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RE: Growing Your Own Grapes - 12/14/2018 5:02:39 PM

Franklin 10

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quote:

ORIGINAL: khmark7

Thinking i will try planting any vinifera vines that i have on order either in a different location in my yard or possibly in some large pots with sandy poor soil composition. I can then pull those pots into the garage for the winter. The soil in my yard is heavy clay in many places, but it was still too rich for the Merlot & Cabernet, and they grew like weeds. Ironic as the Petite Sirah grew pretty well.

Have you thought about or actually tried Cabernet Franc? I’ve tinkered with the idea of some wine grape growing and also have clay soil. That’s what my (brief) reading led me to but I haven’t tried to date.

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RE: Growing Your Own Grapes - 12/14/2018 5:21:43 PM

khmark7

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Yes, i dug up 3 Cabernet Franc vines this fall. Clay with sand or low fertile soil should do well for Cabernet Franc. It would grow in your area, and is more disease resistant than most vinifera.

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RE: Growing Your Own Grapes - 1/27/2019 3:51:32 AM

khmark7

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So am curious to see how the wineries in Michigan do with this polar vortex approaching. We've had three nights of sub zero temps, and that's just the appetizer. Up until last week Lake Michigan was largely unfrozen, so hopefully the lake effect will save the Michigan wineries, along with the recent snowfall. Seems the wineries had just recovered from the 2 cold years '13-'14 & '14-'15.

Since i dug up most of my vinifera i am only concerned about my Zweigelt vine (which has some covering). This spring i am replanting a few vines in different locations.

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RE: Growing Your Own Grapes - 1/29/2019 2:17:59 PM

Vino Me

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It is actually going to be colder in Southwest Michigan this week than in the Traverse City area. Many of the wineries laid canes down and have plowed snow over them for protection. See video below from Domaine Berrien:

https://www.facebook.com/domaineberriencellars/videos/385403142018322/

I was talking to Jim Lester at Wyncroft today and he expects his Avonlea vineyard in Buchanan to be devastated by -20 degree weather. His estate vineyard further North in Pullman will only see -7 so those vines should pull through okay. The temperature in my vineyard should only get to the -5 to 6 range and the Pinot Noir can withstand something up to -10 so I have my fingers crossed.

VM

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RE: Growing Your Own Grapes - 1/29/2019 4:32:47 PM

champagneinhand

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I was very worried about my vines but it looks like a blast of Moroccan warmth has split the vortex a bit. We will probably stay just below zero but at least there is a solid foot of icy snow covering the bottoms. Still it doesn’t look good for the tops of the vines.

We shall see in Spring. Luckily Lake Ontario doesn’t fully freeze. That gives us some buffer. Neither does Seneca lake.

I was worried a bit for your vines Karl. I figured Vino Me, had some Lake Buffer. Much of it depends on how deep your fit system goes. I know I had two years that I didn’t gain much height but I was making sure the roots dig deep. Our soil freezes almost 36” deep, so they should all be below that. VM, your vines are in rocky sands? Yes? They roots should have gone deep enough to survive.

Karl, how many vinifera vines do you have exposed? Did you cut them back and put rose cones on their tops?

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RE: Growing Your Own Grapes - 1/29/2019 4:39:13 PM

champagneinhand

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Franklin 10

quote:

ORIGINAL: khmark7

Thinking i will try planting any vinifera vines that i have on order either in a different location in my yard or possibly in some large pots with sandy poor soil composition. I can then pull those pots into the garage for the winter. The soil in my yard is heavy clay in many places, but it was still too rich for the Merlot & Cabernet, and they grew like weeds. Ironic as the Petite Sirah grew pretty well.

Have you thought about or actually tried Cabernet Franc? I’ve tinkered with the idea of some wine grape growing and also have clay soil. That’s what my (brief) reading led me to but I haven’t tried to date.

Franklin. Cabernet Franc does very well in the Niagara on the Lake as well as throughout the FLX and Hudson River Bslley.

They are pretty hearty. I have a mix of limestone/pre-limestone clay, but I’ve planted mostly Riesling back when ripping out most of my Chardonnay, PG and some Frontenac Gris. I will be planting some Vidal Blanc in one small section farthest away from my house towards a neighbor who uses too much herbicide.

I figure I’ll be replacing about 6-10 vine spots next Spring if the whole vineyard isn’t wiped out this Winter.

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RE: Growing Your Own Grapes - 1/29/2019 4:59:29 PM

ChrisinCowiche

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quote:

The temperature in my vineyard should only get to the -5 to 6 range and the Pinot Noir can withstand something up to -10 so I have my fingers crossed. VM

I had some sub zero days in early 2016, Pinot was my toughest variety, Syrah the most damage, but my Pinot is at very top of my hill. Best of luck VM.

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RE: Growing Your Own Grapes - 1/29/2019 7:03:14 PM

khmark7

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quote:

ORIGINAL: champagneinhand

I was very worried about my vines but it looks like a blast of Moroccan warmth has split the vortex a bit. We will probably stay just below zero but at least there is a solid foot of icy snow covering the bottoms. Still it doesn’t look good for the tops of the vines.

