Swill's Vineyard

[grapeman]

Strange how those "suckers" can behave isn't it! Certainly not much you can do about them except try to keep safe and pick things back up after they are over. Glad it hopped over you!


I posted on here last year that we had the same situation as youd did- and we rarely get tornados here. A small one touched down a couple mile southwest of here and lifted back up right over our house. My brother-in-law watched it go right over our house with the debris from the previous touchdown flying around above our house. It continued on, touched down a mile and a half later briefly and then a couple miles later- dropping debris a quarter mile away from the tornado as it went.


Glad you are OK!

 

[NorthernWinos]

Had heavy rain for a time yesterday and a tornado came out of nowhere and touched down up in the northland...There wasn't the usual heat associated with them, we were right under a large Low pressure area and they said just the spin in the atmosphere set it off. It did damage where it hit, in some small towns and leveled some turkey barns and liberated the turkeys...many didn't make it.

 

[swillologist]

That is one draw back to this area we do have tornadoes, nothing like Oklahoma. We have had a few extra this spring. And there is supposed to be another round this afternoon. But life is good.

 

[swillologist]

Here is how to spray your vineyard or orchard.

The bi-plane sprayed a field southeast of us this morning and other one sprayed a field southwest of us this afternoon.

 

[grapeman]

So how long would it take to spray yours? About 2 seconds?

 

[swillologist]

Yeah about one pass would more then do it.

The bad news is that I thought it was the same plane until I was posting this last night. Shows how much attention I pay. Edited by: swillologist

 

[NorthernWinos]

What are they spraying for?????

We have a guy the lives on the corner ¾ mile away with a little airport and his crop spray plane....he tries to be neighborly and doesn't start till 6AM with the first load...then goes till dark. Now he is spraying for aphids in the soybeans..he just got finished fertilizing the wild rice paddies....At first the noise was really annoying, but it's just a neighbor making a living and now we have gotten use to the noise....

I hate when he flies over our place, he has made a slight mess with some 24D over a corner of our soybeans last year as well we got some drift when he defoliated the neighbors sunflowers...so we are not big fans of aerial spay.

Jim is spray aphids with his crop sprayer now...he can barely get through them...he is knocking some plants over....He is kind of feeling sick about doing it as there are some beneficial insects out there too....So it goes!

 

[OilnH2O]

Swill, that bi-plane has a radial, piston engine on it (probably a 9 cyl) that costs about $30K to rebuild or put on new. The other has a turbine ("prop-jet") that costs a quarter-mil -- $250K to put on. Think about that when you wonder about how much those sprayers get to spray -- and why they work from dawn to dusk to make the payments!

 

[swillologist]

I'm not sure what they are spraying for. I presume it's for aphids because they are spraying bean fields.


The airport is about 2 miles away. They have been flying for about two weeks now. I don't know what they charge. But they should be making some money.

 

[swillologist]

I left some grapes on my young vines this spring. The Cayuga I didn't leave very many but on the Steuben I left more then I had thought.

How many pounds do you think I would need to make a gallon of wine. I was thinking in the 10 to 12 # range. Does that sound about right. I'm not sure there are that many on the vines though.

 

[NorthernWinos]

I know what you mean about weeds...figure I will have the flowers weeded by freeze up...they look so pathetic from lack of rain and neglect...They look nice from far- far from nice.

As for the weeds in the veggies...this time of the year when we start to harvest food we just ignore the weeds and take the bounty....soon will get cultivated anyway.

Those grape clusters you have look real pretty...Nice color.

I have no idea as to grapes per gallon....my grapes are pretty strong so most of them need to be watered down to cut the acid and flavor....With your real wine grapes just harvest and see what you get.

Happy harvests and enjoy th season.

 

[swillologist]

I don't believe Steuben are exactly a wine grape. They do taste a lot different then Concords. I think it is kind of anin between grape.


It's just about time to move around to the other side of the house. The garden is pretty well along for this year. It won't be long before some of the apples are ready. One tree is already finished. The grandsons really like the applesause him and grandpa made the other day. The problem is that he has ate it all. Now we have to wait for more apples to ripen.

 

[grapeman]

Things look great there! It will take about 12-15 pounds of Steuben per gallon, less if you have a press. They do get fairly deep in color when ripe. They make some very nice Steuben wine in the Finger Lakes. It has a great flavor- don't put them down, they will surprise many folks. I notices I had a cluster of them I missed this year also, but not that many. The St. Croix I though I had left a few clusters on, some have 20-30 clusters! The 2 year old vines fill their 7 foot space on the trellis.

 

[swillologist]

Thanks appleman! I'm not sure there will be that many. The vines did well this year. I have about 10 foot between these.

The Steuben have filled in better then the Cayuga. It is going to take some serious pruning next spring to reign in the Steuben.

 

[grapeman]

Excellent! Be sure to watch the Powdery and Downey Mildew on the Steuben. They are pretty susceptible to those.

 

[Wade E]

Your property looks beautiful also Swill!

 

[Waldo]

Who is that out there in the very back of your field swill? Just to the left of the last post in the picture. Looks like he has a rifle or shotgun. Deer hunting?

 

[NorthernWinos]

Waldo...You got some good eyes....I don't see anyone out there....?

 

[swillologist]

Pssss Waldo! Over here by the first post. Buddythere's nobody there. I think you need another glass of wine.
I think I see what you are talking about. Itis a bush down in the draw. That draw is full of high bush cranberries. If anyone is rolling down I-80 and need some high bush cranberries. I know where they can get some.Edited by: swillologist

 

[NorthernWinos]

So...Swill.....What ever happened to the Highbush Cranberry Wine????

We didn't get any berries this year.