# THE CATS MEOW VINEYARD



## Waldo (Jun 25, 2006)

Hopefully by next fall, *"The Cats Meow WInery"* will be making wines from the fruits of its own vineyard. The muscadines I planted this spring are doing great. I thought is was rather fitting that one of my feline buddies, "Stink" showed up for the photo shot of the vineyard.















The first fruit from the Blackberries I planted from cuttings this spring. This is a thornless variety called "Apache" that was developed by the University of Arkansas. The Muscadine are also a variety called Black Beauty that was developed by the University.





*Edited by: Waldo *


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## grapeman (Jun 25, 2006)

Looking good Waldo.



Blackberries the first year - nice bonus- just a taste of what's to come. Yummm. 


I must ask- what is the blue line in the vines? SOmething special or is it heavy fish line? One thing for sure, people can see it so they don't run into it.






Go Cat's Meow Winery!


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## pkcook (Jun 25, 2006)

Waldo,


If the blackberry vines continue to produce after they get say 5 foot tall, you should have all the berries you can handle



. I must say I have never seen a plant so small produce fruit. BRAVO



.


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## paubin (Jun 25, 2006)

Looking really nice Waldo!









I'm with pk in saying I find it amazing that a berry bush that small is producing already!!! WOW


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## Waldo (Jun 25, 2006)

Guess I got me one of them green thumbs. Heck, after the last couple of days, my whole damned hand is green



The blue line in the vines appleman is a coated clothes line wire. I used it temporarily as support for the vines until they got established and one trunk proved itself dominant over the other. I have now added additional post for the vines, trimmed off the non dominant trunk and will now move the blue wire to the top of the poles and hopefully by this fall I will have the trunk at the top of the poles and arms running out on the wire. Will try and get some more photos maybe this evening and post them. 


I went and picked more blackberies off the parents of my vines and I hope mine will turn out as well as these.


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## grapeman (Jul 5, 2006)

Waldo, where are those pictures you were going to post a couple weeks ago. LOL You've been having so much fun starting all those summer wines. They all look really good.


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## Waldo (Jul 5, 2006)

Ooppsssssss



Forgot. Will try and get some tomorrow evening...Nope..Tomorrow is my Birthday and the Love of my Life is taking me out to dinner so will get some soon and get them posted


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## grapeman (Jul 5, 2006)

Well Happy Birthday Waldo









. What are you gonna buy with your Birthday discount?



We went out for our Anniversary July 1. First time out this year. I was horrible and had a 16 oz Prime Rib smothered in mushrooms and onions. That's what we had on our honeymoon 28 years ago- seems like last week(just a little more than yesterday). Later that evening we shared a nice Merlot I made.


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## paubin (Jul 5, 2006)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY WALDO !!!
Pete


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## Waldo (Jul 6, 2006)

Thanks Pau errrrrrr Pete !!


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## pkcook (Jul 6, 2006)

Happy Birthday My Friend! Hope it was all you expected.


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## NorthernWinos (Jul 6, 2006)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Waldo......and many happy returns </font>



*Edited by: Northern Winos *


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## MedPretzel (Jul 6, 2006)

Ya say it's ya Berrrrrthdaaay...


(Dummdummdidummdumm)





It's my birthday too!!!! (Tomorrow!)









Happy 16th, my friend!





M.


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## paubin (Jul 6, 2006)

Ah, so Martina is a Beatles fan, or so I guess from her musical choice.


Pete


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## NorthernWinos (Jul 6, 2006)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ...MARTINA....and many more






Gee...lots of July birthdays...I have to wait till the end of the month...



*Edited by: Northern Winos *


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## pkcook (Jul 6, 2006)

Dittos to Martina


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## MedPretzel (Jul 6, 2006)

Thanks everyone.









Let's just say.... If John Lennon were still alive, and he were to ask me to run away with him, I would. I'd settle for Paul too.


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## pkcook (Jul 6, 2006)

Just as long a Yoko did not accompany



!


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## Waldo (Jul 6, 2006)

Thanks All and Happy Birthday to my Buddy Martina.......


