Champlain Valley - Grapemans' vineyard - Planting to small winery

[grapeman]

Today finally was clear after a week of cloudy and rainy weather. About 7 inches of rain in 3 days with the worst coming the first day with 3-4 inches. The next day only about a half inch here, much more around the area so I was lucky. Then yesterday another 2-3 inches right here. Right across the lake they got 10 inches in Barre Vt. The storms just sat there for hours. When the fron moved through, it really was huge and poured for a couple hours.


With no rain I got out in the vineyard and orchard and sprayed them for disease. Also with the storm, the Japanese Beetles moved in in huge numbers. I picked off one clup that had about 50 beetles in a mass the size of a golf ball. Beetle orgy going on there! I added sevin to the spray mix and hopefully they will be gone for a week. It is supposed to rain again for a few days again. So much for July being the driest month!


There is some disease in the vines, a little anthracnose and a little powdery mildew. I put on some oil at a low dose to disrupt the mildew. I will hit them again in a few days with Ridomil Copper for downey mildew eradication(if any) and powdery mildew supression.


Good luck to you all keeping the bugs and disease out of the vines so you can make your wines!

 

[grapeman]

I went out and trained vines in the vineyard today. I worked mostly with the Verticle Shoot Positioning-VSP. I had been leaving the vines fairly shaggy so they could build reserves and roots. I decided it was time to trim them down some and train the shoots upright. Here are a few pictures so you can see the progress of the vines. The first one is some of the ones I planted this year and took the grow tubes off after about a month on. The rest are random shots.

Some VSP vines- Leon Millot

Edited by: appleman

 

[grapeman]

I had one more picture of some LaCrosse grapes that the server wouldn't take with the bunch. There are more pictures before this one.

 

[NorthernWinos]

Those are all looking so nice and manicured. Mine are out of control...[does that mean they have good roots????]


You have some nice clusters hanging...will you have enough grapes for some wine this year???


I am getting nervous about doing any trimming at this time of the year as it would cause new growth which would result in tender shoots for winter....I do plan on cutting some leave off later on.
Do you think I could pull some shoots if I can find their base to tug them out???


I see some shadows....was it early in the day??? What direction do your grape rows run???Edited by: Northern Winos

 

[grapeman]

There should be a few grapes for a little wine this year, but I am not counting on any set amount. I am doing what is necessary to insure a good healthy vine- grapes come last at this point.


My personal preference is to do a controlled thinning of shoots. I do not cut ends of vines. That is what sends extra growth out. By thinning the shoots out, it lets some extra light in and that helps to size them up faster and make them harder. I'm not sure you can pull the shoots at this point unles they are newly formed. They are pretty tough at this point. I was using the pruning shears today on most of the stuff.

 

[Waldo]

Very nice looking plants appleman. Will you make wines from eachvarital of grapeor do a blend of them?

 

[grapeman]

I am impressed with the looks of the grapes on the Chardonel. I'm hoping they continue to grow here and mature properly. They make a very attractive bunch. To show you how thy help control vigor by leaving them on the vine here are a couple pictures. First a Chardonel with no bunches left on it since spring. The cordons are growing well and are at least several feet long each. Then another Chardonel with several nice bunches of grapes. Note how the plant has made much less growth, although it will be adequate for this year. And then a closer shot of the bunches-they make me drool already.

I can't forget the Buffalo that grew well last year and then the grape beetles chewed the buds up on this spring. They seem to have grown past the setback and have good growth for the year now.

And then a couple pictures of the Leon Millot before training yesterday showing how they had gotten quite bushy before I cut the extra shoots off.

Lawnmower accident..........

Edited by: appleman

 

[swillologist]

Nice looking vines appleman. But I don't think that is how I would take care of an insect problem.

Must have been a bigopps.

 

[bilbo-in-maine]

Things are looking very good Richard. Have you taken care of the Japanese Beetle problems by now? I ask because I didn't see much activity from them until last week, and now they are running rampant. After trying to deal with them by knocking them into soapy water only once a day in the evening, and seeing more and more damage being done, I went the desperation route and sprayed Sevin last night. It is a big worry since we also keep bees - luckily not close to the vineyard, but we see them in the white clover all around the house and also in the clover up in the vineyard. I'll mow it all down this evening and hope for the best today. It was impossible not to overspray out into the aisles between vine rows.

Anyhow, your farm is going nicely and it is always enjoyable to read the stories and see the pictures of someone who is enjoying the work!

 

[OilnH2O]

Rich, and Bill too...


Are you both using a "vertical shoot trellis" system? I know you are Rich, but since I've only put up my first wire at 32 inches, I'm still looking at whether these things should go up... or hang down!

