# And it begins



## Sage (May 6, 2020)

Taken 5/1/2020, leaves just starting to open!


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## Obbnw (May 8, 2020)

The season is off to a good start here. Most of my vines are about 2 weeks ahead of yours but a few in the "cold" part of the yard finally broke yesterday. We have had a dry spring with lots of sun. My solar panel output is up 25% from last year for the month of April.

Hopefully we will do better than last year. With the late spring and early cold last year I never got the brix I would have liked. The wine I got is drinkable but that's about it.


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## Sage (May 8, 2020)

Sounds like you had exactly the same as I did last year. Never made it above 22 brix when the frost hit.


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## Obbnw (May 8, 2020)

I had 4 batches (two 3 gallon ferments, and two 6 gallon ferments, brix 19.5, 2 at 20.5 and 21.5). On an interesting side note I finally figured out what all the weeds were from. Guess where I dumped the lees. I would have thought the wine making process would kill the viability of the seeds. It wasn't until the 3rd patch of the sprouts came up when I realized the patches were where I dumped the lees.


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## Sage (May 15, 2020)

And, now the spraying starts!


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## Sage (May 20, 2020)

Well, that was probably a waste of time. Sprayed, 10 hours later the rain started. It's been raining off and on for a couple of days and continuous for the last 20 and forecast is another 6-8.

Looks like a respray Friday or Saturday if it quits.


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## Dennis Griffith (May 21, 2020)

That has been my problem as well. Rain daily with not a 24 hour period in which to get a good spray in to help with the coming fungi epidemic. We are very susceptible to downy and phomopsis here. When we have too much rain, dead arm runs rampart, especially affecting concord vines. I may lose vines due to drowning!


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## Skashoon (May 21, 2020)

I’m trying Immunox during this timeframe of constant rain. It claims to be rainproof so we will see how well it works. Once the rain lets up, I’ll spray with Captan or Mancozeb. I’m looking into suitability if Reliant on grapevines. It’s a systemic but I’m uncertain about whether the mfr has tried it on grapevines. It’s active ingredients are potassium salts of Phosphorus acid. Still waiting for their reply. Anyone have knowledge of this product? I’ve read some reports from experts about using phosphorus but they didn’t specifically mention Reliant.


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## Dennis Griffith (May 21, 2020)

Skashoon said:


> I’m trying Immunox during this timeframe of constant rain. It claims to be rainproof so we will see how well it works. Once the rain lets up, I’ll spray with Captan or Mancozeb. I’m looking into suitability if Reliant on grapevines. It’s a systemic but I’m uncertain about whether the mfr has tried it on grapevines. It’s active ingredients are potassium salts of Phosphorus acid. Still waiting for their reply. Anyone have knowledge of this product? I’ve read some reports from experts about using phosphorus but they didn’t specifically mention Reliant.



I like Immunox, but try to keep it and captan to later in season.


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## Sage (May 21, 2020)

Read one paper on vineyard chemicals and uses. Mancozeb was not effective for powdery mildew. I will no longer use it. I did last year and did have PM pretty bad.

I'm using lime sulphur early on. I'll switch to mixing up of a couple others as season progresses to vary treatment.


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## Skashoon (May 21, 2020)

Yes, I used it because of the forecast rains we’re experiencing. Needed something to get the vines through the rainy season, something that was more ‘rain-proof’. But I certainly agree with you. Vital to help prevent resistance development.


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## Skashoon (May 21, 2020)

Sage said:


> Read one paper on vineyard chemicals and uses. Mancozeb was not effective for powdery mildew. I will no longer use it. I did last year and did have PM pretty bad.
> 
> I'm using lime sulphur early on. I'll switch to mixing up of a couple others as season progresses to vary treatment.


May I ask where you get the liquid lime sulfur? I am searching for it in small quantities. Thanks in advance.


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## Sage (May 21, 2020)

groworganic.com for lime sulphur.
Best price I've found and they had it and shipped quickly.

It's in a 2.5 gallon jug, that gets 3 to 4 spray tanks for me depending on which sprayer I'm using.

Also use it on peach trees to control leaf curl. Works great for that. Requires fall, winter, spring application. Rain also got me there...


