I'm alive! Grape growing 2023 begins

[vtoddw]

I can't say that head training Zin is better than spurs or cane pruning, I have seen all training styles used. You do have a lot of blind wood on your cordons, but those cordons look young. Why aren't they pushing shoots? You could train a lateral shoot off one of your canes near the head this year and replace your cordons. Just an idea.

Yup, you're spot on, I'm actually doing that one several other vines where I've had the luck to get some lateral shoots around (or close enough to) the head / upper trunk. Unfortunately this and some of the other zin vines in this row haven't been very vigorous so I have to wait for the opportunity to arise. All the vines in this row are 8 years old, but I made a lot of mistakes early on and only really figured things out in 2021, so I have some technical debt I'm working towards phasing out year after year. In the same row, I had a bunch of missing spurs on this vine and so I used a lateral to start a replacement on the left this year along with a basal shoot out of the trunk (this vine is own-rooted) to fully replace the cordon on the right. I was timid though, and left the old cordons where there was still good spurs in place temporarily to ensure that if these new laterals weren't fruitful I'd still have my old spurs for this season. For the record though, every bug on the new laterals I ran are fruitful, so saving the old buds / cordon wasn't necessary).

The back-story here, is that 2020 was my first yield, but I both over-cropped that season (no cluster thinning) and under watered while we had 3 consecutive days of 112 to 115 degree heat over labor day weekend (I've since learned to watch the weather / leaves / tendrils and water extra when it's really hot). It fried my zin vines the worst, actually boiled a bunch of the grapes, turning them from dark purple to brown in a matter of days. After that, I lost a lot of cordon and spur positions, which I only realized in the spring of 2021 when pruning and finding all the dead wood. So it's been a long haul of working my way back to healthy vines.

I do agree, the vines look young, compared to my merlot, cab and tables grapes the trunks and cordons are a fraction of the zine. The best I can do is chalk that up tot he fact that they've never had much vigor due to the shock my mistakes in 2020 caused them. That's just my best guess, but that's why I'm here, to learn and maybe find some answers to these types of questions.

 

[vtoddw]

When I talk about congestion, this is what I mean. The rain has helped push a bunch of buds this year all over the vines

Before suckering
View attachment 101315

after suckering
View attachment 101316

This spur is closer to the head than I like.

Gotcha, yeah I've been shoot-thinning down to 2 shoots per spur where needed, keeping a hand-width of lateral space between each spur. There have been a few exceptions though, as I've kept a third shoot in some cases as a renewal shoot to replace the spur entirely next year. This is typically when the two shoots that came off my last years spur buds have nice clusters and vigor, but there's a basal shoot coming out that's got a lower position and is angled better. Some of my spurs are already pretty tall 3 years of harvest / pruning, while some are angled our horizontally, so I want to replace those where possible. I'm also leaf-thinning on the morning side to ensure sunlight and airflow, which was sufficient last year to ripen the grapes and keep the fungus in check when combined with periodic spraying of wet-able Sulphur.

 

[Snafflebit]

I am managing Eutypa disease in the Cabernet. Here is an example of the symptoms, small, crowded shoots with cupped leaves, but it is not always obvious. Sometimes the cordon is just not very productive because it has eutypa.


The classic tan wedge shaped staining of the fungus growing towards the trunk. The brown part is dead wood.





I started layering a well positioned cane over the suspect cordons the year before and mark them with flagging tape. Every bud on the new cane has fruitful positions!


Arm removed


There is prior year work on the left side also. The best practice is to cut the trunk back until no Eutypa staining is visible, so this new cane might have eutypa problems in the future. We shall see. The vine is not so pretty anymore, but my goal is to have grapes, not have the world's prettiest grapevines. If a shoot develops lower on the trunk I may repeat the same steps again.

 

[Nebbiolo020]

The vines are 20 years old, I think (it is just a guess), but also I think that the previous owner over-fertilized the vines, creating those beefy cordons. Vines will become dependent on fertilizer. I have some more posts to show how I am renewing trunks and cordons.

I as a winemaker can tell you everyone fertilizes vines and have seen no issues with vines dependent on fertilizer. In some places you have no choice. You have to go light on the nitrogen in the fall can add everything else then fertilize in the spring with nitrogen.

 

[Snafflebit]

I am getting a lot more grapes now that I have started fertilizing. I suppose I am a purist and worry that the wine will be lower quality, but I have not noticed that. Also, the vines I grow are on hillside cuts where the topsoil was moved down the hill to grade the area. Crappy subsoil remains which needs some improvements.

 

[Denden5136]

I am getting a lot more grapes now that I have started fertilizing. I suppose I am a purist and worry that the wine will be lower quality, but I have not noticed that. Also, the vines I grow are on hillside cuts where the topsoil was moved down the hill to grade the area. Crappy subsoil remains which needs some improvements.

I have the same issue with vines on a slope that has been graded with no topsoil (and we are on East Bay clay). Adding organic matter and fertilizer is the only way to go. Plants need fertilizer along with minerals to survive, whether natural or added. In order to stay fairly "close to nature" I have been using steer manure and working in cover crops. I have seen a major improvement in my vines. Thank you Lowe's $2.50 steer manure.

 

[wbhutchins]

I am getting a lot more grapes now that I have started fertilizing. I suppose I am a purist and worry that the wine will be lower quality, but I have not noticed that. Also, the vines I grow are on hillside cuts where the topsoil was moved down the hill to grade the area. Crappy subsoil remains which needs some improvements.

I am very interested in starting a vine in my back yard. I have about 40' in one line available. Where did you get your plantings? Online or a local garden center? I think I want grapes for a Riesling, but not sure. What kind of grapes are you growing?

