rrawhide's Vineyard

[rrawhide]

appleman

whoops - i'm gettin' like you - - - - - and that's good - - - ??????

Contacted a grapevine wholesaler in our area (a referral from a friend at LaBellewinery.com). He only sold 28 million vines last year and ships worldwide. He called and since (it is from a friend) he will sell me (100 total quantity) 25 nebbilo; 25 sangiovese and 50 barbera in pots and ready to plant on freedom rootstock for $3 each. hummmm!!! the other on-line people were $7-8 each plus freight and bareroot. let's see 30 time 8 equal $240. Get 100 for $300 on rootstock - potted - 1 year old - growing good -------- not much of a decision to make. Now, just gotta figure what to do with them - Think I need to do some rethinkin'.

Let you know more later - - - -

thanx for the comeback -

gotta go to town just broke my post hole digger - a weld snapped!!!

later

rrawhide

 

[grapeman]

appleman

whoops - i'm gettin' like you - - - - - and that's good - - - ??????

rrawhide

Did I say that was a GOOD thing? I just said you were starting to get like me............

I am glad you got connected with the right people there. I always hate to see folks getting quite a few vines but not enough to get a good rate. Some varieties like Concord on their own roots sell for a buck apiece and if you only buy a few about 7 or 8 dollars. You could still plant what you want out of the 100 and still be ahead of the game. Like that will happen. The wife will certainly think you have gone over the edge when you tell her you are getting 100 vines! Good luck with that.... and the vines.

 

[rrawhide]

she didn't say a word!!!

wonder what that means - - - -

not too concerned about the quantity of vines cause I can use or not use
BUT what about 2-3-4 years down the road and beyond - - - -

when the production is up -- - - -

sure wish you'll were around closer - - - -

oh well ----

rrawhide
'corky'

 

[Wade E]

Wow Rrawhide, youre really buying a

load! Thats awesome and what you are buying is exactly what I would want if I had the land and if it would grow here also.</font>

 

[rrawhide]

well WADE com' on down and pick up a few!!!! they be waiting 4 ya!!!

sure wish you would - be fun - - -

I might just put some down in the field below - plenty of room and water there. BUT, I lease out that 20 acres for cattle grazing. Would have to build a awsome fence - barb wire plus electric. Maybe I'll run a 440 line if I decide to plant there. I think that 440 would make walking hamburger if the cows hit it. hummmmmmmm!!!

well, i'll get 'er figured out soon -

hope all is well with you.

later

rrawhide

 

[rrawhide]

Hi all - again

Well, VBS (Vacation Bible School) this week so have not had too much of a chance to do vineyard stuff but this is where we are now:

end posts are in and so are the line posts

wire on and tightened

cool 'thingy' that wraps the irrigation line around the lower wire

irrigation lines in, am using notched line posts to keep wire level,
holes have been watered every day so they will be nice and moist
for grape vines. Am going to be using 2 more wires at least - The drip line
is at 20" - next will be at 40" and the top at 65".

This area can handle 25 vines with room to expand to 40. The other
vines will go to friends and brother-in-law. Hopefully, I can get
additional vines when I need them OR better yet start some cuttings
later this winter.

At this point there will be 20 barbera; 10 sangiovese and 10 nebbiolo and this should be fun!!! Hopefully, there will be 1 gallon from each plant in a couple of years - - -

There are 3 local wineries and they are all wanting me to put in an acre at least. They all think that this area will have a lot of botique wineries before long. Don't think I want another job but might just be fun!! Hey, Appleman, I think that it is starting - - - - -

Only one thing left to say - - hummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!

later

rrawhide
'corky'

 

[Wade E]

Go big now if you have the time and the money to do so as you will be sorry you didnt later most likely. Looks awesome there buddy and Im jealous!

 

[bilbo-in-maine]

Hi 'Corky', I just noticed your photos and want to add congratulations on the big step you took! Looks like you are in CA so I assume you have found a supplier who provides vinifera varieties on phyloxera resistant rootstocks. You'll also need to study up on how to prevent the typical fungal diseases, chiefly powdery mildew (maybe you are already up on these things.) Also, trim away the trees or vegetation that are shading the left hand row you show in the photos, unless it's early morning shade that disappears. Your vines will want all the sun they can get - Appleman mentioned this in another thread here today. Good luck - I can tell you are already excited and enjoying it!
Bill

 

[Waldo]

You Da man!! rrawhide............looking might fine there buddy

 

[grapeman]

Yep, it's beginning there. You have caught the fever good. Forget ever having any spare time again- this will consume it all.......

You are lucky in being in Ca. Not as much disease pressure there as here in the east. We are having a real run of moist rainy weather these last couple weeks. We are over 5 inches of rain now for the first part of the month.


It took me a while to catch your post today. I was at the other vineyard today training and pulling shoots. When I got home I went out and finally planted the rest of the cuttings for this year in the nursery. I ended up with about 1500 of them. Most of them have now rooted and they are pushing top growth now. I tend them in the nursery this eyar and then move out in the vineyard the following year.


Keep up the good work and before you know it you will be swimming in wine- or at least stomping them!

 

[Joanie]

Looks great. Rrawhide!

