Put up or ? I got myself a vineyard

[Snafflebit]

Hi Snafflebit,
Just curious, what was the charge for the petiole test? Did you do it a few times over the season or just once? Did you do nutritional/mineral analysis or also virus testing?

Sorry @NorCal, no thread hijack intended.

The analysis was $40 per sample, I tested three sites and it was insightful. There are varying levels of analysis and cost associated. A&L analyzes soil, water, plant and food agriculture products. I do not know of a place that would test for virus and I imagine it would be very expensive.

I do not have a need to test regularly, mainly the N was low. But if I corrected a rare deficency, I would go back a year later and test for change.

 

[NorCal]

It’s been a year since we moved to the property. The vineyard and the pond really struggled. The vineyard is improved with pruning, suckering and spraying. The pond had a single aerator, the manufacturer of the air pump said it could support 5. Hopefully this addition will reduce the algea growth and create a healthier environment for the fish and turtles that call it home.

 

[mainshipfred]

It’s been a year since we moved to the property. The vineyard and the pond really struggled. The vineyard is improved with pruning, suckering and spraying. The pond had a single aerator, the manufacturer of the air pump said it could support 5. Hopefully this addition will reduce the algea growth and create a healthier environment for the fish and turtles that call it home. View attachment 90145

I'd really like to see fountains please.

 

[NorCal]

Looking at these pictures, it seemed so long ago. So much has changed. The season is done. Overall I would say it was a solid "B" year. Some mildew, which pretty much wiped out the previous year's crop when we had just bought the property. The Zin came in good and made 15 gallons of Rose. The Cab Sauv quality was there but only yielded 5 gallons. The Sirah quality was the best and yielded 10 gallons. Thirty gallons net from 178 vines, right around 500 pounds of grapes is a low yield. A lot of the vines didn't product grapes, due to my unsympathetic pruning to get the overall structure back, so I guess it is to be expected.

I did 100% of the work (besides harvest) on the vineyard; irrigation fixes, wire fixes, pruning, suckering, tying, spraying, mowing, weed wacking, hedging, fruit drop. It was a lot of effort, but it came in waves, so manageable with my lifestyle. I like the aesthetic of the vineyard, but the return for the amount of work it was vs. what good commercial grapes can be purchased for is not there. However, like any hobby, if you enjoy doing it, then your time and effort is discounted.

The place has also changed; the arena is finished, fencing up and we now have 3 horses keeping us company.

 

[Snafflebit]

It is a dream of mine to step into the yard and do pruning and spraying whenever I feel like it, rather than load up the truck and drive to the job. Almost made that happen in Livermore this year but backed out on a deal to buy a piece of land. Maybe eventually.

 

[crushday]

It's a satisfying summation of over a years worth of work - undoubtedly, your satisfaction and yields will increase. I hope the former at a quicker pace...

You've worked hard and it shows. Great job, Ken.

 

[VinesnBines]

I'll agree that it is easier and cheaper to buy grapes but the hours in the vineyard is time well spent. I love all the seasons and every weather.

 

[ChuckD]

Looking at these pictures, it seemed so long ago. So much has changed. The season is done. Overall I would say it was a solid "B" year. Some mildew, which pretty much wiped out the previous year's crop when we had just bought the property. The Zin came in good and made 15 gallons of Rose. The Cab Sauv quality was there but only yielded 5 gallons. The Sirah quality was the best and yielded 10 gallons. Thirty gallons net from 178 vines, right around 500 pounds of grapes is a low yield. A lot of the vines didn't product grapes, due to my unsympathetic pruning to get the overall structure back, so I guess it is to be expected.

I did 100% of the work (besides harvest) on the vineyard; irrigation fixes, wire fixes, pruning, suckering, tying, spraying, mowing, weed wacking, hedging, fruit drop. It was a lot of effort, but it came in waves, so manageable with my lifestyle. I like the aesthetic of the vineyard, but the return for the amount of work it was vs. what good commercial grapes can be purchased for is not there. However, like any hobby, if you enjoy doing it, then your time and effort is discounted.

The place has also changed; the arena is finished, fencing up and we now have 3 horses keeping us company.
View attachment 93720

After talking to friends who keep horses, they may be more work than the vineyard!

And I agree. It is after all a hobby, not a job.

 

[NorCal]

After talking to friends who keep horses, they may be more work than the vineyard!

And I agree. It is after all a hobby, not a job.

The horses are the wife's hobby. They are a lot of work, without the seasonal breaks!

 

[GSMChris]

I’d say your B grade is a little harsh. The overall progress from where you started to where you ended was deserving of a more generous grade! From re reading the thread it seems to me that this year wasn’t really about grape yield but more about restoring the vines for future years.

Regardless - here’s a toast to you and your wife for (to quote my wife) “making the place your own”

 

[Joe B.]

My vineyard is about the same size as yours and the yields will vary by variety and season but once you get all the vines producing and with the proper nutrition you should easily double the amount of wine you produced this year. That's is even with dropping clusters. For what you had to deal with and for allowing us to follow along I give you a A+.

 

[NorCal]

Overall, the weather in our Sacramento area is quite good, but the summers have 3-5 weeks where it is brutally hot. 100 degree days are not uncommon and 90+ degrees for a month on both sides of the peak of the summer. The barn shelters the sun, wind and rain, but the inside temps mirror the ambient temps. I’ve had a search on Craigslist for a Portacool for 6 months and one popped up today. A 5 year old, original owner, large 36” fan model for $350, a steep discount over its original $2,500 sticker. I was able to execute the deal the same day and have a new addition to the barn.

 

[NorCal]

Since the Portacool is a pretty simple device, I decided to take it apart and really see what I purchased. You just never know with these bargain Craigslist purchases. The unit has 3 systems without any safety interlocks.

Fan: is a cord, switch and motor. The fan is tight, motor ($500) runs strong with no sign of bearing noise, belt is in good shape.
Fill: a hose can hook to the input and it has a valve with a float ($40) to turn it off. Will need to check the operation before I put it away for the winter. I may also add a drain plug...I can't believe it doesn't have one.
Evap cooling: consists of a sump pump ($250), through a knob to adjust the flow, going to a spray bar, which is there to keep the media ($500) hydrated. While I verified the pump turned on before I bought it, I decided to remove and clean the lines and spray bar as there were a lot of dirt on the bottom of the tank. I discovered the spray bar ($40) had been replaced and was pretty clogged with dirt. Also the media looks well used and has hard water deposits on 15% of the media surface. If I replaced the spray bar and media ($540) would get in full operational state. Still money ahead if I do end up dong that. However, if I get 85% efficiency, I'll run it as is next season and see how it works out.


On a hot summer day in our area, this is what I can expect:

Fan moves 10,000 CFM, suppose to be good enough to cool 2500 sqft

100 degrees inlet temp, and 76 degree output temp (maybe closer to 80 degrees with the current media)

 

[crushday]

Nice find, @NorCal - that last picture in post #72 looks like my original widescreen projection TV from the 90's! Oh man, the Seahawks never looked so good!

 

[stickman]

@NorCal You may want to seriously consider that drain with a valve. This unit operates just like an industrial cooling tower (I have direct experience) which requires some water to be continuously drained during operation. Bleeding some water continuously, or at least periodically, allows you to control the mineral content in the reservoir, otherwise everything will quickly become fouled.

 

[Snafflebit]

Swamp coolers work great in California. But they require regular maintenance because of our hard water. The wood eventually needs replacing but it can last years. Maybe a CLR soak will remove the crust. $350 is a deal if you are handy. Put it someplace with easy access. I have repaired swamp coolers on the roof, not fun.