# Southeast Kansas vineyard



## Ivywoods (Mar 27, 2021)

We recently purchased this place with a small vineyard. It's hard to tell from the picture but a number of the vines are dead and the live ones have wayward growth stretching 20-30 feet along the wire. I will be replace a number of them. What is left is most likely concord.
I've spent the last few months studying pruning, talking with a mentor, and deciding what varieties I want to plant. I want to add a white and a red wine grape as well as a multipurpose red such as reliance. I think I've finally decided. After studying trying different wines I've decided I want "Pink Pearl" for a red and "Traminette" for a white. I am enjoying a glass of traminette right now. It is wonderful! I'm not a professional when it comes to wine, but I have a pretty good idea of what I like and over the last few months have tried to expand my experience. I'm super excited to get started!


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## Ivywoods (Mar 27, 2021)

And yes, I know those trees at the back have to go. They are not a desirable variety, anyway, and the rest of the yard is well wooded with pecan and other trees.


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## wrongway (Mar 28, 2021)

Wow that is awesome. I planted 10 Reliance 2 years ago. Anxiously waiting for the payoff.


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## Ivywoods (Mar 28, 2021)

Do you mind if I what part of Kansas is your location? I'm in SE Kansas.


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## wrongway (Mar 28, 2021)

Hi, I'm an hour west of Wichita. Nice to meet another Kansan! Not sure where you are from Mulvane but Wyldewood Cellars Winery is a awesome tour when they do them.


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## Ivywoods (Mar 28, 2021)

I've been out that way many times. It's a little drier there than here. That's probably a good thing for a vineyard. My little vineyard is not on a slope and I'm wondering if the ground is too wet for a good part of the year. I guess you just never know about the weather around here!


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## hounddawg (Mar 28, 2021)

Ivywoods said:


> View attachment 72881
> 
> We recently purchased this place with a small vineyard. It's hard to tell from the picture but a number of the vines are dead and the live ones have wayward growth stretching 20-30 feet along the wire. I will be replace a number of them. What is left is most likely concord.
> I've spent the last few months studying pruning, talking with a mentor, and deciding what varieties I want to plant. I want to add a white and a red wine grape as well as a multipurpose red such as reliance. I think I've finally decided. After studying trying different wines I've decided I want "Pink Pearl" for a red and "Traminette" for a white. I am enjoying a glass of traminette right now. It is wonderful! I'm not a professional when it comes to wine, but I have a pretty good idea of what I like and over the last few months have tried to expand my experience. I'm super excited to get started!


you got a nice looking yard,
Dawg


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## Snafflebit (Mar 29, 2021)

Looks like a big ol' pecan tree in the back. I really enjoy Traminette when I can get a glass of it.


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## Ivywoods (Mar 29, 2021)

Snafflebit said:


> Looks like a big ol' pecan tree in the back. I really enjoy Traminette when I can get a glass of it.


There are a number of pecan trees in the yard, but they are not the ones hanging over the vineyard. One is a hedge tree (osage orange) and the other I'm not sure about but I'll figure that one out pretty soon when it greens up.


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## wrongway (Mar 29, 2021)

Ivywoods said:


> I've been out that way many times. It's a little drier there than here. That's probably a good thing for a vineyard. My little vineyard is not on a slope and I'm wondering if the ground is too wet for a good part of the year. I guess you just never know about the weather around here!



My grape vines are not on a slope either. I,m quite new at this but so far I still have all 10 of the Reliance that I planted. My soil is quit sandy. Sand Plum bushes everywhere!! Hope we dont get a late freeze. I hope to get sand plums again this year.


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## Ivywoods (Mar 30, 2021)

I have a batch of sandplum wine ready to bottle. I'm just aging it in the carboy for a little while yet. A local to the area said they think the vines (the ones that are left) in my neglected vineyard I purchased are concord. I am planning to plant some traminette and petite pearl. I was going to plant some reliance, but was struggling between reliance, Canadice and Fredonia. If this keeps up I'm going to have to expand this area. There is room for 21 vines now.


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## CTDrew (Mar 31, 2021)

Good luck with the replant, looks like a very nice place.


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## Ivywoods (Mar 31, 2021)

CTDrew said:


> Good luck with the replant, looks like a very nice place.



Thank you! The weather should be right for planting pretty soon.


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## wrongway (Apr 1, 2021)

Thats nice that your doing Sand Plum. I honestly didnt think I would like it in the beginning, How wrong I was! Yes Good Luck with your replanting.


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## treesaver (Apr 21, 2021)

Welcome aboard! I'm straight north of Wamego, about thirty mi from the Ne boarder. North end of the flint hills. Planted some about 18 years ago, when we moved up here from Manhattan. Now have almost two acres of grapes, five varieties. I'm starting to get old, but I still add something new in as I run across something I like!


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## Ivywoods (Apr 21, 2021)

treesaver said:


> Welcome aboard! I'm straight north of Wamego, about thirty mi from the Ne boarder. North end of the flint hills. Planted some about 18 years ago, when we moved up here from Manhattan. Now have almost two acres of grapes, five varieties. I'm starting to get old, but I still add something new in as I run across something I like!