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## Angell Wine (Jul 6, 2006)

Happy birthday to the both of you. Long live prosperity and happy Life's*Edited by: Angell Wine *


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## rgecaprock (Jul 7, 2006)

*A very Happy Birthday to Waldo and Martina!!!*


*Best Wishes and may your carboys always be full!!*


* Ramona*


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## Waldo (Jul 7, 2006)

Lets see now.....If my carboys are "ALWAYS" full that means I aint a getting to do no drinking....Not sure about this Ramona







Updated photo of "The Cats Meow Vineyard". The Muscadine &amp; Blackberriescontinue to do well. Have the Muscadinesstaked now and just waiting and watching them grow. Did put some mulch around them to help hold in the moisture.





*Edited by: Waldo *


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## grapeman (Jul 7, 2006)

Is your soil a little dry there Waldo? Masta and a lot of us would gladly share some with you about now. Actually we have been three days with no downpours now- a record for the year!



Rather ingenious of you to plant the vines in the low area draining to the culvert if the soil leans towards dry. That good ole Arkansas ingenuity.


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## Waldo (Jul 7, 2006)

We could sure use some of it appleman. Has been over a week now since our last rain and things are getting pretty dry


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## rgecaprock (Jul 8, 2006)

Waldo,


I am so amazed at you!!! It hasn't even been a year since you have been making wine...has it? You have come such a long way!! Keep us updated on your vines. Looks great!!


Ramona


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## NorthernWinos (Jul 8, 2006)

Waldo said:


> We could sure use some of it appleman. Has been over a week now since our last rain and things are getting pretty dry


Pretty dry?????? Been a week since rain???? We have had about 4.25 inches since snow melt in April....evreything is toasting...Our crops are wilted, the lawn is like straw....only things that look good are where the hose is dragged to...the raspberries are getting smaller with each picking....very depressing up here in Northwest Minnesota.


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## Pepere (Jul 8, 2006)

Ramona: you're lucky you got out of here when you did. We're still getting T-storms almost daily. My flight from Tampa on Wed. was delayed two hours because of storms here in this area and it appears we're going to have more today. I just finished cutting the grass and wasn't completly dry but, I had no choice waiting longer and I would have needed a bailer not a mower.






Waldo: your vineyard and berries are looking fabulous. I'm jealous, here at this house I have Maryland clay and at the cabin I've WVa rocks and too many critters. I guess I'll just keep making kits and an occassional lilac wine. I fear any fruit wines will be made from canned or frozen products.


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## grapeman (Sep 11, 2006)

Waldo,
Some new pics of the Cats Meow Vineyard please. It would be interesting to see how vines grow in a warmer environment. Are they showing any fall changes yet, or does that wait until January there?


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## Waldo (Sep 11, 2006)

No fall changes yet appleman. We are getting a good, much needed rain right now. The Muscadines have grown about another 2-3 ft taller snce last photo. I am hoping they will make to wire height before winter. Will get some more pictures soon.


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## grapeman (Sep 11, 2006)

It must be nice to have such a long growing season, but I'm not sure I could deal with the 100 degree days. I need to spend the whole day inside when we get the occasional 100 deg day every 10 years. Of course I won't need to worry about that soon - we get plenty of natures air conditioning up here.


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## bilbo-in-maine (Sep 14, 2006)

Waldo - I think I heard that muscadines are almost completely disease resistant, that true? Tell us what training system you use. The ones I saw in SC looked like they were on the top wire and hanging down.


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## grapeman (Feb 18, 2008)

Waldo, I was just wondering if your vines have started waking up there yet? We don't have a nice long growing season like you do, so we always look forward to hearing of early growth in the spring. It is still winter up here so we need some encouragement that the cold weather will eventually come to an end. I hope your vines grew well last year so that you can get a good crop this year.*Edited by: appleman *


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## Waldo (Feb 23, 2008)

They are still in hibernation right now appleman and I too am hoping for a good crop this year. We have that mid 50's to low 60's today and back to mid 30's the next day thing going right now so Spring is just aroud the corner for here


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## Waldo (Feb 23, 2008)

appleman said:


> Waldo, I was just wondering if your vines have started waking up there yet? We don't have a nice long growing season like you do, so we always look forward to hearing of early growth in the spring. It is still winter up here so we need some encouragement that the cold weather will eventually come to an end. I hope your vines grew well last year so that you can get a good crop this year.




