Llynn
Non-ranked Constituent
- Location
- Pacific NorthWET
This is a very enjoyable thread. I'm a fan!
The vineyard
- Thread starter Tommy
- Start date
Tommy
Senior Member
- Location
- New Hampshire
I do so admire your handiwork, Gary O'!
I was surprised how easy that mesh was to work with. In stainless it was a bit pricey but I chose that because it would be buried. When I use it above ground in the future I'll go with galvanized.
Loved your story about the bush beans. It reminds me of what happened a few years back with my wife's cauliflower seedlings. We didn't catch the little thieves in the act, but she went out one morning and the plants had just vanished. No footprints, no stems, no signs of digging ... they were just gone!
I'm going to brazenly steal your design for your raspberry house.
Wife has been wanting a greenhouse so I'll copy your frame and then use a mixture of plywood, hardware mesh, and plexiglass and/or plastic sheeting for the roof and walls.
Yeah, they now have this plexi that doesn't get all brittle after a summer of sun.
I threw tarps on our garden houses in fall and winter, and bungied them pretty tight
Thought sure they'd collapse from the snow load, but they held quite well
The short 45 2x2s in strategic places were probably the difference
Tommy
Senior Member
- Location
- New Hampshire
Arrivals
“’O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!’ he chortled in his joy!” (Lewis Carroll)
On Tuesday, April 20th, I received an email message telling me that my vines have shipped … exactly as promised. On Wednesday, April 21st our UPS guy delivered the package. The time of waiting is finally over.
I was barely able to resist the temptation to open the package immediately but, with poor weather forecast for the next few days, I put it in a cool place instead, as instructed. Now, Saturday has finally brought us a nice day and we’re up and about early. The time has come to meet our new arrivals.
Like most mail order plants, the grapevines were shipped “bare root”, meaning all of the soil has been removed from around the roots. Inside a heavy plastic bag, each plant is individually wrapped with sheets of wet paper and packed in a large amount of wet shredded newspaper. Clearly, the AA Vineyards took great care to ensure that the plants wouldn’t be damaged during shipping and that the all-important fine roots wouldn’t dry out.
Each plant has a plastic tag attached that identifies the variety. All of them seem to be of decent size, but the Mars plants are noticeably smaller than the Canadice. Is this a natural difference between the varieties, I wonder? To my inexperienced eye, each plant’s root system appears to be well developed and there are good looking bud nodes on each of the clipped stems.
Our new grapevines look so much better than the bare root ground ivy my wife ordered from a different supplier last year. Of the 24 plants they sent, only two actually grew. I feel like our vineyard will be off to a good start.
Some wisdom from the vineyard.
Bare root plants are such dubious looking things. Deep down it’s hard to believe that the frail looking sticks in your hand could ever produce the beautiful mature plants you’ve envisioned. Yet with proper care and attention, a bare root plant that was created by an expert grower will produce buds, leaves, flowers and fruit at the proper time.
So it is with people who give their lives to the Lord, the master grower.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
“’O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!’ he chortled in his joy!” (Lewis Carroll)
On Tuesday, April 20th, I received an email message telling me that my vines have shipped … exactly as promised. On Wednesday, April 21st our UPS guy delivered the package. The time of waiting is finally over.
I was barely able to resist the temptation to open the package immediately but, with poor weather forecast for the next few days, I put it in a cool place instead, as instructed. Now, Saturday has finally brought us a nice day and we’re up and about early. The time has come to meet our new arrivals.
Like most mail order plants, the grapevines were shipped “bare root”, meaning all of the soil has been removed from around the roots. Inside a heavy plastic bag, each plant is individually wrapped with sheets of wet paper and packed in a large amount of wet shredded newspaper. Clearly, the AA Vineyards took great care to ensure that the plants wouldn’t be damaged during shipping and that the all-important fine roots wouldn’t dry out.
Each plant has a plastic tag attached that identifies the variety. All of them seem to be of decent size, but the Mars plants are noticeably smaller than the Canadice. Is this a natural difference between the varieties, I wonder? To my inexperienced eye, each plant’s root system appears to be well developed and there are good looking bud nodes on each of the clipped stems.
Our new grapevines look so much better than the bare root ground ivy my wife ordered from a different supplier last year. Of the 24 plants they sent, only two actually grew. I feel like our vineyard will be off to a good start.
Some wisdom from the vineyard.
Bare root plants are such dubious looking things. Deep down it’s hard to believe that the frail looking sticks in your hand could ever produce the beautiful mature plants you’ve envisioned. Yet with proper care and attention, a bare root plant that was created by an expert grower will produce buds, leaves, flowers and fruit at the proper time.
So it is with people who give their lives to the Lord, the master grower.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Tommy
Senior Member
- Location
- New Hampshire
Planting Day
This is exciting and, well okay . . . maybe just a bit scary! The mood of the day is “I only get one shot at this and I want to get it right”. I think I’m ready . . I think . . . .
The first step is simple - soak the plants in water for several hours. Yup, I can do that. I put all four vines into a 5-gallon bucket of water and let them soak while gathering the other needed materials and equipment and getting things ready.
The smaller plant of each variety will be what I call the “understudies” - that is, plants that are ready to step in and take over if the principle actor becomes unable to perform. These will be grown in 5-gallon buckets in the same soil as the primary vines and placed in the same general locations. The first to be planted is Canadice #2.
About the soil: As I may have mentioned before, the soil in our vineyard is stratified – native sandy soil under a thick layer of new screened loam. This is somewhat unfortunate but I don’t know how it could reasonably have been avoided. Thankfully, I did have the presence of mind to save back some of the native soil for later use.
