Figuring out how to start growing grapes.

[Xnke]

Well we're gonna see who's got roots and who doesn't. I was able to see some roots out the bottom of the containers in some of the pots, but not most. So, I dosed them with Dyna-Gro 9-3-6. They'll break dormancy and grow green if they've got roots.

 

[Dennis Griffith]

It's the other way around for me. Rarely see DM, but PM seems to like most everything growing here. I suggest looking into Serenade for long term control.

I meant to say DM. DM is what I see a lot of on the grapes. I do get PM, but mostly on other crops.

 

[Xnke]

Things are going pretty OK here lately-if the stupid cats would stop walking along the fencerow and breaking off the new growth on the fencerow grapes.

The current surviving count is:

1 Cabernet Sauvingon
3 Syrah
3 Villard Blanc
1 Mars
1 Reliance
1 3309C
1 3309C with Syrah grafted bud-bud is healed but not growing, rootstock is starting to grow out above it.

And 7 Fencerow Specials.

 

[Dennis Griffith]

I'll be interested in how the Cabernet Sauvingon does in your zone.

 

[Xnke]

Probably not going to do much this year, living in a wet bucket. Monsoon rains every three or four days again this spring.

I hate the years it does this. Rain all weekend and part of the week, then 90% humidity and 85f the rest of the week. Shuts down any kind of growing anything until June.

 

[Dennis Griffith]

Tell me about it. My spring order of vines has shipped and the rows where they go have standing water. Today there was no rain, but I need at least three days with little to no rain. Looks like it will be a muddy affair later this week when the vines arrive. I suppose I could consider growing rice!

 

[Xnke]

Well, both field grafts failed. Went out today and could see a gap between the chip buds and the rootstock.

After looking closer at the rootstock from Novavine, I can see why-the grafting cut matched up very nicely but zero callusing happened. The vine is growing, so I guess I've spent my chance on that one, I will have to wait until next year to try again.

If I had bud sticks the right size to do the 7 little fencerow grapes, I'd take a chance with one of them but I only have one that is large enough to try it on, and it's also my best rooted one. It probably wouldn't take anyway.

 

[Dennis Griffith]

It's unfortunately a hit or miss process. I only have about a 50% success rate with rooting, so the soil goes to the compost pile and the dead cutting gets pitched. There's always next year. Looks like I may have to replace a couple of vines that don't appear to be coming out of dormancy. I'll wait for a while, but I have replacements already rooted. If not, the newly rooted vines will go to fill out another row this fall.

 

[Xnke]

Tried again on the grafting. The bark slipped much easier this time, I thought I was doing it right last time but maybe I was just too early. Cutting the bud seats in the fence row rootings was easier, they cut flatter and straighter and the wood chip just fell out of the bark. The Syrah budstick seemed to be easier to cut than the last one, too.

Tying them still sucks, I bound them on a bit tighter with the parafilm spun into cord a few turns, and then wrapped it normally to seal in the moisture. The final tie off is still difficult at best.

Three more grafts to watch till the end of the month, hopefully the higher average temperature will encourage more healing and less failure.

 

[Dennis Griffith]

Good luck.

 

[Masbustelo]

Xnke For grafting, you might want to experiment with teflon tape.

 

[Xnke]

Yeah, have read about using it. I'll give it a go sometime.

 

[Xnke]

Well these grafts didn't get much if a chance. The day after grafting, the weather turned off cold and it's been in the 50s all week. Supposed to warm up again Thursday, but a week in the 50s after being grafted in 80 degree weather can't help things.

 

[Dennis Griffith]

It's been so wet here and I think I'm getting dead arm canter on some of my Concords. I'll be spraying today as it's the first day without rain and cold for quite a while.

 

[Xnke]

Another syrah field graft dead. Cat got at it and chewed the grafting tape off, wallered it right out of the pot.

Both Syrah rootings and the Cab Sauv rooting dried up and died back. 2 Villard Blanc are OK. 1 is struggling in the heat. Unfortunately, one of the nicely growing cuttings has lost its label...not sure what it is.

The green-shoot rooting of Viogner was doing well, until we had a week of 90+ degree heat. I am about to the point of giving up for the year and waiting until fall comes to work with these again.

 

[Dennis Griffith]

It's not been a good year. I have 2 vines struggling.

 

[Xnke]

I am tempted to stop by the university again and see how Their vinefera is doing-it is in a no-spray block this year. The Villard, chamborcin, and Frontenac are all doing very well over there, and my Villard Blanc here is doing OK-ish.

 

[Dennis Griffith]

Please do. I am curious on what they have seen this year and their thoughts on such.

 

[Xnke]

Keep meaning to post back here, keep forgetting.

Looks like one of my grafts might make it. The one the cat chewed on is healed up, but not growing, and the other is healed up and not growing but looks like the better union. The plastic has fallen off both. Is there anything I can do to encourage some growth, or will these not sprout out til next year?

 

[Dennis Griffith]

They will sprout as long as their is life in them (and it's not winter). They may lie dormant for a short period, but they need to have leaves out to survive.