Most are disease resistant Bilbo. I use the single wire system, probably the same as what you saw. It provides more air circulation and light penetration that the Juscadines realy need.


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## peterCooper (Feb 23, 2008)

Any Advice on how to train the Black Spanish grape? They are supposed to be Pierce's disease resistant and I have a couple of vines on their way. I thought a curtain pruning scheme would work with them.


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## Waldo (Jul 24, 2008)

Appleman....The Cats Meow wineyard will require some adjustments this fall. The area I planted my Muscadines in has proven to be a poor choice and the vines have suffered for my decision. It just stays too wet in the early spring. I am getting a few Muscadines this year but nothing near like I should be getting so I plan on trying to move them after they go dormant this fall. The elderberries are doing really good as are the blackberries.


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## grapeman (Jul 24, 2008)

It's good to see those things doing well. Did you get a small crop of blackberries this summer? The elderberries look like you will get a fair amount from them.


So you think the Muscadines are getting soggy feet in the spring? Have you had normal rain these last couple years or has it been wetter than normal. It seems like I recall this spring you guys had major rains and flooding there. Here is a thought for you- since these are a few years old now and are staritng to bear some and won't transplant well- why not plant some new ones in your drier spot and leave those there. You will have the same amount of work to do regardless- actually more if you move them. That way if weather goes back to normal the old ones will do better and you will have the new ones as insurance if it doesn't. If you move them, they will take a few more years to re-establish. Make sense?


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## OilnH2O (Jul 24, 2008)

Sense? SENSE? 

You mean we're supposed to be doing all this... to make sense???


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## NorthernWinos (Jul 24, 2008)

Waldo...your Wine Fruits are looking great...

Love the look of your Elderberries.

In your neighbors year is that flowering bush a Buddleia??? Looks like a Lilac but blooms late, very fragrant....Also called Butterfly Bush?????


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## Waldo (Jul 24, 2008)

What you say makes sense appleman. I may do just exactly that. I had not really checked to see if I could move 3 year old plants.
I got almost 1-1/2 gallons of blackberries from the 3 plants I have planted. I only took a picture of one of them. I hope to really do good with them next year. What I did get this year, er uhhh, I made a couple of cpbblers with them...I weakened !!


NW those bushes are in my yard and yes they are butterfly. I sure hope to be making my firt batches of elderberry wine here soon.


Oil....I agree with you, it's senseless to try and make sense out of what i do


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## grapeman (Jul 24, 2008)

Does that variety of blackberry spread out at all? If it does, you could get a pretty good patch going.


You could move 3 year old vines, but it sets them back tremendously to the point where young vines usually do better sooner than they do.


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## Waldo (Jul 25, 2008)

They do not spread out on their own appleman but I am taking some cuttings and trying to root them


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## Wayne1 (Jul 25, 2008)

Waldo (or any other knowledgable person) - Your berries are looking good - I'm wondering about how many blackberry plants I would need to plant to produce enough berries to make 5 gallons of wine? (not counting those for the cobblers!)
Thanks,
Wayne


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## Waldo (Jul 25, 2008)

Depending on the variety you choose Wayne, I would recommend a minimum of 6. I have the thornless hybrid and believe they are going to be great producers


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## grapeman (Jul 25, 2008)

I suggest you get 10 Wayne. The six Waldo says for the batch of wine and then another 4 for good measure so you are sure to have a cobbler or two also. Ask nice and Waldo might even give you his super secret cobbler recipe!


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## Wayne1 (Jul 28, 2008)

Thanks Waldo and Appleman - I see they ship to my area inthe fall, so maybe I'll put some plants in then and believe I'll include the cobbler plants as well!
Wayne


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## Waldo (Apr 19, 2009)

Has been a while since I posted anything here. So here goes .......
Started raining here yesterday evening and has been pretty continuous since. Got a brief respite just a bit ago and used the opportunity to get a few quick pictures. Here are pictures of 5 of the grape cuttings rrawhide sent me that I rooted in my greenhouse and just got them put out last Monday. 

































