Spring Has Sprung!

[grapeman]

After enduring a never ending winter I decided to start this post so we can start sharing experiences and pictures as Spring arrives later this week! NW has her Winter Wonderland post that we all shared pictures of winter scenes, etc. So everyone tell us all about how spring is arriving in your location giving hopes to future fruit crops of all sorts for wine.


Let me start it off by saying that a promise of Spring is in the air. It is getting warmer evey day! It made it up to 38 degrees yesterday and melted about an inch of snow. I decided to drive out in the vineyard with the tractor so I could have a path to go walk out there. When I got the tractor over there, I had a change of heart. My first wire is 32-36 inches and the hard-packed snow was still up to about 8 inches under it, so still over two feet of hard packed ice and snow! I didn't want to get the 5 ton beast stuck! Well today promises to be pretty nice as of yesterday..... This morning there is only 10 percent chance of rain showers. Well I guess that's right because it is too busy snowing....over an inch so far this AM with the temperature in the mid 20's. High expected right at freezing.


So somebody with some nice Spring stories and warm temperatures.... PLEASE share them with us along with a few pictures. It won't be long and we will all be making wine from the earth's bounty.

 

[NorthernWinos]

Spring is trying to make it's debut up here on the frozen prairie....but winter still has a tight grip....

Have had a few days with above average temperatures....It got to 50*F one day for a brief time...Now we are getting to just above freezing by day, but nights are in the teens and 20's.

Have gained about 8 inches of bird bath out in the yard...... the sitting rock has poked out of the snow and areas of dirt are becoming exposed in the fields....

In just a few days the Amaryllis bulbs are beginning to grow.... their magic has begun....

Will start some seeds soon...Have some flower seeds in the freezer now...cold will break their dormancy before planting.

Blackbirds have been around for a couple weeks....expect a stray Robin to arrive, seems they are always a tad early and weather a few late snow storms....

Spring like weather is slow to arrive on the High Plains....

Edited by: Northern Winos

 

[NorthernWinos]

Spring hasn't sprung around here yet...but it is melting nicely almost everyday.

Appleman...have you gone over to your brothers greenhouse and breathe some plant air....play in the dirt and transplant some seedlings???

I am forcing spring under the lights...The Liatris is poking out...so must have put the bulbs in the soil right-side-up.

Planted some seeds of the Purple Majesty Millet..just to see if the seeds were any good....Like magic...they are poking through after only a few days...

Life is getting better....

 

[grapeman]

Glad to see the seeds sprout and begin their journey into this world.


Yes I have gone over to the greenhouses a few times now. I have helped fill pots and move them. Seedlings have been arriving at a fierce pace and all but one house out of 10 is mostly full. Things will be moved around and the hanging baskets are getting hangers today to get off the benches so that area can be filled.


Propane for heat is astronomical this year. It took $3600 for one week alone to heat the 30,000 square feet of houses. We are expecting cloudy, snow, sleet, freezing rain, 2 inches of rain, changing back to snow and remain in the low 30's with snow showers until at least Saturday.


The greenhouses are a bit of a haven from the weather, but the snow on several of them goes to the 14 foot high peaks(where it drifts over the tops).

Spring is coming!

 

[Waldo]

It is definately beginning to look and feel like Spring here in these parts.

The final picture is the real proof that Spring is here......My neighbor mowing his yard this evening

 

[Joanie]

<sigh>

 

[hannabarn]

Certainly not looking like spring in these parts. I spent the day on the snow blower! We had another 8" of heavy wet snow last night.

 

[NorthernWinos]

Thanks Waldo....bet it all smells great!!!! I can hardly wait for those spring smells.

We have missed the latest storms, but know we will still get our share.

Lots more dirt and dead lawn appearing daily....Noticed that most of the winter birds are gone...

The feeders and waterer's remain full longer....

Heard the blackbirds again today....expect to hear a Kildere any day now.

Will be equal day and night soon...so we are all on our way to spring....

 

[grapeman]

So that's what a lawn mower looks like! <sigh>

 

[PolishWineP]

Our snow is melting quickly!

I can see dirt in the fields again, and the top of some of it is already dry...

I'll check to see if there's any weeds growing next to the building at work. Nice brick facing south... Good chance of it there.

 

[joeswine]

PWP are they tears of joy or sorry to see allllll thatttttt snow go away??????????????????????????????????????????????????

 

[NorthernWinos]

Spring is to arrive tomorrow [someplace]....Everywhere.... according to the calender....



The snow seems to recede despite freezing temperatures...the sun
produces heat enough to melt the snow even with temperatures near or
slightly above freezing.



Some plants are alive as the snow recedes...



Bergina...

Rock Cress...

Meanwhile under the fluorescent lights a small miracle happens...very small when compared to a pin point...

The seeds were almost non existent when I sifted the flower heads
through a fine screen just 3 days ago....I took some of the 'dust' and
sprinkled it on the surface of the soil/vermiculite....add love and
water and...'voilà'...baby Bergina plants....





Planted the pepper seeds today...bells, Jalapeño, hot Hungarian and the Eggplants...

Think I'll go and plant some yeast in a batch of Apple Cider and hope that ''grows' as well...

Life id Good!!!!







Edited by: Northern Winos

 

[PolishWineP]

Tears of joy and dancing flowers! More melting today. I'm sure I'll get through this.

 

[grapeman]

Two days ago spring arrived and it is sunny out, so surely I could go out and try to prune just a bit. Well the temperature was 15 degrees with a 20 mph wind-down from 40 mph yesterday. I pruned a couple vines long and didn't try to do any training so they wouldn't break. Just too darned cold. I gave up and went to the greenhouses for a couple hours to warm up. Here are a few pictures of the contrasts.




Here is a vine where the first wire is at 24 inches- mostly buried-no drifts, it's all that deep and hard as a rock.

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See more here:
http://s268.photobucket.com/albums/jj31/appleman0006/Spring/?albumview=grid Gridview


Or slideshow
http://s268.photobucket.com/albums/jj31/appleman0006/Spring/?albumview=slideshow







Edited by: appleman

 

[PolishWineP]

We got more snow over night and it's snowing again. We WILL get through this!

 

[NorthernWinos]

Liked your photos...I would just stay in those greenhouses till spring if I had those....I love the smell in there....can almost smell it by looking at your photos...

I waded out yesterday and looked at the grapes...the snow was hard in the morning and you could walk anywhere you wanted to.

Looks like things might be leafing out before the snow ever goes...

Went into the greenhouse and it had flooded in there when we had melting and now was frozen over like a skating rink....

Snowing again today, but not suppose to accumulate....it's 36* and the eves are dripping...

Life goes on.


Edited by: Northern Winos

 

[corn field]

Loved the slideshow appleman.

 

[swillologist]

The rabbits helped prune some of my grapes.

If my back comes around a little. I will see if I can finish up what they started.

The old vine still have some snow around them. It's supposed to be in the fifties next week. The snow should rot away pretty quick then.
The green is starting to show through also. Spring is near.

Edited by: swillologist

 

[Steve]

Iwas going topost some picture of my tomatoes plants with ripe tomatoes, my pepper plants and my strawberries that are starting to ripen, but I thought it might make some of you northerners jealous.<?amespace prefix = o ns = "urnchemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" />

 

[NorthernWinos]

Iwas going topost some picture of my tomatoes plants with ripe tomatoes, my pepper plants and my strawberries that are starting to ripen, but I thought it might make some of you northerners jealous.</span>

It would be nice to se some thing that is alive, blooming and ripening....Bring em on!!!