We shall see in Spring. Luckily Lake Ontario doesn’t fully freeze. That gives us some buffer. Neither does Seneca lake.

I was worried a bit for your vines Karl. I figured Vino Me, had some Lake Buffer. Much of it depends on how deep your fit system goes. I know I had two years that I didn’t gain much height but I was making sure the roots dig deep. Our soil freezes almost 36” deep, so they should all be below that. VM, your vines are in rocky sands? Yes? They roots should have gone deep enough to survive.

Karl, how many vinifera vines do you have exposed? Did you cut them back and put rose cones on their tops?

I have a few vinifera remaining, but they are covered with large rose cones. My Zweigelt has some different protection along with snow mounded around it. My Vidal Blanc will likely get destroyed along with a few others if we truly hit record low temps.
Honestly more worried about my peach trees.

Am replanting a Regent & Merlot vine in the spring. Maybe Riesling?

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RE: Growing Your Own Grapes - 3/11/2019 5:16:13 PM

khmark7

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Finally was able to get outside in sunny weather and start the long process of yard work prepping for growing season 2019. Usually i have most things completed by now, but with just over a month to go until likely bud break i have maybe 1% of my grapes pruned and only a few trees pruned. Started today by pruning some shrubs and thinning some vines. Maybe later this week i can finish pruning my apple & pear trees and start with the vines.

However, we are entering Chicago's mud season where everything in my yard is mud....this is gonna be fun.

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RE: Growing Your Own Grapes - 3/12/2019 4:11:49 AM

musedir

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Farmers Karl, Eddie & Chris - love experiencing your agricultural exploits through your reportage.

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RE: Growing Your Own Grapes - 3/14/2019 1:36:20 PM

Vino Me

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I pruned about 50 vines last weekend and the winter damage didn't look that bad. Won't know for sure until bud break though. I'm going to delay pruning the vast majority of my vines as late as I can to get a better handle on any damage and prune accordingly.

VM

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RE: Growing Your Own Grapes - 3/14/2019 2:29:28 PM

ChrisinCowiche

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We still have about a foot of snow, but I will strap on some crampons soon to start checking and pruning. It was amazing that I was out in late January worried about early bud break, then February happened. Highest snow totals for that month on record in most of the PacNW, and subfreezing temps into this week. Monday night was still in the teens. Next week the big thaw may start in earnest here. I have no idea how the vines will react to the overall late start, but I should not need irrigation for a couple of months at least.

January 26.

March 1.

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RE: Growing Your Own Grapes - 3/14/2019 3:48:55 PM

khmark7

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Snow has all melted here, with our warm, rainy and windy weather we are now only left with mud. Pruning coming along slowly. I would offer my services to CiS but i'm just down the block to the left.....

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RE: Growing Your Own Grapes - 3/19/2019 3:25:46 AM

khmark7

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Pruning all finished around my house. Now just need to spend an hour or two at my mother's house pruning stuff. Took about 4 days to get everything cleaned up around my house. Still need to dig up one vine and tighten the wires but otherwise pretty good.

Peach trees get pruned in April.

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RE: Growing Your Own Grapes - 3/28/2019 2:55:15 PM

khmark7

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Already getting bleeding from the pruning cuts on some vines in my yard. Looks like we could easily have early bud break.

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RE: Growing Your Own Grapes - 3/28/2019 3:31:52 PM

champagneinhand

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Must be nice to have warm temps. I thought it looked warm cresting 50F today, but nights are dropping down into the freezing zone.

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RE: Growing Your Own Grapes - 3/28/2019 3:58:39 PM

ChrisinCowiche

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quote:

ORIGINAL: khmark7

Already getting bleeding from the pruning cuts on some vines in my yard. Looks like we could easily have early bud break.

No bleeding here yet. I have pruned a few to check on this, but still a couple to three weeks away from bud break I think. We really just got rid of snow in past week.

With the lateness, and all other chaos in my life, my dear bride called the pros. They will be pruning and tying for us as they can get to it, probably a single full day with a seasoned crew.

In related news, I am taking some Sangio clippings to a fellow CTer who hopes to get some roots going and start a small estate vineyard. I cannot tell you who since this gift will be in form of a grapevine wreath in case TSA doesn't want live plants on the plane tomorrow.

Expect to see the AVA application and naming convention for Brunello di Pasadena in about 2021-22 though.

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RE: Growing Your Own Grapes - 3/29/2019 7:20:29 PM

khmark7

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Good luck with that Chris. How long does it take for you to prune the vineYARD?

Was able to get over to my mother's farm and prune the grapes there.....although tragically burned my best pruning shears in a brush fire, so that was very uncool.

Noticed that many of the pruning cuts immediately bled....which is very early, and i think our warm weather in January (before the vortex) along with our ample rainfall is sending us towards an early bud break.

Countdown till BB.