 

[bilbo-in-maine]

Hi Dave - speaking for Bill here, and I think Rich is doing the same, I am training to the vertical shoot positioning system, or VSP. My low wire is about 34" and top wire is close to 6'. In between I've installed two tiers of "catch wires", which are complete loops of wire around each end post, so there is a slot of space in which to tuck vertical shoots as they lengthen upwards. Some shoots naturally head that way while others have to be coaxed by gently tying and pulling up to the nearest wire until they are caught and can anchor tendrils. The few clusters I left on my new cordons hang down at the bottom of everything and get dappled sun and a lot of air. A potential drawback to the system is the fact that tending the clusters requires stooping, but probably not a big deal with my number of vines, around 40. All five varieties that I'm growing have "agreed" to be trained vertically, although the Frontenacs may be just as happy drooping from a top wire. I've heard, though, that VSP aids in damping some of the vegetative vigor that this variety typically has. So far things are looking good, except for all the beetle damage!

 

[grapeman]

Dave- Bill gave a pretty good description of the VSP system. I'm using stationary catch wires at this point, but with a little extra hardware you can make the catch wires moveable. I wouldn't worry too much about exactly how to train them this year. Get them upt to at least the fruiting wire at about 34-36 inches. If you get a higher wire up on the top of the posts you can tie some twine from the base of the vine to the top wire. Then you just turn the vine around the string as the vine grows. You could get them to the fruiting wire and then top the vine(chop it off) a few inches below the wire. That will force a few shoots out either side of the wire. Those canes can then be trained as a cordon either side. You will probably have most of the cordon die back or it will be too small next year. Just cut them back to where they are the diameter of a pencil and let the plant grow and tell you how it wants to be trained.


Bill- I haven't had to spray much this year-which I am grateful for. I did have to put on some sevin today. When I looked out the window this morning I could see birds swooping down into the vines. I though maybe they were after Japanese Beetles so I went out to check. A lot of vines had 8-10 beetles on, so I got out my new sprayer I made and applie some Sevin.2 hours later and they were about 95 % dead on the ground.Edited by: appleman

 

[Wade E]

Appleman that vineyard just looks awesome and professionally done, now
just take a 50' x 50' section of that and truck it on down to my
humble abode and send me the bill!

 

[OilnH2O]

Thanks for the quick feedback.I put my lowest wire at 32" on the posts, but it is closer to 34-36" across most of the vines. They are just coming to that level, and just out of the blue tubes.


I'll put the pictures on the "Missoula Vinyard" postjust to keep them from looking so "ratty" next toeither ofyours!

 

[grapeman]

Appleman that vineyard just looks awesome and professionally done, now just take a 50' x 50' section of that and truck it on down to my humble abode and send me the bill!

Wade, If I do that, you will have to stop applying the lawn weed control because the 2-4D in most of those products would severely stunt the grapes even if not put on them. It can affect the vines up to a quarter mile away!


Thanks for the compliment though- I appreciate any and all praise

 

[Wade E]

If your willing to bring that section out Ill pave the rest of the yard!!!!!! Who needs grass when you got grapes!

Edited by: wade

 

[grapeman]

I had my first pictures taken today of the vineyardbytourists from Antigua. I knew people were following this post, but WOW- Antigua, that's far away!. Seriously, I had a client who runs a medical practice in Antigua come today for a session developing their house plans. He had his office manager from there with him and they were so impressed with the vines that tthey had to get some pictures for the people back home.

 

[NorthernWinos]

This is just the begining...this isgoing to get big for you. Appleman you are doing everything right....

 

[grapeman]

Veraison is here!


I would say that my vines have finally begun reaching veraison in pretty good shape.The Frontenac are showing quite a few changing berries and the others have an occasional berry changing color.We have a few less GDD than last year, but more than normal and veraison is occuring just about the same as last year. Moisture is a bit of a problem this year- too much too often. The vines love it for growing, but the weeds just keep coming and so do the insects and disease pressure. Some varieties I wasn't expecting fruit from this year are actually going to bear a modest crop.


If the birds leave some, I will have the following this year in small amounts:
Buffalo,
Catawba,
Concord, American varieties
Niagara


Chardonel,
Frontenac,
Leon Millot, Wine Grapes
St. Pepin,
LaCrosse,


Marquis,
Glenora Seedless Table

 

[swillologist]

Sound good appleman.
SWMBO was out eating some of our grapesthis evening and she said that some where falling off. Looks like I will be picking the Himrod in the morning. I will take a picture before I pick them.