　


They are looking good and hope they do well in spite of what my County Extension Agent says


Here are some more that I am going to keep in pots for a while longer and see how they do.








Next are pictures of the three Chokecherry bushes I received from Dragonmaster42, aka Tony and Anthony.




















They are beginning to leaf out too and hope they will do well


My Blackberries are beginning to bloom








My Elderberries are flourishing














Not sure if i need to just let these go or thin them out. maybe crackedcork will jump in with some tips or advice


Blueberries are beginning to produce too.














I lost 4 of my 6 plants last fall and not sure why. They were healthy looking, even put on a few berries and then they just died. Leaves turned brown way before 1st frost and shed then the trunks turned kinda black looking.


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## K&GB (Apr 19, 2009)

Looking good Waldo. Thanks for the pictures. Good luck with your grape vines and berries.


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## Waldo (Apr 19, 2009)

Thanks K&amp;GB, i'm gonna need a bunch of it.Oh by the way. The grapevines rrawhide sent me were Merlot and Syrah


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## NorthernWinos (Apr 19, 2009)

Good Going....




Nice to see everything growing...looks so fresh after the rain.

Good luck with all your fruit bushes, trees and vines. Hope your Chokecherries make it.

Is your soil acidy??? Blueberries like lots of acid in the soil....that may have been the problem with the plants....

Keep us posted...


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## admiral (Apr 19, 2009)

Waldo, thanks for the pictures. Everything looks so fresh and full of life (except maybe the chokeberrys



). I live in a forest with over the top shade otherwise, these pictures would inspire me to give growing something (besides shade trees) a try.


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## NEBama (Apr 19, 2009)

Looking good Waldo.AL


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## grapeman (Apr 19, 2009)

Things are looking good for you Waldo. You are certainly ahead of us up here in the north. We envy all you guys from the south.


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## Waldo (Mar 28, 2010)

Waldo said:


> Has been a while since I posted anything here. So here goes .......
> Started raining here yesterday evening and has been pretty continuous since. Got a brief respite just a bit ago and used the opportunity to get a few quick pictures. Here are pictures of 5 of the grape cuttings rrawhide sent me that I rooted in my greenhouse and just got them put out last Monday.
> 
> 
> ...







Well, the grapes did not make it.



With everything else blooming and budding out they remain just brown, drysticks with no green to any part of them. As have my Muscadines, the chokecherrys dragonmaster gave me and a lot of my blackberries, they sucummed to the wetness of the area I planted them in which is the only area I have that is not just red clay gravel beneath the 1/2" or so of top oil on top.


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## grapeman (Mar 28, 2010)

It seems like it is just constant bad weather down there for you Waldo. Maybe everything will wake up soon for you, lagging just a bit behind other things. I hope they didn't all perish, they looked so good in the pictures.


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## AlFulchino (Mar 28, 2010)

sorry to hear that Waldo...we have been having a lot of rain that keeps coming...2-4 inches coming....2 plus a few days ago and a few before that 5 inches.....gonna go build the arc


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## Waldo (Mar 29, 2010)

I haven't pulled them up yet but they shore look pitiful Ill try and get some pictures this evening


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## dragonmaster42 (Mar 29, 2010)

Don't start pulling yet, the ground is still pretty cold. Things are slow down the road from you, too. The 5 chokecherries have leafed out, 3 of the currants have leafed out but 5 are just barely breaking buds. Grapes from rrawhide haven't broken buds yet, but some look like they're just starting to swell a little. The european elderberries I put out are leafed out, but the domestic ones have just a bit of green on the ends of the buds.


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## OilnH2O (Mar 30, 2010)

Waldo, thanks for the update! I think those "starts" are starting pretty well! We've all been there -- every now and then I go back to the first posts of my vineyard thread to see that I grew 'sticks' for a whole summer!





Dave


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## rem1 (Mar 30, 2010)

Waldo i think you had a foot of snow about two weeks ago. at least my daughter down the road from you did in Fayetteville. Those grapes may be playing it safe &amp; staying dorment a little longer than usual.