So:
- a five gallon bucket with a bunch of drainage holes drilled through the bottom
- some medium sized gravel
- a well-mixed blend of loam, native soil, cow manure, and wood ash (for potassium)
I add a couple inches of gravel to the bucket for drainage. My wife holds the plant straight and at the right height while I add the soil mixture, spreading out the roots as I go. When the bucket is nearly full, I give a gentle tug on the stem of the vine to “seat” the roots and then finish adding the soil.
Next I drive a five-foot grade stake into the soil as straight and deep as I can get it. This stake has two purposes. First, it will provide support for the vine until it’s tall enough to reach the wires on the trellis. Second, it will support the growing tube.
“What is a “growing tube?” you may well ask.
Well, it’s a translucent blue plastic tube that, according to AA Vineyards, "protects the young vines, provides an ideal microclimate, and promotes rapid growth by amplifying the beneficial blue light hitting the plant". Hmmm . . . time will tell, but based on the grower’s strong reputation (and the $1.35 price) I ordered four of them when I ordered the vines.
Finally, with the growing tube duly installed, I water the plant thoroughly. The process is basically the same for the other three vines.
Bare sticks poking out of the ground. Blue plastic tubes. Um .… I sure hope I did this right.
Some wisdom from the vineyard.
Each of us makes many decisions every day. Most of these are of no great consequence but sometimes they are important. On occasion they can be of monumental importance. It’s human nature to hope that we’ve made correct choices and not overlooked anything. We’ve learned from experience that things can and do go wrong and that errors can be costly … physically, financially, and emotionally.
Thankfully the Lord never makes mistakes and always keeps His promises. In our spiritual life we can always find peace.
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
This is exciting and, well okay . . . maybe just a bit scary! The mood of the day is “I only get one shot at this and I want to get it right”. I think I’m ready . . I think . . . .
The first step is simple - soak the plants in water for several hours. Yup, I can do that. I put all four vines into a 5-gallon bucket of water and let them soak while gathering the other needed materials and equipment and getting things ready.
The smaller plant of each variety will be what I call the “understudies” - that is, plants that are ready to step in and take over if the principle actor becomes unable to perform. These will be grown in 5-gallon buckets in the same soil as the primary vines and placed in the same general locations. The first to be planted is Canadice #2.
About the soil: As I may have mentioned before, the soil in our vineyard is stratified – native sandy soil under a thick layer of new screened loam. This is somewhat unfortunate but I don’t know how it could reasonably have been avoided. Thankfully, I did have the presence of mind to save back some of the native soil for later use.
So:
- a five gallon bucket with a bunch of drainage holes drilled through the bottom
- some medium sized gravel
- a well-mixed blend of loam, native soil, cow manure, and wood ash (for potassium)
I add a couple inches of gravel to the bucket for drainage. My wife holds the plant straight and at the right height while I add the soil mixture, spreading out the roots as I go. When the bucket is nearly full, I give a gentle tug on the stem of the vine to “seat” the roots and then finish adding the soil.
Next I drive a five-foot grade stake into the soil as straight and deep as I can get it. This stake has two purposes. First, it will provide support for the vine until it’s tall enough to reach the wires on the trellis. Second, it will support the growing tube.
“What is a “growing tube?” you may well ask.
Well, it’s a translucent blue plastic tube that, according to AA Vineyards, "protects the young vines, provides an ideal microclimate, and promotes rapid growth by amplifying the beneficial blue light hitting the plant". Hmmm . . . time will tell, but based on the grower’s strong reputation (and the $1.35 price) I ordered four of them when I ordered the vines.
Finally, with the growing tube duly installed, I water the plant thoroughly. The process is basically the same for the other three vines.
Bare sticks poking out of the ground. Blue plastic tubes. Um .… I sure hope I did this right.
Some wisdom from the vineyard.
Each of us makes many decisions every day. Most of these are of no great consequence but sometimes they are important. On occasion they can be of monumental importance. It’s human nature to hope that we’ve made correct choices and not overlooked anything. We’ve learned from experience that things can and do go wrong and that errors can be costly … physically, financially, and emotionally.
Thankfully the Lord never makes mistakes and always keeps His promises. In our spiritual life we can always find peace.
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Tommy
Senior Member
- Location
- New Hampshire
Weeds
A weed, by definition, is just a plant that’s growing somewhere it isn’t wanted. This is purely a human problem. After all, there are no weeds in nature.
The birds and beasties that share our property here do a really good job of spreading plant seeds around, but when the sweet pea and cow vetch that we enjoy so much in our meadow start appearing in our garden and flower beds, they become weeds that need to be eliminated.
What I learned. Weeds compete with grapevines for nutrients and can spread diseases. Ideally, a minimum six foot weed-free zone should be maintained in every direction around each vine.
Okay . . . the hill where our vineyard is located is covered with a lush diversity of native plant life. Among the dozens of varieties found there, the most notable are sweet pea, goldenrod, and bramble. How will I keep these miscreants from moving in?
Bare ground would require almost constant weeding. The use of herbicides is out of the question. That seems to leave mulching. Time to head back to “YouTube University”!
I’ve read that grass clippings can spread disease to grapevines so that won’t work. Leaves, especially oak leaves, acidify the soil. We do use bark mulch in some of our landscaping but it’s somewhat costly and not always effective in preventing weed growth. The same with landscape fabric. But … newspaper! Yes! We have plenty of old newspaper, it’s free, and someone on Youtube says it works so it MUST be true!
Measuring tape, stakes, and string in hand I carefully survey and mark the weed-free zone. I have to cheat a little on the yard side because six feet would extend too far into the yard, but the other three sides should be fine.