HI Treesaver! Nice to see another Kansan on here! I'm curious what varieties you are growing and what ones you have had the best success with. I am thinking I want to replace some of the dead and damaged vines here with Petit Pearl and Traminette.


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## hounddawg (Apr 22, 2021)

Manhattan, whew you moved to a different planet, i live out on long island for 9 months back in the late 80's,,, 
Dawg


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## sour_grapes (Apr 22, 2021)

hounddawg said:


> Manhattan, whew you moved to a different planet, i live out on long island for 9 months back in the late 80's,,,
> Dawg



I am guessing @treesaver means Manhattan, Kansas.


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## Ivywoods (Apr 22, 2021)

I assume Manhattan, KS. Wamego is just NW of there. I know there are vineyards along the I-70 corridor. Wamego is only a few miles N of I-70.


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## treesaver (Apr 23, 2021)

Yes, Manhattan Ks! lol NY! Ivy, I been growing concord, cataba, frontenac, norton and the latest one is verona. A spraying incident a couple years ago, hurt my concords bad, and killed some of my older verona vines. The farmers around here seem to spray everything, and only care about their grass, so it's a battle to try to keep grapes going here. The last two years, now being the second, we had cold springs, with weather in the twentys, well after bud burst. Not sure yet how bad it is this year, but some of the buds are toast. Last year, it hurt production by way over half, so I hate the thought of another year like last. My poor concord vines were weakened by the spray, then were green when I pruned in early march. By the time the freezing weather was done, I lost at least six vines, and a bunch had one or both cordons dead. Another ten came, back from the ground, and I ended up not having enough to pick.Now in the process of tying up and retraining a bunch of vines that were at their peak before the spraying. Dang spray plane banked and turned right over my vinyard, saw him do it! They were spraying 24D mixed with toredon.


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## hounddawg (Apr 23, 2021)

treesaver said:


> Yes, Manhattan Ks! lol NY! Ivy, I been growing concord, cataba, frontenac, norton and the latest one is verona. A spraying incident a couple years ago, hurt my concords bad, and killed some of my older verona vines. The farmers around here seem to spray everything, and only care about their grass, so it's a battle to try to keep grapes going here. The last two years, now being the secondk , we had cold springs, with weather in the twentys, well after bud burst. Not sure yet how bad it is this year, but some of the buds are toast. Last year, it hurt production by way over half, so I hate the ught of another year like last. My poor concord vines were weakened by the spray, then were gereen when I pruned in early march. By the time the freezing weather was done, I lost at least six vines, and a bunch had one or both cordons dead. Another ten came, back from the ground, and I ended up not having enough to pick.Now in the process of tying up and retraining a bunch of vines that were at their peak before the spraying. Dang spray plane banked and turned right over my vinyard, saw him do it! They were spraying 24D mixed with toredon.


around my neck of the wood row crop farmers, the government bought hill land gave to the bottoms farmers used crop dusters and nailed mine and several neighbors gardens and some fruit trees, funny thing the very next year 2 crop dusters got shot down, and several of them hundred of thousands of dollars tractors burned to the ground, them farmers are polite now
one got my neighbors garden last year, the pilot told the farmer and that farmer came right up and gave carl a signed blank check, carl didn't figure no time or trouble he just went and replaced every plant he lost, ,, when they come up to deer hunt or cut hay which they call maturase, on lay out ground, of which tax payers bought for the, then they sell hay, more then one way to skin a cat,
Dawg


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## Ivywoods (Apr 23, 2021)

Treesaver I know what you mean about the spray planes. When we lived up in the NE corner of Kansas we were surrounded by corn fields. We had spray planes banking ring over us. I always tried to stay inside when they were spraying. The wind can carry that stuff a long ways.

Frontenac is one of the varieties I'd like to try. I may have to expand my vineyard to do it so it might be a while.


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## treesaver (Apr 26, 2021)

Ivy, where up state did you use to hail from? I'm about an hour and a half from KC. If you want some frontenac cutting to start next spring, just holler. Could have fixed you up this year, but just a bit to late, they been laying by the burn pile a little too lobg, and mixed up with everything else as well! You get up this way, look me up, always happy to have visitors of like mind!


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## Ivywoods (Apr 26, 2021)

Thank you so much Treesaver. I grew up just south of Salina, but lived at Hiawatha, KS for a few years before moving to SE KS. The house we are remodeling and moving to (where this vineyard is located) is just outside of Independence, KS.


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## treesaver (May 1, 2021)

Yep, I'm about an hour west and a we bit south of Hiawatha. I have quite a few friends that live in and around Independence. I used to pipeline for a living before I retired, and worked all over Ks, Mo, Ne and a little in Ia. Even a few jonts into Ok. Loved the job, but hated living out of a suitcase! Best of luck with your new place, and stay in touch!


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## Ivywoods (May 1, 2021)

Thanks treesaver. Will do!


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