New Maryland Vineyard

[ChuckD]

Looking good. Do be careful; I’ve been out of commission for five weeks with a severe break-son’s motorcycle turned over while loading in the PU. I was in the bed of the PU then I was on the ground with a tibia plateau break and fibula break. Really put a damper on harvest.

You didn’t tell us it was a biking accident . Hope your back in the vineyard soon.

 

[VinesnBines]

You didn’t tell us it was a biking accident . Hope your back in the vineyard soon.

It was a motorcycle accident and I wasn't even riding it. The goofy part is that I broke the same ankle 31 years ago carrying the same son (he was age 2).

I've been in the vineyard via a cart pulled behind the tractor and harvesting (VERY SLOWLY) with a walker and chair. I did find the leg brace is very handy for holding my clipper sheath and cell phone.

Anyway, aren't we always planning for next year? Dustyfj,; keep us up to date. I hear the closer spacing is better for vinifera. I have my new vinifera on 3/4, 3 feet between vines and 4 feet between the rows. I'll keep you posted on the results.

 

[Dustyfj]

Finished plumbing up the last posts today. Planning on building the H braces over the winter. I won’t hang wires till after the next planting season.

 

[GSMChris]

Looks wonderful!!!

 

[ChuckD]

@Dustyfj looks great. My new
Vines have about the same amount of growth. I’m too busy to put up trellis now so I’ll be doing it next spring. The neighbor informed me he has a skid-steer mounted post hole digger and we could work something out with the farmland rental. So no manual digging for me!!

 

[Dustyfj]

Fall sunset colors

 

[Dustyfj]

H braces at the top of the field are built. Still need to wire them together. Fingers are thoroughly frozen…

 

[Hazelemere]

Im planning on building a small vineyard at my new home in Carroll county Maryland. I’ve got an area roughly 2.5 acres for planting. Ive previously posted here:
https://www.winemakingtalk.com/threads/looking-to-learn.71911/
I just got my soil results back from univ of Delaware. Very excited to move this project forward. Next step I suppose will be reaching out to the UMD extension office and the local grape grower association. pH 5.5 is too low. Try to get to 6.5

any advice based on these numbers?
View attachment 65817
View attachment 65818

Add phosphate rock, dolomite, trace elements and slow release potash (e.g. green sand). Your pH and potassium need to go up. Join the Maryland Grape growers Association

 

[Dustyfj]

Over the winter I put down lime twice and potassium once. Drilling holes for this years vines already

 

[ChuckD]

Over the winter I put down lime twice and potassium once. Drilling holes for this years vines already



View attachment 100585

Looks great. How many buds did you leave on your second-year vines when you pruned them? On mine the buds are just swelling

 

[Dustyfj]

Looks great. How many buds did you leave on your second-year vines when you pruned them? On mine the buds are just swelling

I did it on a case by case basis. Most of them I cut off at about the first wires.

 

[ChuckD]

I did it on a case by case basis. Most of them I cut off at about the first wires.

I’m still a little shy about pruning too hard. I pruned to one vine with three to five buds. Most of them were less than pencil thickness.

 

[Hazelemere]

add some magnesium and trace elements

 

[Dustyfj]

Trying to clip all the first year flowers. Soo many on the cab sauv!

 

[Dennis Griffith]

Trying to clip all the first year flowers. Soo many on the cab sauv!

View attachment 100899

Looking good. If you missed a few, you can catch them later. I didn't get all my pruning done this spring, so I'll work it as I go.

 

[GSMChris]

Pretty vines! I spent all of last summer chasing grape clusters on new vines… and still missed some. i don’t see any grow tubes in your pictures but that was where the majority of mine ended up. All you can do is get what you can…

 

[CTDrew]

Looking very nice. You're probably going to miss a few here or there and it shouldn't matter too much.

 

[Dustyfj]

Roughly 575 vines in the ground yesterday. Fun weekend of friends spending the night and partying. Fun was had by all. Starting to feel the stiffness set in.

 

[ChuckD]

Roughly 575 vines in the ground yesterday. Fun weekend of friends spending the night and partying. Fun was had by all. Starting to feel the stiffness set in.
View attachment 101074

I feel good when I can get 50 plants done in a day! I assume you have an auger? I’m digging holes with a spade! I have 25 vines coming in next week.

 

[Dustyfj]

272 grape vines went in the ground yesterday. Making a total of 846 this year. Lots of work and lots of fun. Spending the day recovering for all the work and partying after.