As the newspaper is spread out, I secure the overlapping corners with dozens of melon-sized rocks. (Have I mentioned that we have lots of rocks here?)
It’s a lot of manual labor and the result is not at all pretty. Pretty awful in fact. It looks like . . . well, it looks like about 150 square feet of old newspaper covered with a bunch of randomly placed rocks. Because it’s done, I’ll try it for a while to see how well it works but clearly a more attractive solution is going to be necessary.
Some wisdom from the vineyard.
We’ve all made poor choices from time to time. I certainly make more than my share. Sometimes these choices have started me down a path of self-destructive behavior that might continue for some time. Then one day, I wake up and admit to myself that what I’ve been doing is wrong and totally out of character for me. As a person who has given his life to the Lord, my actions have been inappropriate and unwanted. In effect, they are weeds in my Christian life.
At those times I have to do some personal weeding. I bring my error to the Lord and humbly ask for His forgiveness and He always forgives me … His mercies are new every morning.
1 John 1:19 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
A weed, by definition, is just a plant that’s growing somewhere it isn’t wanted. This is purely a human problem. After all, there are no weeds in nature.
The birds and beasties that share our property here do a really good job of spreading plant seeds around, but when the sweet pea and cow vetch that we enjoy so much in our meadow start appearing in our garden and flower beds, they become weeds that need to be eliminated.
What I learned. Weeds compete with grapevines for nutrients and can spread diseases. Ideally, a minimum six foot weed-free zone should be maintained in every direction around each vine.
Okay . . . the hill where our vineyard is located is covered with a lush diversity of native plant life. Among the dozens of varieties found there, the most notable are sweet pea, goldenrod, and bramble. How will I keep these miscreants from moving in?
Bare ground would require almost constant weeding. The use of herbicides is out of the question. That seems to leave mulching. Time to head back to “YouTube University”!
I’ve read that grass clippings can spread disease to grapevines so that won’t work. Leaves, especially oak leaves, acidify the soil. We do use bark mulch in some of our landscaping but it’s somewhat costly and not always effective in preventing weed growth. The same with landscape fabric. But … newspaper! Yes! We have plenty of old newspaper, it’s free, and someone on Youtube says it works so it MUST be true!
Measuring tape, stakes, and string in hand I carefully survey and mark the weed-free zone. I have to cheat a little on the yard side because six feet would extend too far into the yard, but the other three sides should be fine.
As the newspaper is spread out, I secure the overlapping corners with dozens of melon-sized rocks. (Have I mentioned that we have lots of rocks here?)
It’s a lot of manual labor and the result is not at all pretty. Pretty awful in fact. It looks like . . . well, it looks like about 150 square feet of old newspaper covered with a bunch of randomly placed rocks. Because it’s done, I’ll try it for a while to see how well it works but clearly a more attractive solution is going to be necessary.
Some wisdom from the vineyard.
We’ve all made poor choices from time to time. I certainly make more than my share. Sometimes these choices have started me down a path of self-destructive behavior that might continue for some time. Then one day, I wake up and admit to myself that what I’ve been doing is wrong and totally out of character for me. As a person who has given his life to the Lord, my actions have been inappropriate and unwanted. In effect, they are weeds in my Christian life.
At those times I have to do some personal weeding. I bring my error to the Lord and humbly ask for His forgiveness and He always forgives me … His mercies are new every morning.
1 John 1:19 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Aunt Bea
SF VIP
- Location
- Near Mount Pilot
Be thankful for your rocky New England soil.
Every rock you see is one less weed to pull.
A stone mulch will warm the soil and still allow moisture to get through.
Every rock you see is one less weed to pull.
A stone mulch will warm the soil and still allow moisture to get through.
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I've just discovered your thread, Tommy, and I have to say it is wonderful!
My late husband was a gardener, he always had a vegetable garden and I have my flowers....gardening is a ongoing learning experience and it does have its challenges ....I try to instill in my children and grandchildren the joys of digging in the dirt and planting.
Keep up the good work!
My late husband was a gardener, he always had a vegetable garden and I have my flowers....gardening is a ongoing learning experience and it does have its challenges ....I try to instill in my children and grandchildren the joys of digging in the dirt and planting.
Keep up the good work!
Tommy
Senior Member
- Location
- New Hampshire
Thank you so much for that, Aunt Bea. You're wise person and a special friend.
My "glass half empty" side is always lurking, waiting for an opportunity to come to the fore. It's one of those persistent weeds in my life. Your post is a lovely and most welcome reminder of how very, very much I have to be grateful for.
Tommy
Senior Member
- Location
- New Hampshire
Thank you, Jackie 23. You're very kind.
What a wonderful gift to be giving to your children and grandchildren!
Tommy
Senior Member
- Location
- New Hampshire
Planting Grass
Unlike our former home which had a “lawn”, this one has a “yard” . . . strictly my definitions, mind you.
A lawn is demanding and fussy. Evenly green. Smooth and weed free, Neatly trimmed and edged. Raked and thatched. Requires the annual use of chemicals.
A yard is low maintenance and comfortable. Possibly green(–ish). Although mostly grass, our yard here also includes clover, moss, violets, and just about anything else that’s green and can be mowed. You can drive your truck on a yard.
Still, the bare earth around our vineyard needs a jump-start.
My first attempt to plant grass took place in mid-April. To say it was a dismal failure would be a HUGE understatement.
The first thing I discovered was that the small birds in our area are particularly partial to tall fescue grass seed. Sparrows, juncos, finches, and assorted other feathered felons were there by the dozen blissfully munching my seed, Those little guys are totally fearless when it comes to food. I could almost step on them before they would grudgingly fly off a short distance, only to return the minute I left the area.