Is that the way they irrigate in CA? At 20", 40" and 65"? Why wouldn't you put it right on the ground where the roots can get to it?

 

[rrawhide]

hey bilbo

The independant distributor I am getting these vines is a local fella and they only sold 28 million vines last year worldwide. The particular vines are from a grower in Wasco, Ca (about 50 miles away) and are all on Freedom rootstock. They are 1 year old plus and are growing nicely. They will be delivered on Monday evening. I am sure these are from www.vintagenurseries.com (largest wine vine nursery in the nation, they say). Wish I had room for the full 100 that I ordered but not at this time. By the way, the vines are running due south.

Joan, this is the way that they do it out here - everybody has evelated driplines with 1 gph emitters. There is 1 emitter at each vine and 1 in between. Probably run them for 5 hours at least a couple of times each week or more (depending on the heat and what they seem to need). I will need to get a moisture probe with a 1 foot reach to see what is going on down below. Also, have high wires so when harvesting you do not have to stoop down so much. Makes perfect sense to me - but then - everything does. Guess I need another glass of wine. Gotta bottle those 4 batches of whites soon - - have real great labels for them!!!!

Apple - only 40 to start - but if I want to build some cattle fences down below I could put in at least an acre - - -no - no - no! getting 'corky' again. They would have to be real good fences with at least a 10' clear space between the fence and the vine. If only one cow got in there - wow - what a mess that would be - vines - grapes - wires and drip lines in one fell swoop!!!!

Fun a'com'n!! On the 28th of this month, one of the local wineries is having a cheese and wine pairing. She, Marti the owner, went down to Beverly Hills, Ca (90210) to a cheese emporium, took her wine and they paired up cheese. She said you will not believe what, the proper, cheese will do for the wine and/or what the wine will do for the cheese. I guess that there will be some cow and goat cheese(s). If interested in seeing their operation, check out www.labellewinery.com. great website and great people.

all for now - - - enjoy your wines.

rrawhide

Edited by: rrawhide

 

[rrawhide]

Hi all, again

Let's see where we are now:

vines are in - - -

50 Barbera
25 Nebbiolo
25 Sangiovese

all are over 16-18" tall, in 4" pots, 1 year old, grafted on Freedom Rootstock and waxed

planted depth 2" below graft

25 total vines here - 12 barbera - 7 sangiovese - 6 nebbiolo

all in Blue-x growth tubes

1 gph emitters at each vine and if needed will add one between each plant.

Grower says to water 6 hours/day for 21 days straight to establish a strong root ball - so water - water -water.

I like the look better of the green vines BUT so would the rabbits and squirrals and gophers - - -

so will look at the blue for awhile.

wish em luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can extend these rows to add another 15 vines for a total of 40 but will have to rent a hand held post hole auger - - - tried by hand - - - am too old and it's too hot for that !!!!

40 vines at 1 gallon/wine per vine = 40 gallons/year after a few years and this should be enough - - -

anyway wanted you to see what was going on - - -

now just need to add the 2nd and 3rd wire and maybe some crossarms - - -

anybody wanta help?

every day is a good day but some are just better than others!!!

later

rrawhide



Edited by: rrawhide

 

[Wade E]

That looks awesome RRawhide!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[rrawhide]

thanx Wade -

wish you were closer to get some of these vines. $3 each - what a great deal.

hope you are having a great day.

later

rrawhide

 

[Joanie]

- - - I'm too hot for that !!!!

That's exactly what Mrs. Rawhide says!

 

[grapeman]

That's coming along nicely. Thanks for sharing it all with us. I question 6 gallons of water a day per vine. That is a lot of water. Is your soil sandy or does it have a bit of clay- I don't recall if you said. The way the water is puddling, I would be afraid it would cake the soil and drown/suffocate the rootball. I don't live in California, so I can't say for sure.

 

[rrawhide]

soil - you said soil - it seems like we have a lot of decomposed granite and some topsoil - - - mixed a handful of humus into the soil (?) we dug out - so hope it will do something. Below that is hardpan - - - so we will see!!!! I will watch the moisture and see what is happening - you are right 6 gpd seems like a lot of water. . . . . .......

later

rrawhide

 

[OilnH2O]

Looks great, Rrawhide!

I sure do think you could squeeze a few more vines in there, though. I tried the blue-x tubes last year and think I left them on a little too long -- way into the middle of summer. I don't think the stems ever really developed well, and this year I have canes coming up from the ground, or near the bottom of last year's stem.

The pinot vines I got this year were really a little too bushy and branched out (they were bare-root) so I left the blue-x off. But, the concept makes sense to me. It's all part of the learning curve, I figure!

Isn't this about as much fun as a guy could get with real work???!!

 

[AlFulchino]

i am not sure if anyone mentione dit, but i saw a question about why drip lines are elevated....if they remain on the ground they can clog w roots looking for water....minerals from the soil and also bugs will seek the emitter holes out.....another good reason to keep them elevated ( if the first were not enough) is that you can easily check your output from an emitter if the need arises by placing a pail underneath




*****
great pictures... and great job.....i would not mind growing a fre of the varieties you are growing