 

[Nebbiolo020]

I have the same issue with vines on a slope that has been graded with no topsoil (and we are on East Bay clay). Adding organic matter and fertilizer is the only way to go. Plants need fertilizer along with minerals to survive, whether natural or added. In order to stay fairly "close to nature" I have been using steer manure and working in cover crops. I have seen a major improvement in my vines. Thank you Lowe's $2.50 steer manure.

I add ammonium sulfate, sulfate of potash and some phosphate as well like every other year to compensate for the ammonium sulfate dropping the ph of the soil every spring and then when leaves show up use a spray for iron and magnesium and boron and etc.

I also like to add some compost once a year or worm castings to help get organic matter back into the soil.

 

[Denden5136]

I add ammonium sulfate, sulfate of potash and some phosphate as well like every other year to compensate for the ammonium sulfate dropping the ph of the soil every spring and then when leaves show up use a spray for iron and magnesium and boron and etc.

I also like to add some compost once a year or worm castings to help get organic matter back into the soil.

This is a very good plan. It is textbook what I learned at UC Davis. Where do you get the iron, magnesium and boron sprays? Is it an all-in-one or do you apply each individually?

I too need to add ammonium sulfate this fall. My soil is actually a bit too alkaline and I have had to add sulfur to raise the pH.

 

[Snafflebit]

@Nebbiolo020 I considered a foliar spray for boron when I was trying to figure out lack of vigor and chlorosis. Soil tests determined that nitrogen was the missing ingredient. I don't think I could lower the pH of my clay soils with the dose of ammonium sulfate I use. It would take 100 years.

 

[Denden5136]

@Nebbiolo020 I considered a foliar spray for boron when I was trying to figure out lack of vigor and chlorosis. Soil tests determined that nitrogen was the missing ingredient. I don't think I could lower the pH of my clay soils with the dose of ammonium sulfate I use. It would take 100 years.

I am using sulfur. I am dosing a little at a time.

 

[Nebbiolo020]

This is a very good plan. It is textbook what I learned at UC Davis. Where do you get the iron, magnesium and boron sprays? Is it an all-in-one or do you apply each individually?

I too need to add ammonium sulfate this fall. My soil is actually a bit too alkaline and I have had to add sulfur to raise the pH.

I usually apply them individually all at the same time around vines the spray is an all In one with boron, iron, copper, magnesium, molybydenum, nickel and zinc and I think one or two more.

 

[Nebbiolo020]

@Nebbiolo020 I considered a foliar spray for boron when I was trying to figure out lack of vigor and chlorosis. Soil tests determined that nitrogen was the missing ingredient. I don't think I could lower the pH of my clay soils with the dose of ammonium sulfate I use. It would take 100 years.

Chlorisis is most commonly caused by iron deficiency, though magnesium can cause it as well, yellowing at edge or along veins of leaves is usually potassium.

 

[Snafflebit]

I had a marathon suckering session last week. It was exhausting. The vines are pushing out a large number of shoots. The spring "monsoon" has brought the vines back to life after 3 years of drought. Lots of flowers in various stages of bloom. I am calling the first day of bloom May 30 this year. That is a delay of about 3 to 4 weeks from normal. I decided not to spray again until after the blossoms have set. There is nothing I have found to confirm that it is good or bad to spray during pollination, but I am not taking any chances this year. And, I can still detect sulfur by smell on the vines.

I think this year will be a large crop, because many of the shoots have two large clusters. I have had to sucker shoots with clusters. (also unusual) Here is Cabernet Sauv. I had a lot of shatter last year. Crossing fingers for 2023.




This is the normally "sick" part of the vineyard. Last autumn I laid down new canes to renew a lot of cordons over here, I am seeing 100% fruitful buds on the new cordons and they will need to be cluster dropped for sure.


Even the rootstock is poking up volunteers around the vineyard.

 

[Denden5136]

Snafflebit,
The vineyard looks great!

Question for you - I have noticed a lot of swarming small long-winged files buzzing around a few of my vines. They seem to swarm but not land (although I am sure they do). They are not eating the leaves and do not seem to be bothering the fruit. Do you know what these are? Do I need to get rid of them? I wanted to ask you since we are not too far away and thought you might be seeing the same.

 

[Snafflebit]

I have not seen anything like a long winged fly near the vines. or any insects for that matter. Maybe termites?

 

[ChuckD]

Snafflebit,
The vineyard looks great!

Question for you - I have noticed a lot of swarming small long-winged files buzzing around a few of my vines. They seem to swarm but not land (although I am sure they do). They are not eating the leaves and do not seem to be bothering the fruit. Do you know what these are? Do I need to get rid of them? I wanted to ask you since we are not too far away and thought you might be seeing the same.

There are lots of insects that have those swarming or tornadic mating flights. It may be incidental to the grapes.

 

[Denden5136]

From my research they look similar to a small bee named Ceratina acantha

They nest underground and I probably disturbed them while I was tilling in the cover crop. They are not a threat to the vineyard as far as I can tell.
Life is a never ending learning experience.
Here is a pic of one of the guys on a Sauvignon blanc leaf.

 

[Snafflebit]

I got the remainder of the sport shoots and forgotten canes positioned in the catch wires today and completed the second spray of the season. I plan to hit the spray regimen heavy this year once bloom is complete (which looks to be nearly done at this point.) Fortunately, I have never experienced severe powdery mildew pressure, such as the kind that causes fruit damage or canopy collapse. But the roses nearby always show powery mildew, so I know it is lurking about.

 

[Kraffty]

I'm really enjoying following along this year, your vines are looking great!