Then too, the spring winds blew the straw mulch around leaving bare patches of dirt everywhere, and the spring rains washed the remaining seed into little pools, resulting in small, dense clumps of seed and large areas of seedless soil. At the end of two weeks (the alleged germination period for the seed), hardly a single blade of grass had emerged.
A month has now passed. Natural food for the birds has begun to appear, and the wind and rain have subsided considerably. It’s time to try again.
Back in April I used a spreader to sow the seed. This time I’ve decided to do it by hand. It seems to me that I can spread it more evenly this way and . . . well, there’s just something satisfying about not using a machine to do the work.
After lightly raking the ground, I spread the seed and my wife follows with a thin layer of straw. I then set up a sweep sprinkler on a timer to water the whole area for 30 minutes each morning.
The birds are back but far fewer of them this time.
Some wisdom from the vineyard.
I’m hoping for a better result this time around, but if this planting fails then the next time I’ll try a different seed. After that, maybe some starter fertilizer. Then something else. I won’t give up.
I fail in my spiritual life as well . . . just about every day it seems . . . but I never give up. I humbly bring my failures to the Lord and he forgives me, setting me back on my feet to continue trying. He is my strength.
Proverbs 24:16 for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.
Unlike our former home which had a “lawn”, this one has a “yard” . . . strictly my definitions, mind you.
A lawn is demanding and fussy. Evenly green. Smooth and weed free, Neatly trimmed and edged. Raked and thatched. Requires the annual use of chemicals.
A yard is low maintenance and comfortable. Possibly green(–ish). Although mostly grass, our yard here also includes clover, moss, violets, and just about anything else that’s green and can be mowed. You can drive your truck on a yard.
Still, the bare earth around our vineyard needs a jump-start.
My first attempt to plant grass took place in mid-April. To say it was a dismal failure would be a HUGE understatement.
The first thing I discovered was that the small birds in our area are particularly partial to tall fescue grass seed. Sparrows, juncos, finches, and assorted other feathered felons were there by the dozen blissfully munching my seed, Those little guys are totally fearless when it comes to food. I could almost step on them before they would grudgingly fly off a short distance, only to return the minute I left the area.
Then too, the spring winds blew the straw mulch around leaving bare patches of dirt everywhere, and the spring rains washed the remaining seed into little pools, resulting in small, dense clumps of seed and large areas of seedless soil. At the end of two weeks (the alleged germination period for the seed), hardly a single blade of grass had emerged.
A month has now passed. Natural food for the birds has begun to appear, and the wind and rain have subsided considerably. It’s time to try again.
Back in April I used a spreader to sow the seed. This time I’ve decided to do it by hand. It seems to me that I can spread it more evenly this way and . . . well, there’s just something satisfying about not using a machine to do the work.
After lightly raking the ground, I spread the seed and my wife follows with a thin layer of straw. I then set up a sweep sprinkler on a timer to water the whole area for 30 minutes each morning.
The birds are back but far fewer of them this time.
Some wisdom from the vineyard.
I’m hoping for a better result this time around, but if this planting fails then the next time I’ll try a different seed. After that, maybe some starter fertilizer. Then something else. I won’t give up.
I fail in my spiritual life as well . . . just about every day it seems . . . but I never give up. I humbly bring my failures to the Lord and he forgives me, setting me back on my feet to continue trying. He is my strength.
Proverbs 24:16 for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.
My yard is a combination of Bermuda and St Augustine grass....the St Augustine is very challenging here....also have patches of different weeds....Maheia being the biggest pest....I used to be more diligent about the lawn....now I'm happy if it's green.
If you know someone that rents an aerator for their lawn care, you might ask them for the plugs.
Great for starting a lawn.
Done it a few times.
Spread the plugs
Run over it all with a golf cart towing something that'll bust up the plugs (like a chunk of wire fence)
Water
Wait
Tommy
Senior Member
- Location
- New Hampshire
Yes! Green is good!What makes St. Augustine grass challenging for you?
I'm not familiar with Maheia. What is it?
Tommy
Senior Member
- Location
- New Hampshire
What a great idea, Gary! Thanks!!! I'll remember that in the event that I have to have to plant a larger area i the future.
Good Morning Tommy,
What makes St. Augustine grass challenging for you?
I'm not familiar with Maheia. What is it?
No wonder you didn't know Maheia.....I misspelled it...it is Mahia....tough to mow, dulls blades
https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/bahiagrass/
I have a hard time getting St Augustine established mainly because I have too much shade and the harsh Texas heat and drought conditions. Looking back, I'm sure we could of had better luck if we had planted more drought friendly... but at this stage I just go with what I have.
Tommy
Senior Member
- Location
- New Hampshire
Bark Mulch
It’s late May, and I’m grudgingly having to admit to myself that the “newspaper and rocks” mulching scheme isn’t working well at all.
Because of the roughly 8-9% grade of the ground’s surface, it appears that much of the water the vineyard receives simply runs off. The wet newspaper then dries and gets “crispy”, and even light winds cause it to rip from beneath the rocks. I’ve probably spent more time moving rocks and replacing newspaper than I would have if I had just been hand weeding the area.
Unwelcome blades and shoots are also finding ways to come up under, around, and through the newspaper. And on top of everything else, well . . . it’s just plain ugly!!!
“Plan B” is to try bark mulch. At our local Ace hardware store I found Scott’s Naturescapes bark mulch in Deep Forest Brown (who comes up with these names anyway?) for $5 a bag. I need a dozen bags to create a roughly two-inch thick layer of mulch.