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## Skashoon (May 21, 2020)

Sage said:


> groworganic.com for lime sulphur.
> Best price I've found and they had it and shipped quickly.
> 
> It's in a 2.5 gallon jug, that gets 3 to 4 spray tanks for me depending on which sprayer I'm using.
> ...


Thanks much, just what I needed. 
Skash


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## Dennis Griffith (May 21, 2020)

Here's a working spread sheet I made and update as I gain more info (mostly from my observation plus some university research). This may help with comparison. The yellow fields indicate that these products absolutely work as listed. Plain (no color) fields with a number means I'm leaning that way, but don't have enough data points to confirm. If they just say yes, then that means the product label says it works and I don't have enough data at this time to make an educated guess.


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## Skashoon (May 21, 2020)

Dennis Griffith said:


> Here's a working spread sheet I made and update as I gain more info (mostly from my observation plus some university research). This may help with comparison. The yellow fields indicate that these products absolutely work as listed. Plain (no color) fields with a number means I'm leaning that way, but don't have enough data points to confirm. If they just say yes, then that means the product label says it works and I don't have enough data at this time to make an educated guess.
> 
> View attachment 61472


That’s great info, thanks! I also refer to the university research and while useful, it assumes I have their wallet to spend. Could you email this to me, please? I don’t know how to do email on this site yet but I can provide my email if you need it. 
Skash


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## Dennis Griffith (May 21, 2020)

PM me your email and I'm send the spreadsheet. Had to make a pic of it to post it here. If you notice the last line, I have grape root borer listed. They are starting to find this issue in parts of Kentucky, which isn't that far. I'm wondering (hoping) if they get this far north, if my milky spore treatment around the vines with interrupt their life cycle..


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## Dennis Griffith (May 22, 2020)

I might add that Ohio State recommends that mancozeb be the center of your spray foundation. Just be aware of the 66 day PHI.


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## Skashoon (May 22, 2020)

Dennis Griffith said:


> PM me your email and I'm send the spreadsheet. Had to make a pic of it to post it here. If you notice the last line, I have grape root borer listed. They are starting to find this issue in parts of Kentucky, which isn't that far. I'm wondering (hoping) if they get this far north, if my milky spore treatment around the vines with interrupt their life cycle..


I think I sent it to you, but I’m uncertain whether I did it correctly. Sent last night. I’m in Boone County, near the airport.


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## Dennis Griffith (May 22, 2020)

I got it and sent the spreadsheet via email. So you are in KY and know about the root borers. If not, here's a link:






Grape Root Borer | Entomology







entomology.ca.uky.edu


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## Skashoon (May 22, 2020)

Dennis Griffith said:


> I got it and sent the spreadsheet via email. So you are in KY and know about the root borers. If not, here's a link:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thank you! I wasn’t familiar with the root borers here, only been here for 1 1/2 years. Good to know. 
Skash


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## Dennis Griffith (May 22, 2020)

I've been watching it for a while. I think it's worked it's way into Ohio. I've 3 vines in a row that that appear dead and I have to perform an autopsy why. They are all together and the same age (almost 4) and the same variety. No sign of galling or other disease (and I was going to let them bear this year). Hope it's not related to the borers.


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## Obbnw (May 30, 2020)

Flowering started here, 3 weeks ahead of last year. 

My Tempranillos's are much more vigourous than my Malbecs this year. A switch from previous years. I think because last year powdery mildew on the Tempranillos ruined the fruit so I picked early. The plants must have stored the excess energy for this year. The Malbecs were loaded last year but ran out of warm weather and we had the coldest October since I have lived here. 2 more warm weeks would have been great which is why I so pleased that they are flowering now. The Malbecs with the most grapes last year were the slowest to start this year.

I added 6 Baco Noir and 5 Tannat vines. Just babies, one of the Baco's didn't make it. At least it looks like it didn't make it. I thought 2 of the Tannats may have died but they were just being slow. So far this year is looking good. Learned my lesson on the powdery mildew on the Tempranillos last year so I am spraying them this year.


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## Dennis Griffith (May 31, 2020)

Good deal. I have lost all of my Cab Franc vines this spring. I've got to figure this one out.


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## Sage (May 31, 2020)

Flowering is almost 2 weeks earlier here. Walked the vineyard this morning. Cabs looking good and they haven't for 2 years. Merlot look good as usual, most consistent in the vineyard. Carmenere looks good. Syrah just getting going, typically the last but usually first to harvest.

