Newsletter Volume IV, Issue 2 (May 2006)
Welcome
Can you believe it’s already May? It seems like just yesterday we were (im)patiently waiting for the snow to melt so that the vines could begin their annual growth cycle again! We have witnessed a lot of changes to the vineyard since April, so read on if you want to hear more.
April showers bring May…frost?
Our warmer-than-normal winter gave way to a warmer-than-normal April. But once May rolled around we cooled down to below normal temperatures for much of the month. There were many days where our highs were only in the 50’s (F). And the clouds seemed like they would never go away. Meanwhile, most of our vines experienced budbreak and by this point in later May have shoots between 6-12″ in length. A couple of years ago, we had a hard frost on the 22nd of May. But even with cooler May temperatures, it looked as though we might miss out on a late frost.
But then a cold front came through and on the morning of the 22nd of May we had a pretty good frost. It wiped out our pumpkin plants, zucchini and most of the cucumbers. As I looked around that morning, I noticed frost on many of the rooftops in our neighborhood. It did not look good. But the vines seem to have come through relatively unscathed - see the pictures below. In one shot, the leaf appears to have frost on it. On the other, there is merely dew. Overall, I only found one vine with frost on it. The rest were ok.
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| This picture was taken a little after 6am on 5/22. Note the beads of dew on the leaves. | This picture was taken a little after the previous one on 5/22. Note the apparent frost on the leaves. |
New Vines!
It seems like each year I tell myself I won’t buy more vines. Then sure enough, I find a reason to try another variety. Last fall, I ordered three Marquette vines which are due to arrive any time now. And as luck would have it, it looks like I have three spots to plant them in. If you aren’t familiar with Marquette (previously known as MN 1211), it is a new red wine variety from the University of Minnesota that has shown promise as a cold hardy, disease-resistant grape that makes a full bodied wine. Time will tell, but I’m excited to add it to the collection.
Website Changes
Over the next few months, visitors to bluedoorvineyard.com will begin to notice changes to the site. The most obvious will be the layout. But there is a lot more to the changes that I’m working on than that. Up until now, 99% of the pages on the site are static html pages and have to be updated manually. As the site has grown, so has the task of updating pages which has caused delays in getting to some changes I’ve wanted to make. Part of the site changes include implementing a content management system that will make it easier for me to update the site and have more time to spend on growing grapes - the reason I started this in the first place!
Some of the features that you as a user of this site may be interested in include:
- Newsletter Automation - Site visitors can register with the site and sign up to begin receiving the newsletter.
- Discussion Forum - The site will host it’s own discussion forum. Previously I’ve relied on a third-party forum host to provide this service and it hasn’t always worked that well.
- Blog - I’ll be able to more easily and quickly publish vineyard updates and depending on the level of interest can allow for site visitors to comment on them. There will be an RSS feed of the updates as well.
I plan to begin rolling out the changes very soon. So check back frequently to see the changes!
Vineyard Status
Despite the frost on the 22nd of May, we have actually had a fairly warm spring. Consequently, the vines are a little bit ahead of where they typically would be. There have been a few issues to deal with though.
One issue that is just about to become a non-issue at least for this season is grape flea beetles. I noticed a few of these little guys last year, but didn’t realize what they were or the damage they caused. This spring brought with it a pretty heavy infestation of them - specifically on the Frontenac vines. They eat the buds from the inside out leaving little of the primary bud to grow. Once the vines are leafed out, they aren’t such a problem. So the early-budding Foch vines weren’t touched. And for some reason - maybe the peach fuzz on the underside of the leaves - they didn’t attack the Sabrevois either. I am trying out an organic spray that is a combination of fatty acids and sulfur. It is supposed to minimize insect attacks and also help to prevent mildew on the vines. I don’t have the brand name in front of me, but will post it on the site soon along with an update regarding how effective it is.
Another issue that I’ve dealt with over time are gopher attacks. These guys kill vines by chewing the main root. Last fall, they killed one vine each of three different varieties. The plants happened to be lined up at one end of the vineyard and all three seem totally fried right now. It’s possible that one or more will come back from other roots, but I’m not sure of that yet. I’m going to start using powdered coyote urine and whatever else I can find to repel them. I’ve thought about traps, but where I live, it might not be practical as there are many other gophers that could move in to replace any I remove.
Thanks for taking the time to read our newsletter! I hope you find the newsletter an informative and entertaining source of information. If you do, feel free to forward the e-mail to others that may be interested. If you have suggestions for future topics or general comments/suggestions, feel free to send me a note using the Contact Us page.
The next newsletter should arrive in your inbox sometime soon. In the meantime, thanks for reading and take care! Don’t forget to tell your friends about the newsletter!
Grapelog » Newsletter Archive Said,
September 16, 2006 @ 1:01 am
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