Lugging hundreds of pounds of rocks out of the vineyard is no treat and I have to be careful doing it because of my recent hernia repair. (Oh, I may have neglected to mention the hernia I got last fall while moving rocks. Suffice it to say, that isn’t something I want to do again.)
On the other hand, there’s a profound sense of satisfaction in gathering up and disposing of all of the crispy newspaper. An almost vengeful satisfaction.
Spreading the bark mulch was uneventful and the result looks nice.
Some wisdom from the vineyard.
$60 for bark mulch and the effort involved in spreading it isn’t really a big deal. Certainly not even close to being a game changer. It’s not in my nature to give up on things, but sometimes a problem can be so difficult or costly to remedy that a person decides to abandon the project entirely.
An event from my past:
In the early 1970s I inherited my grandmother’s car. It was a beautiful, top of the line 1957 Buick Roadmaster that my grandfather had purchased shortly before his death. Having never driven before, my grandmother had to learn to drive and get a driver’s license. She was never comfortable behind the wheel so she rarely drove. The car was in like new condition and had very few miles on the odometer. Through the years it had always been stored in a heated garage and serviced regularly.
I babied that car, but after a couple of years it started burning oil. I learned that the old rubber valve stem seals had deteriorated with age, so I carefully removed the cylinder heads (quite an accomplishment for me) and took them to a local machine shop to be rebuilt.
A few days later the engine developed a bad knocking sound. I took it to the local Buick dealership and, after running up a sizeable bill for the cost of their diagnostic work, was told that the push rods were bent and it would cost another $300+ to fix it. It turns out that the machine shop had used incorrect valve stem seals when they rebuilt the cylinder heads.
At the time my wife and I were young and struggling financially and couldn’t afford to get it fixed. And we desperately needed transportation. When the dealer offered to buy the car for $500 (less the cost of the diagnostic work, of course), I felt that I had little choice but to accept the offer.
There have been a few other times when I’ve chosen to give up on something that was dear to me because the physical, emotional or financial cost was more than I was willing or able to pay.
I’m forever in awe of the price our Heavenly Father paid to rescue us.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
It’s late May, and I’m grudgingly having to admit to myself that the “newspaper and rocks” mulching scheme isn’t working well at all.
Because of the roughly 8-9% grade of the ground’s surface, it appears that much of the water the vineyard receives simply runs off. The wet newspaper then dries and gets “crispy”, and even light winds cause it to rip from beneath the rocks. I’ve probably spent more time moving rocks and replacing newspaper than I would have if I had just been hand weeding the area.
Unwelcome blades and shoots are also finding ways to come up under, around, and through the newspaper. And on top of everything else, well . . . it’s just plain ugly!!!
“Plan B” is to try bark mulch. At our local Ace hardware store I found Scott’s Naturescapes bark mulch in Deep Forest Brown (who comes up with these names anyway?) for $5 a bag. I need a dozen bags to create a roughly two-inch thick layer of mulch.
Lugging hundreds of pounds of rocks out of the vineyard is no treat and I have to be careful doing it because of my recent hernia repair. (Oh, I may have neglected to mention the hernia I got last fall while moving rocks. Suffice it to say, that isn’t something I want to do again.)
On the other hand, there’s a profound sense of satisfaction in gathering up and disposing of all of the crispy newspaper. An almost vengeful satisfaction.
Spreading the bark mulch was uneventful and the result looks nice.
Some wisdom from the vineyard.
$60 for bark mulch and the effort involved in spreading it isn’t really a big deal. Certainly not even close to being a game changer. It’s not in my nature to give up on things, but sometimes a problem can be so difficult or costly to remedy that a person decides to abandon the project entirely.
An event from my past:
In the early 1970s I inherited my grandmother’s car. It was a beautiful, top of the line 1957 Buick Roadmaster that my grandfather had purchased shortly before his death. Having never driven before, my grandmother had to learn to drive and get a driver’s license. She was never comfortable behind the wheel so she rarely drove. The car was in like new condition and had very few miles on the odometer. Through the years it had always been stored in a heated garage and serviced regularly.
I babied that car, but after a couple of years it started burning oil. I learned that the old rubber valve stem seals had deteriorated with age, so I carefully removed the cylinder heads (quite an accomplishment for me) and took them to a local machine shop to be rebuilt.
A few days later the engine developed a bad knocking sound. I took it to the local Buick dealership and, after running up a sizeable bill for the cost of their diagnostic work, was told that the push rods were bent and it would cost another $300+ to fix it. It turns out that the machine shop had used incorrect valve stem seals when they rebuilt the cylinder heads.
At the time my wife and I were young and struggling financially and couldn’t afford to get it fixed. And we desperately needed transportation. When the dealer offered to buy the car for $500 (less the cost of the diagnostic work, of course), I felt that I had little choice but to accept the offer.
There have been a few other times when I’ve chosen to give up on something that was dear to me because the physical, emotional or financial cost was more than I was willing or able to pay.
I’m forever in awe of the price our Heavenly Father paid to rescue us.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Last edited:
Tommy
Senior Member
- Location
- New Hampshire
Thank you so much, Gary. You've shared so many fascinating accounts with all of us at SF over the years; I'm glad that I can make this small contribution. I do enjoy writing them.
Tommy
Senior Member
- Location
- New Hampshire
Trellis Bracing
Grape trellises need to be strong.
A quick search of the internet will tell you that the oldest living grapevine in the world may be “The Great Vine” located at the Hampton Court Palace in London, England. It’s said to have been planted in the year 1769 which would make it now 252 years old. This single vine reportedly produces about 600 pounds of grapes each year. Remarkable! They must have a really strong trellis.