Spray today! Had a very hard rain last night with high winds. Supposed to be fairly cool and dryer this week.


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## Obbnw (Jun 1, 2020)

I don't have records from the first few years. Last year when I noticed the flowering I thought it seemed later than normal and vowed to keep better records. Luckily I took pictures of the first buds last year and could get the date from the pictures. The interesting thing is the first bud break this year was 4/18/20 almost the same day as last year, 4/19/19.


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## Sage (Jun 3, 2020)

Opening photo May 1.

June 1


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## montanarick (Jun 3, 2020)

looks good - your grapes are a lot farther along than mine


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## Dennis Griffith (Jun 4, 2020)

Mine were starting to look good. Had a several storm blow through last night and did a good deal of damage.


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## Sage (Jun 4, 2020)

Bummer on the damage. The remaining clusters will get more growth. I'm already removing new sprouts where I pruned.


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## Dennis Griffith (Jun 4, 2020)

Did you get heavy hail at your location?


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## Sage (Jun 4, 2020)

Light hail very briefly here. We got gusts up near 50 but the only damage was a branch on a huge red fir tree. None in the orchard or vineyard.


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## Skashoon (Jun 4, 2020)

Dennis Griffith said:


> Mine were starting to look good. Had a several storm blow through last night and did a good deal of damage.
> 
> View attachment 61986
> View attachment 61987


Natural cluster thinning I guess. The s


Dennis Griffith said:


> Mine were starting to look good. Had a several storm blow through last night and did a good deal of damage.
> 
> View attachment 61986
> View attachment 61987


I feel your pain Dennis. Doesn’t look too awfully bad but any loss is still frustrating. Natural cluster thinning I guess.


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## Sage (Jun 30, 2020)

Opening photo 5/1, second photo 6/1, a day early, but call it 7/1


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## Sage (Jul 30, 2020)

I've been posting once each month, taken today, call it 8/1


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## Obbnw (Jul 30, 2020)

Looks good - any hints of veraison? I've got a few bunches on one plant starting to get some color.


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## Dennis Griffith (Jul 30, 2020)

Lookin good, Sage. I am starting to see veraison here.


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## Sage (Jul 30, 2020)

No color at all. Probably a week or two out I'd say. Photos are Syrah and Carmenere. Merlot 2 to 3 weeks. Cabs maybe 3 or 4 weeks, they're always later.

I trimmed and sprayed today.


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## Sage (Aug 31, 2020)

Well, it's about 9/1 a only a bare hint of color on a couple berries. It is getting very dry too. And, starting to cool down. Making me nervous.....


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## mainshipfred (Aug 31, 2020)

Sage said:


> Well, it's about 9/1 a only a bare hint of color on a couple berries. It is getting very dry too. And, starting to cool down. Making me nervous.....
> 
> View attachment 65346
> View attachment 65347



I'm no grower but I always dry and cool was ideal at this stage.


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## Obbnw (Aug 31, 2020)

I'll probably pick my Tempranillo on Sunday. They are at about 22 brix now and gaining about 2 per week. My Malbecs are around 16 brix. 

The west is supposed to have a warm fall, https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/30day/off15_temp.gif 

You may be OK.


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## Dennis Griffith (Aug 31, 2020)

Too dry is not good, and too cool is not beneficial either. Do you not have irrigation? I start my harvest Wednesday.


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## Sage (Aug 31, 2020)

I watered 2 days ago. Been watering every 7-10 days. About 2-3 gallons per vine. I will be cutting that back when I see color. I have noticed much less vine growth since last trimming. I usually cut back on water in September.


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## Sage (Sep 6, 2020)

Finally!!! Some very limited amount of color showed.


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## Dennis Griffith (Sep 6, 2020)

I have finished harvest and the buckets are bubbling away. Jelly is in process.


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## Sage (Oct 1, 2020)

In keeping with my first of the month photos, here's 10/1/2020


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## Obbnw (Oct 1, 2020)

I've been waiting for the next update. They look good, and October is still looking warm. Hopefully they will ripen up.

I picked my last couple of vines the other day, the one vine could have gone for another week but it looked like the birds were starting to find them and I didn't want them to learn that they were a reliable food source. The last one was at 22 Brix, most of the others were about 24 when picked. I was surprised at how much the ripening slowed down in September.

