New Maryland Vineyard

[Dustyfj]

With the temperatures real high and brix readings around 20.5 we decided to harvest the few grapes we had yesterday. Very tiny harvest due to some mistakes the first year.

We were also getting some bird pressure that was making us nervous. I have heard that first year vines tend to ripen a bit faster than mature vines. Also we were being told that it’s important to drop the grapes soon enough for the vines to start storing up energy for the winter.

 

[ChuckD]

With the temperatures real high and brix readings around 20.5 we decided to harvest the few grapes we had yesterday. Very tiny harvest due to some mistakes the first year.

We were also getting some bird pressure that was making us nervous. I have heard that first year vines tend to ripen a bit faster than mature vines. Also we were being told that it’s important to drop the grapes soon enough for the vines to start storing up energy for the winter.

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Nice. What variety are those?

 

[Dustyfj]

Nice. What variety are those?

Chardonnay, Sangiovese, cab sauv, and cab franc

Not sure what we will add in the spring. Maybe a white hybrid?

 

[Dustyfj]

Zero spotted lantern fly last week at harvest. Now 5-10+ per plant.

They don’t seem to like the Sangiovese as much. 0-2 per plant on those.

 

[wood1954]

Are you killing them? Picking them off or is there a spray you can use?

 

[Dustyfj]

Are you killing them? Picking them off or is there a spray you can use?

We probably squished 200 but I don’t even know if that helped. We put some sevin on early this morning but pretty heavy rains came through about 11:30am.

 

[ChuckD]

Zero spotted lantern fly last week at harvest. Now 5-10+ per plant.

They don’t seem to like the Sangiovese as much. 0-2 per plant on those.

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Do they tend to stay on the lower trunks or throughout the canopy?

 

[Dustyfj]

Do they tend to stay on the lower trunks or throughout the canopy?

They are pretty much throughout. Very disappointing.

 

[Hazelemere]

Add some dolomite to get your pH up from 5.5 to 6-6.5

 

[wood1954]

We probably squished 200 but I don’t even know if that helped. We put some seven on early this morning but pretty heavy rains came through about 11:30am.

Hopefully you easterners figure out how to kill them before they reach Wisconsin.

 

[Dustyfj]

Sevin took the slf down a bit. We are getting advised to spray mustang Mac and Imidacloprid. I’ll report back with results in a few days.

Edit* not sure the sevin helped at all. Numbers seem to be way up. No sign of dead slf

We pressed off all our grape varieties together and they have been fermenting nicely. Maybe only 2 1/2 gallons this first year. Our yields should shot up next year.

 

[Dustyfj]

We collected/squished several hundred SLF this evening. The damage in just two days is a little staggering.

We used a method to catch them I saw on youtube. They seem to jump straight up when frightened. Holding a bottle above where they are perched makes them jump right in the bottle. (80%) of the time. With my wife on the other side of the row, we can squish most of the ones that escape. Super disappointing how many are out there. Lots of shoots are turning brown and losing leaves.

 

[wood1954]

they are a lot bigger than i thought, looks worse than japanese beetles.

 

[Dustyfj]

In addition to our own wine, we have a couple wine kits going atm:

 

[Dustyfj]

Laid out some three new rows for 2024. 220 new cab franc plants. Fun to be back out there.

 

[wood1954]

Meanwhile…I,ve enjoyed this post,nice to see you are doing well

 

[Hazelemere]

Add potassium bicarbonate to get pH and potassium level up

 

[Dustyfj]

Meanwhile…I,ve enjoyed this post,nice to see you are doing well
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We had some of that action last week.

 

[ChuckD]

Crazy winter weather here. A foot of snow then Two weeks of biter cold. Now we’re looking at 40’s for the next two weeks. We should not be having springtime in January. I hope it doesn’t hurt the vines.

 

[Hazelemere]

Crazy winter weather here. A foot of snow then Two weeks of biter cold. Now we’re looking at 40’s for the next two weeks. We should not be having springtime in January. I hope it doesn’t hurt the vines.

grapevines can handle -6 Fahrenheit (i.e. -21 Celsius). If your Cabernet Franc are grafted maybe a bit lower. What are you growing and why?