Valley Brew Vineyard!

[masta]

After Bill posted he had buds on some vines I went out to check on mine and the Cab Franc is showing lots of buds forming and if the weather doesn't change could we get bud break in January and if so what happens if it decides to get cold in February?


Not much we can do I guess but wait and see what happens!


Tried to get a picture but tough to focus up so close even with a white background behind the vine.

Edited by: masta

 

[Wade E]

Man this weather is screwy!

 

[Angell Wine]

Have you pruned them back any ?
It's still early in the season for you but might think about it.Edited by: Angell Wine

 

[NorthernWinos]

There is a danger of those grape buds freezing if you get a cold spell...it won't kill the vines [at least we hope not] but might affect your yields this year.

We have also been having an unusual winter up here on the Northern Plains....

When we usually have blizzards we have rain storms, some days the air smells sweet like spring....but with the short days and temps in the 40's and in the high 20's at night, I don't think anything is budding out yet.

Right now everything has been coved in ice....I actually broke put on some clip on studs for over my boots out on the flooded lake a couple days ago....those work like magic!!! The whole lake had flooded from rain and froze like a skating rink...we had to go out and block up our fish house so it wouldn't freeze down...

Today the North wind is really howling and some snow flurries are in the air...by Thursday we are to get some Arctic air, probably the first real cold for this winter....so hang onto your hats...it's headed South and East....Edited by: Northern Winos

 

[grapeman]

This year has really been a roller coaster of weather.I think the one saving grace is that the real warm weather doesn't stay too long, so I'm hoping things aren't coming out of dormancey yet. I've had some buds that look likeyours Masta, since last fall. If I cut them open , they are still green inside. Yesterday the low for the day broke the all time record high for the day at 43 deg. By afternoon it got to 63 before the 50mph winds cooled it back down. Another record high for today(5th this week), but at least that was only 46. The ground just unfroze from the rain deluges yesterday morning. Wednesday high will be 26, but by the weekend 50 again. There may be hope for Vinifera around here yet!

Isn't growing grapes FUN and INTERESTING?

 

[grapeman]

Any budbreak on the Cab Franc yet Masta? Hopefully they came through the winter unscathed. I was talking with a man last weekend that grows Cab Franc locally. He's had them in for a few years now and says they seem to weather the winters fine here, but the issue with them here is getting warm enough autumn weather to ripen them adequately. I see another variety coming soon........ gotta experiment now! He has several vinifera varieties growing at his location(about 10 miles north of me).


We are looking at the 60's and 70's the next few days and are down to 3-6 inches of snow, so that should be gone in another day or two.

 

[masta]

Still no bud break here on the Cab Franc or Traminette even with the warm temps of the past 4 days. I did set my anchors in concrete yesterday since they were not too secure after the winter. Wires are nice and tight now with plenty of adjustment left in the turnbuckles on each end.


I have plans to get the area around my vines cleaned up shortly to make it look better and easy to walk through....lots of small stumps that are sprouting new growth.

 

[NorthernWinos]

I have plans to get the area around my vines cleaned up shortly to make it look better and easy to walk through....lots of small stumps that are sprouting new growth.

Masta....when you cut your trees and stumps again....use a paint brush and apply RoundUp Concentrate on the freshly cut area....they will not sprout again.


We have killed some undesirable suckering trees by painting the stumps like that. Last year we had a logger come in and harvest the Poplar [Aspen] trees...where Jim got out and painted the stumps there is very little regrowth...areas where he didn't paint the stumps have thick regrowth...we call it 'dog-hair Poplar', it's that think. It is going to ugly out here....good deer habitat is about it.

 

[masta]

Thanks for the tip on the Roundup!

 

[jobe05]

How about some new pic's!

 

[NorthernWinos]

We have some buds up here in Northern Minnnesota....a good sign...hope they don't get frosted...still can happen up here.

 

[jobe05]

Those are looking good!


Whats the boot for.......... or is it just a left over from the last poacher.

 

[Wade E]

 

[grapeman]

She's getting ready to "Kick" the Habit. I bet it feels good to get some buds starting to open finally. You are still a few days ahead of me!

 

[NorthernWinos]

The old boots get put on fence posts....so...they say the cowboys soles [souls] go to Heaven

 

[bmorosco]

The old boots get put on fence posts....so...they say the cowboys soles [souls] go to Heaven

Thats Great!!!

 

[rgecaprock]

For a second, I though your husband was standing on his head checking out the vines.....lol


Ramona

 

[grapeman]

Masta how are the vines doing this spring? Is either one doing better than the other. I planted 25 each of the Cab Franc and Traminette this year. They have been in a little over a week and are starting to leaf out a little. I decided to push the envelope after seeing some Cab Franc about 10 miles away doing OK.

 

[masta]

I will take some pictures tonight of the vines and will need some advice on what to do with them now. Most have very little growth from top buds and new shoots closer to the bottom which seems odd to me since the overall height will not get higher at this rate!

 

[grapeman]

Having not seen them I can't say for sure, but as I envision it you have a situation similar to mine. You have two choices-


1: trim the top off where it isn't growing much. If thecane is less than a quarter inch, this might be best. Let the bottom growth grow a little and pick 2 fo the best shoots and snap the others off. The two will become the new trunk. Train them up the pole and they will get quite large and thick. This concentrates the reserves in the root and makes those two very vigorous and they will be bigger and mature sooner than last year.


2: If the upper buds look good without a lot of insect damage and the cane is larger than a quarter inch- bite the bullet and trim off(rub off) all the lower shoots- especially below the graft union. This will force the energy higher in the vine and make those end shoots pick up speed growing. This will get rid of most of the fruit clusters which is desireable this year.


Get a picture and I may be able to tell which way I would go.Edited by: appleman