Bud Break; Pruning; Weed Control

I did a head count and all but about 200 plants have budded. Some of the rest are alive but slow. And a few simply didn't make it. I figure we'll have to replant something like 10%, which isn't great but isn't bad considering we're rank amateurs.

I think I've done all the pruning I'm going to do this season. Most experts advise simply letting the plants run wild the first year, which is supposed to promote a robust root system. The downside is the vines won't reach the first wire until next year, and will take an extra year to bear fruit. "My" expert says you can prune down to one bud in the first year, which will promote a vigorous shoot that should reach the first wire and minimize the wait to production of wine grapes. I took the more aggressive approach and pruned heavily, although I did leave at least two and often three buds unless one of them was so robust that I didn't feel I needed backup.

I also bought a backpack sprayer and a gallon of glyphosate (generic Roundup). It went smoothly and I was able to spray the entire 2.5 acre vineyard in one day. I just sprayed in and around the rows, leaving the aisles with some cover grasses which will brown over the summer. I mixed in some dye so I could see where I was spraying. The grow tubes keep overspray from drifting onto the vines. (At least I hope they did!)

A neighbor came by to see what I was doing. Said he had lived in Moses Lake since he got out of the Navy in 1944. Never saw grapes being planted before, he said. I told him I hadn't either.

The slope looks good, don't you think?

Army of Grow Tubes

Finished putting in stakes & plant protectors. This week I'll spray the weeds. The aisles have alot of native grass growing in them which is good for holding down erosion and dust, so I'll leave that and just take out the broadleaf weeds with a post-emergent (contact) herbicide.

Started putting up bamboo training stakes and cardboard plant protectors. Also doing the second pruning as we go. Most of the plants are well along in bud break. Some are delayed, but with the warm weekend we should know by next week which ones will make it and how many will actually need to be replanted.

Mothers Day

April & I took Mom out to the project and put her to work on Mothers Day. Thoughtful, huh?

Spent three solid days removing rocks, shaping the rows, smoothing out the aisles. Compare this photo to the one in my 4/23 post.
Plants are healthy, some bud break already, but most are still waiting for that first good week of 80 degree weather.