In my lifetime, each of my vines could maybe … just maybe … produce 25 pounds of grapes … if I’m really lucky. Still, I would like the wires that the vines grow on to be tight and the trellis posts to stay straight.
The usual way to offset the tension on the trellis wires is to anchor the posts into the ground using guy wires from the outside. That, however, would require clearing more weeds and digging more holes into very rocky, maybe even impenetrable, ground. (Have I mentioned that our land has a lot of rocks?) Hmm . . . I have a different plan.
The way I see it, if the wires are trying to pull the posts toward each other, then I’ll just put stout braces between the posts to keep that from happening. I haven’t heard of anyone else doing it this way, but hey . . . it makes sense to me.
After a trip to the lumberyard for materials, I attach pressure treated 2x4s to both the front and back of the posts using 3/8-inch lag screws. I then cut 4x4 corner braces and finally add several 4x4 spacers to keep the long boards from bowing. It LOOKS really strong.
One of the great advantages of being a novice builder is that I don’t know enough to recognize a really dumb idea when I get one. Is this one of those? We’ll see.
Some wisdom from the vineyard.
For me, our little vineyard project has involved a lot of physical effort, creativity, frustration, uncertainty, and hope. It’s also been a very satisfying exercise in learning about myself.
I know that, like the grape trellis, I too need additional support in order to live a successful Christian life. Both in good times and in bad, my strength alone can’t keep me from failing. But through God’s grace I have a special source of inner strength that I know will never, ever fail. It is my hope, my strength, and my joy forever.
Philippians 4:12-13 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
Grape trellises need to be strong.
A quick search of the internet will tell you that the oldest living grapevine in the world may be “The Great Vine” located at the Hampton Court Palace in London, England. It’s said to have been planted in the year 1769 which would make it now 252 years old. This single vine reportedly produces about 600 pounds of grapes each year. Remarkable! They must have a really strong trellis.
In my lifetime, each of my vines could maybe … just maybe … produce 25 pounds of grapes … if I’m really lucky. Still, I would like the wires that the vines grow on to be tight and the trellis posts to stay straight.
The usual way to offset the tension on the trellis wires is to anchor the posts into the ground using guy wires from the outside. That, however, would require clearing more weeds and digging more holes into very rocky, maybe even impenetrable, ground. (Have I mentioned that our land has a lot of rocks?) Hmm . . . I have a different plan.
The way I see it, if the wires are trying to pull the posts toward each other, then I’ll just put stout braces between the posts to keep that from happening. I haven’t heard of anyone else doing it this way, but hey . . . it makes sense to me.
After a trip to the lumberyard for materials, I attach pressure treated 2x4s to both the front and back of the posts using 3/8-inch lag screws. I then cut 4x4 corner braces and finally add several 4x4 spacers to keep the long boards from bowing. It LOOKS really strong.
One of the great advantages of being a novice builder is that I don’t know enough to recognize a really dumb idea when I get one. Is this one of those? We’ll see.
Some wisdom from the vineyard.
For me, our little vineyard project has involved a lot of physical effort, creativity, frustration, uncertainty, and hope. It’s also been a very satisfying exercise in learning about myself.
I know that, like the grape trellis, I too need additional support in order to live a successful Christian life. Both in good times and in bad, my strength alone can’t keep me from failing. But through God’s grace I have a special source of inner strength that I know will never, ever fail. It is my hope, my strength, and my joy forever.
Philippians 4:12-13 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
Tommy
Senior Member
- Location
- New Hampshire
Wire
It’s now the middle of summer and, to me at least, all of the vines appear to be doing well. This would seem to be a good time for me to install the trellis wires on which the vines grow.
I guess wire has been with us since antiquity. It’s certainly been a part of my life for as far back as I can remember - used for everything from holding up a sagging car muffler to carrying data on the internet - but I’ve never really given it much thought.
Sooo . . . when I learned that grapes should be trained onto 9 or 10 gauge wire I didn’t bat an eye. The handiest source seems to be our local Tractor Supply store which offers 9 gauge wire in 171 foot coils. Although I only need around 50 feet of it for the trellis, it’s inexpensive and I figure I can probably find a use for the rest of it sometime in the future.
I’ll attach it to the posts using 3/8” screw eyes, but wire does stretch and I figure I’ll want a way to adjust the tension. So, back to everyone’s favorite source of limitless “expert advice” … YouTube.
I’ve never heard of a “wire strainer” before, but it’s a ratchet gizmo that stretches wire. My thought is that I’ll use a wire strainer at one end of each wire and a turnbuckle at the other end. That way, I can fine tune the tension using the turnbuckle and - when I eventually run out of threads on the turnbuckle – I’ll back it all the way out again and take up the slack with the ratchet. Great plan, huh?
A couple of days later Tractor Supply sends me an email message saying that my order is ready for pickup. I drive to the store and a young girl wheels out a trolley with my wire on it. A smile, a chipper “Here you go”. Yikes!!!!!!!
Shock! Panic! I’m not exaggerating when I say that the spool of wire weighs well over 100 pounds. That’s definitely more than this oldster is gonna try to lift onto the bed of a pickup truck. With help from the store staff it got loaded. I won’t try to describe unloading it at home, but gravity played a major role and it definitely was NOT pretty.
Nine gauge wire. Watching the folks on YouTube, twisting and winding their wire looked easy. They didn’t exactly SAY it was 9 gauge wire they were using but since they were putting up a grape trellis I just sort of assumed . . . Bad mistake!
