Something New This Year

Well we are trying something new this year in the vineyard. Over the past two years we have allowed 3-4 shoots per foot per cordon. This is the recommended amount of shoots for red wine grape vines. In allowing for this we have had any where from 9-15 single shoots per cordon. The range varies because not all cordons are three feet long nor do shoots pop where you need them. This method brought about very cluttered vines.

Well this year we are keeping the same 3-4 shoots per cordon but taking away the single shoot method and creating a double shoot method. What this will do is create more space between the spurs on the vines and allow more room for the grapes to grow (less clutter). This is the method most used by grape growers and we have finally adopted it in our vineyard.

What this now requires is for me to go through the entire vineyard and remove spurs that create clutter and open the vine up. I have three more rows to go in the Merlot before I start the Cab Sav. I would love to look back after harvest this year and say that this was a good move for the vineyard. Hey only time can tell.

WAKE UP!!!!

Well everything is awake and growing in the vineyard. Since my last post we have done a lot in the vineyard and this has been reflected in the decrease of post I have had over the past week. Ok, to get everyone up to speed here is what has happened:

• 4/12-Merlots buds popped
• 4/16-Placed 5 oz of 10-14-10 around Merlots
• 4/19-Finished spraying herbicide and hoeing
• 4/21-Cab Sav buds popped.
• 4/21-Sprayed entire vineyard with Sulfur/Diathane
• 4/25-Replaced 8 Merlot plants from Double A Nursery
• 4/26-Weeded roses bushes and lambs ear

Missed the Frost

Well before we left for vacation I wrote about our Merlots popping and the weather man calling for frost!!! Well, thank goodness it missed us because there was nothing we could do from Oak Island that week. I called several people, even my grandmother, to see how bad the frost was that morning and to my liking they all said it missed us. Wow, this was the first in three years Frost didn't hurt our young Merlot shoots.

Golden Muscat and Niagara

Well this past weekend our 6 Golden Muscat and 6 Niagara plants arrived and were placed in the ground. Again, my hats off to Double A Vineyard out of New York. They have supplied us with our vines since 2006 and supplied us with these vines. We didn't order but 12 vines because we are not looking at selling these but making jelly, grape juice and some home made wine. We thought after we didn't bring in enough money last year to expand our vineyard we would do something small with a handful of vines that we enjoy.

We planted the vines between the cabin and our sign, blocking the view of the road and surrounding houses and giving the cabin a look of being tucked away in the vines. We are expecting these vines to do well and learn from the different variety that is in our vineyard.

"Vacation and Merlot Popping"

Well this week we are going to be taking a week long trip to the beach before the real work begins in the vineyard. We love going down to my parents place at Oak Island and just relaxing. This gives us time to sit back and enjoy the sun, surf and some good food. Caden has been talking about this beach trip all year and is very excited.

This morning we noticed that the Merlot Buds have start popping. This is very exciting and a little scary at the same time. I am glad to see my babies waking up but they are calling for frost this week and this will be the third year in a row that my Merlots have been bit by frost. We pruned the Merlots 6 days later this year than last hoping that it would delay bud burst. Well it did and it didn't, last year they popped on 4/1 and this year they popped on 4/4. This is later than last year but three days is not really that big of a window.

Last year it took about 10 days for the entire Merlot block to all pop, so we will be back from the beach by then and in time to apply 10-14-10 around each vine and get a good spray on them. I expect the Cab Sav to start popping sometime around 4/20 so we should be well out of the way of frost. Frost is my real concern with growing Merlot in our area. They pop so early in the year and this allows for frost to bite the tender new shoots. I guess next year I will need to wait a little longer before pruning the Merlots, live and learn???