We had a huge wind storm a few weeks back that "flash froze" some of my garden. Luckily most of the vines are pretty well protected from the wind but there were tons of branches down in the neighborhood and some trees were just pulled right out of the ground. The "flash freeze" was interesting. We got just a little rain before the winds hit and it looks like anything that was wet froze the leaves as the wind evaporated the water. Temps never got below freezing and my okra is still producing today. The last 2 vines picked are also the 2 most exposed to the wind. I can't decide if the slowdown in ripening was from the wind event and damage or just the shorter days and cooler nights.


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## Sage (Oct 2, 2020)

You're quite a bit ahead of me. I think my Syrah and Merlot vines are at least 3 weeks out. I will run my first Brix tests either today or tomorrow. Carmenere looking early this year. Usually more like Cabs.

The Cabs look at least 4 or more weeks out. Seem quite slow this year.


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## Dennis Griffith (Oct 2, 2020)

We was close to frost last night (34 degrees), and the weekend looks to be quite chilly. Hope you have no frost, but there's always the possibility of ice wine if we do.


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## Sage (Oct 2, 2020)

Well, I was way off!!

This is most unusual, but all varieties had a Brix range of 14-18 with most tests being 16-17.

I've never had all 4 varieties ready to harvest at the same time. It will be interesting to see how they mature. Seeds were showing hints of browning.

All had a green taste, even the odd ball high one that hit 20.


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## Dennis Griffith (Oct 2, 2020)

The brix on mine was low this year, which I attribute to low rain fall. This was a moderately dry year, according to the weather person I listened to just today.


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## Sage (Oct 3, 2020)

I'm still trying to figure out the Cabs being early. Best answer I've come up with is they have a light crop and small clusters. More energy into less grapes.


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## Obbnw (Oct 4, 2020)

Dennis Griffith said:


> We was close to frost last night (34 degrees), and the weekend looks to be quite chilly. Hope you have no frost, but there's always the possibility of ice wine if we do.


Record warm temperatures here this week, low 80's in the day, low 50's overnight.

Often, when it's cold in the midwest and east, it's hot in the west.


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## Sage (Oct 10, 2020)

7 days, on average, picked up between 2 and 3 points on the Brix scale. Temps have been in the low 80's to upper 70's. But, colder this week....60's-70's. Currently, rain and 54 degrees.


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## Sage (Oct 10, 2020)

Never got over 55 today, now in the 40's. Staying cool for at least 4 more days. 40' - 50's now forecast and some rain.


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## Obbnw (Oct 21, 2020)

And it ends?

Looks like some cold weather settling in throughout the interior west. I'm hoping for some good fall color on the vines this year. 

Looks like like the garden will freeze this weekend. I still have Okra producing. Some years I try to protect the garden for the first freeze but this year I think I'm done. First freeze threat is much later than normal, days are getting short, the tomatoes are losing flavor and I am tired of Okra.


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## Sage (Oct 21, 2020)

That was going to be my next post. 

Starting to pick today. Will finish tommorow just before the predicted 10 degree night temp. Cabs and Merlot have made mid 20s Brix. Syrah and Carmenere are low 20s Brix. I was hoping for another week.......

Finished picking apples yesterday. Garden is done. Might try to pick some of the remaining apples for cider.


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## Obbnw (Oct 21, 2020)

Nice to see how well your grapes turned out. 

10 degrees! You must be farther north or higher than I thought. For whatever reason I pictured your spot somewhere in a triangle between Boise - Lewiston -Pendelton. Not that I need to know....

Last year our grapes where almost the same. I was surprised that they were so different this year.

Not too many of us trying to grow vinifera in the higher parts of the intermountain west.


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## Sage (Oct 21, 2020)

I'm 9 miles S of Dayton, between Walla Walla (30 miles) and Lewiston (65 miles). Tricities are also 65 miles. I'm in the Blue Mnts at 2600 ft elevation.


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## Obbnw (Oct 22, 2020)

This system is colder than I realized and is tracking a little north of us. Our forecast for the next wave dropped to 20 for Sunday night. 

You must have been on the cold side of every cold front this year. You are finishing 4 weeks later than we did even though our bud break and flowering were very close.

We did have an exceptionally warm August and July was perfect weather.