Some here might already know this, but I didn’t. Nine gauge wire is the stuff they use to make chain link fencing. It DEFINITELY doesn’t like to bend. It’s absolutely not something regular mortals can just twist with their bare hands. Using bolt cutters, I cut my first two sections and take them into my shop, clamp them in a bench vise, and beat on them with a hammer for about ten minutes until I have something that loosely approximates the needed loops and bends at the ends.
Next, back to the vineyard. I take down the cotton strings that had been placeholders for the wire and start attaching the wire. Attaching it to something simple – like an eye bolt or turnbuckle is challenging but pretty straightforward. Attaching it to the wire strainer? Aaarrrgh!
The wire forms huge inflexible loops. The wire strainer rotates. The wire slips off the spindle. The wire jams on itself. I’m starting to think this was maybe not such a great plan.
Then, after a good half hour of fighting with it, I finally arrive at something that looks like it might hold. A (very) brief moment relief is quickly replaced by the realization that there is yet a second wire to be installed. At least this time I know what to expect.
It’s the end of the afternoon now. The wires are straight, bowstring tight, and look pretty good if I do say so myself.
Anybody want about 100 feet of unused 9 gauge wire?
Some wisdom from the vineyard.
Working on our little vineyard has made me aware that experiencing difficult situations in the past has made me better able to persevere when things get challenging. While stringing wires on posts isn’t a big deal, other life challenges can be far more complicated and an attitude of determination can make a huge difference. Moreover, those hard won victories and disappointing defeats have given me a better perspective and appreciation of what is truly important. I’m actually coming to value the difficulties I’ve had to overcome . . . in all aspects of my life.
Romans 5:3-5 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
It’s now the middle of summer and, to me at least, all of the vines appear to be doing well. This would seem to be a good time for me to install the trellis wires on which the vines grow.
I guess wire has been with us since antiquity. It’s certainly been a part of my life for as far back as I can remember - used for everything from holding up a sagging car muffler to carrying data on the internet - but I’ve never really given it much thought.
Sooo . . . when I learned that grapes should be trained onto 9 or 10 gauge wire I didn’t bat an eye. The handiest source seems to be our local Tractor Supply store which offers 9 gauge wire in 171 foot coils. Although I only need around 50 feet of it for the trellis, it’s inexpensive and I figure I can probably find a use for the rest of it sometime in the future.
I’ll attach it to the posts using 3/8” screw eyes, but wire does stretch and I figure I’ll want a way to adjust the tension. So, back to everyone’s favorite source of limitless “expert advice” … YouTube.
I’ve never heard of a “wire strainer” before, but it’s a ratchet gizmo that stretches wire. My thought is that I’ll use a wire strainer at one end of each wire and a turnbuckle at the other end. That way, I can fine tune the tension using the turnbuckle and - when I eventually run out of threads on the turnbuckle – I’ll back it all the way out again and take up the slack with the ratchet. Great plan, huh?
A couple of days later Tractor Supply sends me an email message saying that my order is ready for pickup. I drive to the store and a young girl wheels out a trolley with my wire on it. A smile, a chipper “Here you go”. Yikes!!!!!!!
Shock! Panic! I’m not exaggerating when I say that the spool of wire weighs well over 100 pounds. That’s definitely more than this oldster is gonna try to lift onto the bed of a pickup truck. With help from the store staff it got loaded. I won’t try to describe unloading it at home, but gravity played a major role and it definitely was NOT pretty.
Nine gauge wire. Watching the folks on YouTube, twisting and winding their wire looked easy. They didn’t exactly SAY it was 9 gauge wire they were using but since they were putting up a grape trellis I just sort of assumed . . . Bad mistake!
Some here might already know this, but I didn’t. Nine gauge wire is the stuff they use to make chain link fencing. It DEFINITELY doesn’t like to bend. It’s absolutely not something regular mortals can just twist with their bare hands. Using bolt cutters, I cut my first two sections and take them into my shop, clamp them in a bench vise, and beat on them with a hammer for about ten minutes until I have something that loosely approximates the needed loops and bends at the ends.
Next, back to the vineyard. I take down the cotton strings that had been placeholders for the wire and start attaching the wire. Attaching it to something simple – like an eye bolt or turnbuckle is challenging but pretty straightforward. Attaching it to the wire strainer? Aaarrrgh!
The wire forms huge inflexible loops. The wire strainer rotates. The wire slips off the spindle. The wire jams on itself. I’m starting to think this was maybe not such a great plan.
Then, after a good half hour of fighting with it, I finally arrive at something that looks like it might hold. A (very) brief moment relief is quickly replaced by the realization that there is yet a second wire to be installed. At least this time I know what to expect.
It’s the end of the afternoon now. The wires are straight, bowstring tight, and look pretty good if I do say so myself.
Anybody want about 100 feet of unused 9 gauge wire?
Some wisdom from the vineyard.
Working on our little vineyard has made me aware that experiencing difficult situations in the past has made me better able to persevere when things get challenging. While stringing wires on posts isn’t a big deal, other life challenges can be far more complicated and an attitude of determination can make a huge difference. Moreover, those hard won victories and disappointing defeats have given me a better perspective and appreciation of what is truly important. I’m actually coming to value the difficulties I’ve had to overcome . . . in all aspects of my life.
Romans 5:3-5 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Tommy
Senior Member
- Location
- New Hampshire
Thank you Gary ... on both counts.
Tommy
Senior Member
- Location
- New Hampshire
Deer
Aesop’s Fable of the Fox and the Grapes
One day a hungry fox spied a beautiful bunch of ripe grapes hanging from a vine on a high trellis. The fox’s mouth watered as he gazed longingly at them.