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RE: Growing Your Own Grapes - 3/29/2019 7:22:27 PM

khmark7

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Predicting April 14 for bud break....almost a week early. Not sure of the Las Vegas odds....

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RE: Growing Your Own Grapes - 4/22/2019 8:15:55 AM

champagneinhand

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So it has been so wet and chilly here I just am starting to see buds. I have no idea when buds might break. Chardonnay perhaps mid-May with Riesling a couple weeks later.

I’ll be gone for 2 weeks at the end of May, so I’m sure growth and shoots will go crazy when I am gone.

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RE: Growing Your Own Grapes - 4/22/2019 5:27:06 PM

khmark7

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Bud break for my early varieties will be tomorrow....April 23rd which is fairly normal. The bad thing is that several vines, mostly Cornell varieties appear REALLY beat up....like maybe 10% bud survival. Everything covered in rose cones...including my Gewurztraminer survived. My Buffalo, Canadice, Aromella, Vidal Blanc, Venus & Chelois vines are in bad shape. St. Vincent too early to tell. Frontenac, Swenson varieties, Marquette are all fine....they laugh at -30 F.

Peach trees and Apricot trees are in bad shape, barely pushing leaves. Apple & pear trees - no problems.

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RE: Growing Your Own Grapes - 4/22/2019 7:33:24 PM

ChrisinCowiche

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I'm still at least a week away. Mowed bottom 30 rows yesterday and got tired of riding in circles since it took 2-3 passes sometimes due to high grass. I met a large coyote who was strolling down our road then cut between me and the house via the vineyard. I expect it was a normal route for him. I didn't have my phone or other camera but it was a fun encounter. Handsome fellow out for a noonday stroll.

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RE: Growing Your Own Grapes - 4/27/2019 9:32:28 AM

khmark7

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Heavy slushy snow right now, and it's already covering the ground and vines. Many shoots are 1 cm up to 1 inch long, so those vines may have heavy damage. I have set up frost blankets over many vines, but those are wet and offer limited protection to many of my high wire trellising (top wire cordons). Luckily the secondary shoots on many varieties will produce grapes and are often very vigorous, so by this upcoming week i will be able to see the damage.

Blooming apple trees also a concern, at least half my trees were in the pink tip phase and one of my pear trees was about to go full bloom.

This is very bad.

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RE: Growing Your Own Grapes - 4/27/2019 4:19:49 PM

khmark7

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3 inches of snow. Currently 32.9 degrees outside and it's starting to clear and now the temps will drop further. Have not seen this, not in the last 10 years since i've had grapes.

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RE: Growing Your Own Grapes - 4/28/2019 10:37:11 AM

ChrisinCowiche

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How did you fair, khmark7 ? Hoping you were able to shelter and/or can keep some secondary or tertiary buds.

We saw snow at 2000 feet elevation yesterday, our vineyard is at 1720-1800 ft, and had a bit of cold rain. Our temps dropped into mid 30's last night with winds at 15-20 mph. Cold as snot to the skin, but safe for the tender buds and shoots. We have a couple of more night forecasts near 32 range.

Farming is not for the weak of heart.

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RE: Growing Your Own Grapes - 4/28/2019 3:04:20 PM

khmark7

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Chris - yes, a few vines appeared to have done ok. The shelter i had placed over my Gewurztraminer blew over....and my Zweigelt appears not to have done well...so much for any vinifera this summer.

I will be lucky to harvest enough grapes to make a batch of jelly.

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RE: Growing Your Own Grapes - 5/1/2019 7:38:16 AM

Vino Me

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With the help of some friends, we got everything pruned on April 13th. The vines looked good. My bud break is always a little later due to my proximity to Lake Michigan so I don't expect any damage from the snow that Khmark mentioned. Temps would have to drop to about 27 to see any bud damage from the cold and it didn't get that cold. I'll be checking on the vines this weekend.

VM

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RE: Growing Your Own Grapes - 5/1/2019 5:03:37 PM

khmark7

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I would expect you are just fine VM. Since our eventful snowfall it's been nothing but rain so i still haven't gotten around to a complete survey of the yard. From what i can tell it looks bad, and many of the vines are just barely showing signs of life.

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RE: Growing Your Own Grapes - 5/1/2019 6:08:18 PM

CranBurgundy

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quote:

ORIGINAL: khmark7

I will be lucky to harvest enough grapes to make a batch of jelly.

Ooooo, does that mean the sampler 4 pack I just got will be worth bu-koo bucks because of the rarity?

Thanks a ton!

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RE: Growing Your Own Grapes - 5/2/2019 6:46:24 AM

brettlaurvick

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quote:

ORIGINAL: khmark7

I would expect you are just fine VM. Since our eventful snowfall it's been nothing but rain so i still haven't gotten around to a complete survey of the yard. From what i can tell it looks bad, and many of the vines are just barely showing signs of life.

Sorry to hear this Karl.
B & SIL have been down here this week from Sycamore visiting and they showed me pics last night of the Sycamore Golf Course almost completely under water.
We know a lot of farmers that are on the sidelines right now praying for a better weather pattern

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