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## Waldo (Mar 30, 2010)

Thanks all, I am keeping my hopes up and will let Mother nature take her course.
Dragonmaster if you need more Elderberries I have a zillion new ones coming up that need to be thinned out


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## dragonmaster42 (Apr 9, 2010)

Any signs of life yet Waldo? Half of my grapes from rrawhide are budded up (merlot) and the other half leafed out (syrah) and are about 1-2" long. Hop vines went from nothing to about 1 foot with the warm spell we've had. Need to get the strings up for those, too.


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## Waldo (Apr 9, 2010)

My "sticks" have come to life......They are all budding out and leafing out now. Will get some pictures tomorrow


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## Waldo (Apr 10, 2010)

And here they are


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## vcasey (Apr 10, 2010)

Wow Waldo that's great news. Here is hoping for lots of growth and a nice crop.


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## grapeman (Apr 10, 2010)

They are ALIVE! Great news. They survived the wet feet! Here wishing you good luck with them.


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## ibglowin (Apr 10, 2010)

Bwhahahahahahahahaha...............

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xos2MnVxe-c&feature=related"]It's Alive![/ame]


Nice to see Spring somewhere!


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## AlFulchino (Apr 10, 2010)

fantastic...we are 35-40 days from that up here


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## OilnH2O (Apr 11, 2010)

Waldo said:


> My "sticks" have come to life......They are all budding out and leafing out now. Will get some pictures tomorrow



Glad to see that, Waldo! A better "ending" then mine!


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## dragonmaster42 (Apr 11, 2010)




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## Waldo (May 1, 2010)

I know my few little ole grape vines in no sense constitute a vineyard but I am as proud of them as if I had 1000 acres of em so you real vineyard owners just humor me. They continue flourishing and I can hardly wait unil I see the first grapes on them. Any advice on how to care for them now will be appreciated
























My Blackberrie are in full bloom too and getting some Blueberries as well


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## grapeman (May 1, 2010)

At this point Waldo, they are looking great. Either you are trying to train them up, or they want to do it themselves. I see in that second picture the shoot is trying to go along the top of the fence and has even split to form another cordon on the other side. Keep an eye out for disease and they will be producing before you know it.


The black and blue berries are doing great.


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## vcasey (May 1, 2010)

Waldo those look great!
We are already picking blueberries and have discovered the dog is fond of them as well ........... The blackberries are close as well but mine are young so I don't expect to get much this year.


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## AlFulchino (May 1, 2010)

Hey Waldo...you may laugh at this but when i attach 'vineyard' to 'fulchino' i laugh a little...

your wines are disease and insect free.....

you asked for advice....no debris underneath to keep up good airflow and disease and insect pressure is a must

sun and air flow

dont ever tie a tie strap on tight it affects the desire of the cane to keep growing

let your cane or cordon run its course to get it as thick as possible for next years fruit...cutting it prematurely and allowing side shoots to grow, slows down teh cane/cordon

thats enough for now 

now go sip some of that great wine you sent me


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## Wade E (May 1, 2010)

Looking good there buddy, especially the blackberries!


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## Bert (May 1, 2010)

Waldo did the choke cherries make it as well????


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## gaudet (May 1, 2010)

Waldo is getting hammered with some severe weather today. I hope he and his family weather this storm. 

Let us know that you all are well good friend..................


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## Wade E (May 1, 2010)

Havent seen the weather for them, hang in there good buddy!


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## Waldo (May 2, 2010)

All is well here. The storms pretty much missed us and thankfully so. The tornados were just popping up everywhere. Some were not so fortunate.


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## Waldo (May 2, 2010)

Al Fulchino said:


> Hey Waldo...you may laugh at this but when i attach 'vineyard' to 'fulchino' i laugh a little...
> 
> your wines are disease and insect free.....
> 
> ...




Thanks Al..appreciate the tips


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## Wade E (May 2, 2010)

So ho about those Choke cherry trees?


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## Waldo (May 2, 2010)

They Did not make it wade


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## Wade E (May 2, 2010)

A moment of silence please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## OilnH2O (May 4, 2010)

As you would tell us, Waldo: "Lookin' good, Bud!"





(sorry to hear about the choke-cherries -- it's great jam and syrup on 'cakes!)


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