Good Morning 2021 Growing Season

[Obbnw]

We are doing our first suckering pass here in Nor Cal, head trained Cab Franc.

Very nice. How old are those vines?

The aesthetics ( and probably usability) of the head trained system are great for your location.

 

[NorCal]

These vines are 20 years old, still producing strong. The 88 homes in the community have vines in their front yard, as well as other vineyards. The head trained work out well for aesthetics, as well as flexibility because all the front yards are different (lots range from 1/2 acre to 20 acres).

 

[druedy]

Cab franc coming in. I got the northern VA frost last week, too. In the past, I've found the cold air pools into the dips and swales of my gardens and vineyard and frost tends to hit the same southern-most row very hard each time. I was able to get out and tent everything up with light weight drop cloth. Took about three hours but did the job

 

[Cynewulf]

Cab franc coming in. I got the northern VA frost last week, too. In the past, I've found the cold air pools into the dips and swales of my gardens and vineyard and frost tends to hit the same southern-most row very hard each time. I was able to get out and tent everything up with light weight drop cloth. Took about three hours but did the job

This is going to be our year, @druedy ! Even with a little frost.

 

[balatonwine]

Cold bitter spring this year.

A prior year's end of April vine growth:



This year's end of April vine growth:



Side note: The winter was equally weird. Some weeks so cold it broke pots, pipes and my weather station. Then weeks of weather so warm I was wearing a t-shirt outside.

 

[srcorndog]

Vines look good

 

[berrycrush]

I heard that turning on sprinkler helps to ward off frost

 

[Rob Kneeland]

Up here between Ottawa and Montreal my 10 Marquette vines are just beginning to bud. I think May 15 is a "safe" frost date here. The forecast looks OK.

Just ordered another 25 vines so I guess I am hooked. Gotta get the trellis happening!

 

[srcorndog]

Beautiful country in the deep south we are getting to start flowering spraying like every 14 days yesterday 4 inches of rain not a common occurrence.

 

[wood1954]

My vines got hit by frost last night, about 10% loss, frost danger is almost over. Otherwise looking good, my pruning didn’t kill any.

 

[Cynewulf]

Late May update.

The hybrids have recovered fairly well from the frost; I’d say 75-80% of what I had expected.


The Marquette set berries this past week:


Itasca too:


Cabernet Franc is looking pretty good and just starting bloom:



It’s been a fairly dry spring so the plants are looking nice and clean so far, though late summer is the real test for the Cab Franc. Fingers crossed.

 

[srcorndog]

You must not have bird pressure with all the trees around. I hope you net tight. why do you leave all the weeds under your vines but spray around the post?

 

[Cynewulf]

You must not have bird pressure with all the trees around. I hope you net tight. why do you leave all the weeds under your vines but spray around the post?

I definitely have to net. Last year was the first year I let the vines ripen grapes and the nets seemed to work.

Lol, good eye on the spray. I till the rows in early spring but don’t spray the weeds after that. My wife wants to spray strictly for aesthetic reasons but I won’t let her until all of the younger vines are better established as I have some that are still developing trunks and have foliage close to the ground. So instead she sprays around the posts because she doesn’t like the way they look when the weeds grow up around them.

 

[wood1954]

Looking good!
my Marquette hasn’t even opened their flowers yet. It’s getting down to 39 tonight. My plants have recovered from frost as well but I’m still looking at a small crop this year.

 

[Cynewulf]

Looking good!
my Marquette hasn’t even opened their flowers yet. It’s getting down to 39 tonight. My plants have recovered from frost as well but I’m still looking at a small crop this year.

Glad things are coming back to life!

 

[Rob Kneeland]

My marquettes were ahead of sched this year, but last night, May 27/28...frost! Very light but small droplets of ice on the leaves. I think it only just touched 0C/32F. Wait and see I guess. Also had 25 new vines just beginning to bud.
Garden is probably toast. Between Montreal and Ottawa.

 

[Seck Family Vineyard (MN)]

Need Help!

My Marquette’s are on year three and they have usually been the most healthy and robust when compared to my la crescents. This MN spring was bizarre with some May frost, hitting the 80s and lengthy periods of drought. I kept up with watering but I can’t figure out if they are suffering from lack of moisture, nutrient deficiency or if crown gall hit them hard after the frost. What looked like a prime year at first with healthy buds and good canes after pruning in March many of my Marquette’s have not done anything and my healthiest plants started then seemed to have died or dried out. I did cow manure last spring which seemed to do well and opted for a nitrogen addition I worked in earlier this month. I also just added some compost around them for some additional help. I’m looking to get the soil sampled this next week.

Any thoughts and help is appreciated, currently have 50 struggling 3rd year Marquette’s and 40 3rd year La Crescent that seem to be somewhat okay so far.

 

[Cynewulf]

Need Help!

My Marquette’s are on year three and they have usually been the most healthy and robust when compared to my la crescents. This MN spring was bizarre with some May frost, hitting the 80s and lengthy periods of drought. I kept up with watering but I can’t figure out if they are suffering from lack of moisture, nutrient deficiency or if crown gall hit them hard after the frost. What looked like a prime year at first with healthy buds and good canes after pruning in March many of my Marquette’s have not done anything and my healthiest plants started then seemed to have died or dried out. I did cow manure last spring which seemed to do well and opted for a nitrogen addition I worked in earlier this month. I also just added some compost around them for some additional help. I’m looking to get the soil sampled this next week.

Any thoughts and help is appreciated, currently have 50 struggling 3rd year Marquette’s and 40 3rd year La Crescent that seem to be somewhat okay so far.

Sorry your Marquette isn’t doing well. It’s hard to say but it looks like frost damage to me. When did you notice it?

 

[Seck Family Vineyard (MN)]

Sorry your Marquette isn’t doing well. It’s hard to say but it looks like frost damage to me. When did you notice it?

The lower canes on my biggest plant started wilting a week ago and the top canes maybe a few days ago. It’s odd because we haven’t had a frost in a few weeks it’s been pretty hot up until last night it got into the upper 30s. The La Crescents seem to be unaffected but very strange the Marquette’s aren’t doing much of anything.

 

[wood1954]

Looks like my plants with frost damage