Missoula Vinyard

[grapeman]

Dave,
Did the cuttings root yet out there? Fill us in, it's been a month since you tented them. Hope summer has been treating you good.

 

[OilnH2O]

Well....it's a bust. Prompted by your request for an update, I dug one of those leaf-less wonders up...and.... It appears I've been -- as I'd feared -- growing a great crop of STICKS!


I did visit the person in BC that gave me the cuttings back in may. They were from his vines -- he has 7 but it turns out 2 are dead. He had a late frost and while he was showing early leaves on his, the cuttings were from above them -- they were last year's growth. (Does that make sense? Am I explaining that right?) Anyway, he said the ones that produced this year (this was their second year) had a lot of dead canes. I think we got 6 examples of those dead canes!

SOOOOOooooo....(thinking positive!) I can get some LIVE cuttings from him nextweek off the ones that lived -- they are doing well -- and try to propagate them. What do you think? Is that possible? Westill may have something yet to overwinter until next spring!

 

[grapeman]

Sorry to hear about the dead cuttings. Yes you can start the live cuttings.

Following is a link to a method of Mist propagation of herbaceous cuttings. http://www.practicalwinery.com/mayjune99/rapidpropagation.htm



scroll down to the Mist propagation section.



In my opinion, I think it is too late to start this year. Wait until spring and try another shot at it. Also if he had 2 out of 7 dead plants, I think I would look for a hardier variety. Good luck whatever you decide.

Richard

 

[NorthernWinos]

Here is a couple Links with some info on growing grape cuttings....

http://www.bunchgrapes.com/cuttings.html

http://w3.aces.uiuc.edu/NRES/faculty/Skirvin/cfar/wintprop.htm

Hope this is helpfull.....

Edited by: Northern Winos

 

[OilnH2O]

Great articles -- you guys are the best! I'm chalking this up to "learning" and may try to start from scratch -- I can't remember who it was who posted that their discarded grape pack started in their compost heap... But my Washington State Merlot is looking great, and that grape pack may just provide something to play with!




Thanks to you both.

Dave

 

[OilnH2O]

I thought about starting a new thread, but figured I'd add to this, considering this is kinda sorta "Phase II"

First Marachal Foch vine planted -- these are from about 40 cuttings thanks to Bill and Rich -- (about 20 were successful -- so far -- I'm still callousing the remainder with hopes they'll succeed).

The tools in the background are for just about everything in our yard! Just to get the hole for the vines is a digging bar plus the post hole digger!

The ones on the left (what will become the middle row) are Leon Millot. Callousing are more M. Foch, Frontenac, St. Pepin and Landot Noir. I'll have room for 27 vines when it's all finished.

 

[grapeman]

Looking good out there Dave. Thats going to make a really nice spot. What spacing did you end up going with on them?


The Leon Millot are quick to root. The others hould catch up when the heat get to them good. Won't be long and you can make some mighty fine wine from your vines!

 

[bmorosco]

looks great I wish you alot of luck

 

[Waldo]

Looking good oil.......Hope they all do great for you

 

[Wade E]

Oil joined in the vine ranks!

 

[OilnH2O]

Rich, the space between rows is about 4 1/2 feet and 4' between plants -- for a small backyard effort, I was trying to figure out how to maximize plants in a minimal space, but still get good yield. Some time ago, I visited a friend in California (Marin Co.) who had a neighbor with a similar set-up and he had vines every two feet with 3 feet between rows! It was just for show, though, and "braggin' rights." The neighbor did NOT make wine!

Thanks, everyone, for the positive comments!

 

[bilbo-in-maine]

Sooo, Dave, where are you in your endeavor to grow grape vines? I'm betting that you've had a lot more heat and sun than I have in coastal Maine so far. Have the vinelets taken off by now?

 

[OilnH2O]

Here is an update, showing several of the vines just peeking out of the growth tubes. I really like the tubes -- not sure whether they really do increase the growth rate, but they sure do make "vinyard management" easy at this stage!

This is a Leon Millot in the foreground, and my two $5 Edelweiss are at the far end.

This is one of the Edelweiss -- and note the two stems neatly trimmed! I'd like to "trim" the local deer herd but we're within city limits. This was the first one to peek out above the growth tubes and it lasted about one day before it was nipped off! One reason for putting the rest of the wires up is to drape the bird/deer netting and get these to the point of survival.

 

[grapeman]

Looks great Dave. Believe it or not they did a perfect job for you. This is called heading that I was talking about. You will force bud development at the height of the wire and those shoots will become the cordons for VSP training. Way to go deer!

You may have to resort to bow practice. Gee wouldn't it be a shame if a real deer was mistaken for that deer shaped target?

 

[OilnH2O]

My young Able Assistant, now 16, has tried to figure out why we get up at 3:30am on opening day when, as he observes, we could "sleep in and just stand on the deck and drop a well-placed cinder block!"

 

[OilnH2O]

And, just to hammer the nail of that lastcomment one more time...

This is taken from the deck in the aforementioned post -- I know many of you like to look at the background of every picture posted!

So... before you scroll down, look carefully!

Now, George... this is no TEXAS deer! And NOW you can understand my son's comment!


(Off to Illinois for the next two weeks -- Pete, we will probably blow through Gillette but I'll certainly be thinking of you!)

 

[Joanie]

He's this year's fawn, right?

 

[grapeman]

They seem to be very well behaved there! Who needs lawn ornaments, you have living ones that even pose for you

 

[Bert]

Maybe he's waitting for the dinner bell..

 

[OilnH2O]

Okay, Rich -- you asked for an update, and it seems like there is not much happening here -- my hope is that strong roots are growing underground!

I've removed the blue tube stiffeners -- but left the plastic sleeves on, for the moment (pending your feedback). Right now, they help to hold the vines along the cane stiffener for each plant. And, I've left two primary vines for each plant. That is so I have two chances of winter survival. All are covered with deer netting, although a few have still had nips at the tops when the netting has blown askew during a storm or wind.


My question for feedback is, do you think the blue sleeves will add some small wind or temperature insulation over the winter? I know they have no "r-value" but was thinking perhaps they might cut the wind or even offer just a little air pocket if we get covering snow. Any thoughts?


The best looking ones are the Leon Millot -- I had only three Foch (the three to the right) make it through the summer. And, there are two Edelweiss (my $5 specials). And, yes, I know -- my able assistant needs to get out and pull those weeds, but he seems to knowjust when toplay his "honors-AP-pre-calc" card (as in, "Sure, Dad, I'll go weed...butwe've got a quiz inAP chemistry...)