bad and good

[Sage]

Gave my vines a good spraying for powdery mildew... 2 days later it poured rain.

Yesterday I put some miracle grow on the young vines and on some fruit trees... later in the day it poured rain (and still is). At least the fertilizer dissolved and only a spot on the ground where it was applied.

We've had serious, continuous and regular rain all spring. Most of the orchard and now grapes are looking like they need some N.

 

[grapeman]

Sounds like you are right on track. You sprayed for PM and then got rain, but prevented PM infection likely because you had sprayed. If more than inch and a half of rain spray again. You applied miracle grow and got rain so the miracle grow got worked in.

 

[CTDrew]

Grapeman is right on as always. You always are better off having sprayed ahead of heavy rain rather than waiting until after the storm, as the rain could be carrying the spores and then they attach to the vulnerable unsprayed leaf. If you have a fungicide rotation, I would spray again this week with a different product, then get back to your normal spray interval if the weather is normalizes.

 

[Sage]

Got a good forecast for the next 10 days (for what that's worth...). Sun and warm, so I sprayed again this morning. I've nearly lost my crop to DM the past 2 years and I'm determined not to lose it this year!!

 

[dwhill40]

Don't forget the environment is just as important as spraying. Keep the ground clean under the canopy, keep your row middles mowed, remove anything nearby that obstructs air flow, keep the vines off the ground and the fruiting zone as high as possible, strategically remove old large leaves growing low on the shoots, thin the shoots as appropriate to allow air and light into the fruiting zone. Keep the canopy open and breezy and the fungii won't have a happy home and you will see less infection. And definitely alternate your fungicides. Good luck!

 

[Sage]

Nice day today. Thinned shoots and removed any below the first wire. Looks like this, photo taken at 1pm today. Syrah is the only one just at bud break. I still need to tension the wires.

 

[Johny99]

Very nice sage!

 

[mgmarty]

Wish I had a slope for my vines. Looks very nice

 

[Sage]

Same photo, from the gate

 

[Sage]

Side note on the last photo. Visible on the upper left side of the photo is a mailbox... No mail isn't delivered here!!

My vineyard is a ways from my shop and I was always needing some thing, usually tying materials or a pruner. This is my on site tool box. Handy, rainproof and has all the stuff I would normally forget. Also has a hanger for tools like a shovel and hoe.

I also have one in my orchard.

 

[CTDrew]

Your vineyard is looking very nice!

That is a really good idea on the mailbox. I think I may borrow that idea from you...

 

[Sage]

One month from the last photo. Taken 6/24/17

upper level

lower level