_"A last-day cooldown couldn't stop 2020 from becoming the warmest August on record in Salt Lake City. August 2020's average temperature was 83.1 degrees — about 0.4 degrees ahead of the previous record set in 2013, according to National Weather Service's preliminary climate data and climate books. "_


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## Sage (Oct 23, 2020)

And it has officially ended 10/22/2020.

All picked, crushed and in fermenters. Tops of all vines are frost bit. They will be hit again tonight and then the big low teens temps Saturday night.


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## Sage (Oct 24, 2020)

And this morning 33 and snowing.


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## Sage (Dec 20, 2020)

This is the end of year shot December 15. Looks almost exactly like my first photo!!

Pruned, trimmings cleaned up, last load out of the gate.


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## Obbnw (Jun 27, 2021)

Sage said:


> This is the end of year shot December 15. Looks almost exactly like my first photo!!
> 
> Pruned, trimmings cleaned up, last load out of the gate.
> 
> ...


I'm curious as to how your grapes do in the heatwave.

We are just south of the main high pressure dome so temps here (high 90's) aren't too bad.

Good luck.


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## Sage (Jun 27, 2021)

Photo taken Tuesday. Looking good and needing a trim. Trim tommorow morning, early before it gets too hot.


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## Sage (Jun 28, 2021)

6\28 I did trim today and watered. Some vines are blooming. It was just over 100 when I finished!

Photos before, after and trimming weapon of choice sitting on the vineyard table.


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## Sage (Jun 29, 2021)

I don't know what others use to trim, but that battery powered hedge trimmer does a fantastic job. I trimmed the vineyard, sides and topped in about 40 minutes (140 vines). Used one large battery and about 15 minutes of the second. Changed batteries before the first died so that I wouldn't get caught at the far end with a dead battery. The first one might have done the whole job.


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## Dennis Griffith (Jun 29, 2021)

How do you sanitize those? Dip them in a bucket of bleach water? Don't forget to dry and oil when done.


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## Sage (Jun 29, 2021)

I do not sanitize them. Can't see much point in it. Only used here in the vineyard. 

Each time I'm done they are cleaned, oiled, and the hard plastic cover put back over the blades.

I watched a small tractor going down each row of a commercial vineyard. It had a big spinning blade on one side trimming vines. Results were similar to what I'm doing. (Don't think he sanitized either).


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## Dennis Griffith (Jun 29, 2021)

It all depends on if you have any vines with any diseases. Especially galling, which can infect other vines via cutting tools.


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## Obbnw (Jun 30, 2021)

Dennis Griffith said:


> It all depends on if you have any vines with any diseases. Especially galling, which can infect other vines via cutting tools.



I saw your comment on cleaning and thought I should probably pay more attention to cleaning my clippers. I once spread fire blight between trees I trimmed because I didn't know it was fire blight so I understand the danger.

I trim almost daily, spend a half hour to hour each day after work pulling leaves, trimming a stray. I move pretty slow so it takes a few weeks to go through all the vines. Do you think leaving my clippers in the baking Utah sun sanitizes them ; ).

It is the disease you don't know about that is the worry.

Hopefully Sage's vines will get through the heat unscathed. I did get some shatter from our heat wave a few weeks back, but not enough to worry about. Plus I probably have too many clusters anyway (contributing to the shatter).


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## Dennis Griffith (Jun 30, 2021)

Do any of you have issues with herbicide damage? If so, do you leave the affected parts alone? I tend to truncate any off-shoot showing any sign of mutation.


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## Sage (Jun 30, 2021)

I always carry nippers. If I see anything that doesn't look normal, it's cut off and removed from the vineyard.


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## Dennis Griffith (Jun 30, 2021)

How about herbicide damage?


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## Dennis Griffith (Jun 30, 2021)

Gee, my hand looks abnormal in that shot. It's a regular hand (so far).


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## Sage (Jul 1, 2021)

Since I'm the only one spraying within 1\2 mile, and I'd be way uphill from them, I rarely see any chemical problems. Can't always control my wife's weed spraying..

I remove ANYTHING that doesn't look normal and remove it from the vineyard to the burn pile. The only exception is powdery mildew. If I see see it, I head for the sprayer. After spraying I will remove and put in a bucket any leaves showing PM.


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