very happy. Lots of 22's and upside down plastic t's have helped but still they survive!!!!! hummmmmm!!!!!!!!!!!

oh yeah - started a 1 gallon batch of joe's ancient mead today. Friend (beekeeper) gave me a gallon of orange blossom honey yesterday so had to do something with it. Have you ever tried the mead?

Have a great day - - - -

you have a vice vineyard going it seems - lookin' good.

love this forum.

rrawhide

 

[rgecaprock]

Joan, appleman,


You all are the "Vineyard Envy" of us all. I just want the pleasure of visiting you someday and enjoying what you have accomplished. You guys are the inspiration!!


Ramona

 

[Joanie]

Good morning, R and R!

Appleman is the one who knows all the answers to your planting and yield questions, rrawhide. I'm just here for the fun!

Ramona, when I was out hoeing and weeding around my older vines, I wondered what I'd gotten myself into! All the vines I've planted this year are weed free for the moment but I know they won't be and it will take a lot of work to keep them clean! I don't have that nice sandy, easy to work soil that Appleman has! Mine's all gravel.The new vines look good for now tho. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

Thanks for the reminder, rrawhide! I have some Joe's Ancient Orange in my closet and I keep forgetting it! I guess hiding wine in the dark is a great way to practice patience, eh! Who knew?

 

[grapeman]

rawhide, you could go either way- all Merlot or 50/50. The 50/50 would give you a nice blend and hedge your bets a bit. The only problem would be they probably would not ripen at the same time. You could then make 2 separate batches and have small batches of each or one bigger blended batch. Those vinifera vines would probably give you a couple quarts or so each when mature so yes, they would do a 5-6 gallon batch. I say go for it!


Joan you are right about the sand being easier than the gravely soil. The one end is heavier than the rest and even though it is only about 1/8 of the total, that area takes as long to hoe as the rest put together. It takes me about 20 hours total to hoe through the vineyard altogether. I try to do it every few weeks or about 4 times per season. I have to get outside and get to it in a few minutes!

 

[Joanie]

Does it pay to put down garden "fabric"?

 

[grapeman]

Does it pay to put down garden "fabric"?

It wouldn't hurt to lay it down and makes a lot less work for keeping the young vines weed free. We have plastic mulch at Willsboro and other than a few weeds growing through holes in the plastic, there are very few. I sprayed Roundup a few weeks ago there and there is no hoeing to do. When I hopefully plant my first large vineyard expansion next year(you heard it first right here), I will use slightly raised beds with drip irrigation under plastic mulch. I will use the kind that will last several years to get the vines well established before it rips and tears too badly. I don't want to be hoeing 1500 vines or more. There are few sprays to use safely on young vines since it damages the root hairs.


I don't look at it as work Joan, I look at it as an excuse to get some good exercise- after all that is the initial reason for me planting my vines!

 

[Joanie]

I don't look at it as work Joan, I look at it as an excuse to get some good exercise- after all that is the initial reason for me planting my vines!

You don't expect anyone to believe that, do you??