The bunch hung high overhead and the fox had to jump for it. The first time he jumped he missed it by a long way. He then walked off a short distance and took a running leap at it, only to fall short once more. Again and again he tried, but without success.
Finally he sat down and looked at the grapes in disgust.
“What a fool I am,” he said. “Here I am wearing myself out to get a bunch of sour grapes that are clearly not worth my effort.”
And he walked off scornfully.
Moral: There are those who pretend to despise and belittle that which is beyond their reach.
Well, I guess things might have been different in Greece in the 6th century B.C., but today’s foxes don’t normally eat grapes. Deer, on the other hand, do - fruit, leaves, and vines.
To be clear, we do enjoy the deer that share our property with us. Usually in groups of between two and ten, they are a common sight here. Very pretty, graceful animals.
Watching the antics of the spotted fawns never fails to bring a smile. I recall the little one that spent over 15 minutes racing aimlessly around a depression in our yard, only to suddenly stop, curl up under a large cinnamon fern and fall fast sleep. Or the little guy that got tangled in his own gangly legs while crawling through a six-bar gate.
In spite of what the experts say, deer will in fact eat almost anything that catches their fancy. We forgive them for sometimes munching on our landscape plants, but the grapevines . . . well, that’s a whole different matter.
Especially during these early years, browsing by deer could easily cause a serious setback to our vineyard plans.
I’ve had enough experience with deer to know that none of the folk remedies and commercial repellents are very effective. The surest way to keep deer out of a garden is with a fence.
An electric fence has a certain appeal to me. It appears to be relatively easy to install and doesn’t detract from the appearance of the vineyard as much as a solid fence would. Researching electric fences, however, I discover that there’s a potential problem. Electric fences don’t always play nicely with deep snow. Deep snow can insulate the deer from the ground (ground contact is necessary for the current to flow through the animal). The snow can also short out the wires making the fence basically useless.
It seems like a fence that provides a physical barrier will be needed. Thinking about it further, a free-standing frame might actually be possible but it would involve a lot of time and planning, and I’d like something NOW. It looks like my best option at the moment will be driven posts and chicken wire, but what about those darned rocks . . . ?
Some wisdom from the vineyard.
My work on our vineyard has given me some wonderful opportunities for contemplation. Today I’ve been reflecting on the way I look at life’s problems. It seems to me like the larger a person’s view of their own life is, the smaller any particular problem appears. While my 73 years in this world have been sufficiently complex, they make up but a small episode in my real life which is eternal.
Thankfully, although I might temporarily agonize over a challenge – whether financial, health, or yes, even deer – it isn’t hard to step back and remind myself that, in the big picture of things, my troubles here are of little real consequence.
John 16:33 “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Aesop’s Fable of the Fox and the Grapes
One day a hungry fox spied a beautiful bunch of ripe grapes hanging from a vine on a high trellis. The fox’s mouth watered as he gazed longingly at them.
The bunch hung high overhead and the fox had to jump for it. The first time he jumped he missed it by a long way. He then walked off a short distance and took a running leap at it, only to fall short once more. Again and again he tried, but without success.
Finally he sat down and looked at the grapes in disgust.
“What a fool I am,” he said. “Here I am wearing myself out to get a bunch of sour grapes that are clearly not worth my effort.”
And he walked off scornfully.
Moral: There are those who pretend to despise and belittle that which is beyond their reach.
Well, I guess things might have been different in Greece in the 6th century B.C., but today’s foxes don’t normally eat grapes. Deer, on the other hand, do - fruit, leaves, and vines.
To be clear, we do enjoy the deer that share our property with us. Usually in groups of between two and ten, they are a common sight here. Very pretty, graceful animals.
Watching the antics of the spotted fawns never fails to bring a smile. I recall the little one that spent over 15 minutes racing aimlessly around a depression in our yard, only to suddenly stop, curl up under a large cinnamon fern and fall fast sleep. Or the little guy that got tangled in his own gangly legs while crawling through a six-bar gate.
In spite of what the experts say, deer will in fact eat almost anything that catches their fancy. We forgive them for sometimes munching on our landscape plants, but the grapevines . . . well, that’s a whole different matter.
Especially during these early years, browsing by deer could easily cause a serious setback to our vineyard plans.
I’ve had enough experience with deer to know that none of the folk remedies and commercial repellents are very effective. The surest way to keep deer out of a garden is with a fence.
An electric fence has a certain appeal to me. It appears to be relatively easy to install and doesn’t detract from the appearance of the vineyard as much as a solid fence would. Researching electric fences, however, I discover that there’s a potential problem. Electric fences don’t always play nicely with deep snow. Deep snow can insulate the deer from the ground (ground contact is necessary for the current to flow through the animal). The snow can also short out the wires making the fence basically useless.
It seems like a fence that provides a physical barrier will be needed. Thinking about it further, a free-standing frame might actually be possible but it would involve a lot of time and planning, and I’d like something NOW. It looks like my best option at the moment will be driven posts and chicken wire, but what about those darned rocks . . . ?
Some wisdom from the vineyard.
My work on our vineyard has given me some wonderful opportunities for contemplation. Today I’ve been reflecting on the way I look at life’s problems. It seems to me like the larger a person’s view of their own life is, the smaller any particular problem appears. While my 73 years in this world have been sufficiently complex, they make up but a small episode in my real life which is eternal.
Thankfully, although I might temporarily agonize over a challenge – whether financial, health, or yes, even deer – it isn’t hard to step back and remind myself that, in the big picture of things, my troubles here are of little real consequence.
John 16:33 “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”