490 vines Shiraz and Chardonnay in NEVic Australia. I here you loud and clear on all your thoughts. Love your videos! My first crop that I was going to take of my vines earlier this year I lost to European Wasps! Devastating! I working hard to try and not have the same issues this year? Though hard as surrounded by farm land and wasps come from everywhere? We’ll see?
Hi there. So sorry to hear about your wasp problem. That is very frustrating indeed. We have had wasps in the past but not this year. I found the nests which look a little like mouse holes in the ground and then blasted them with insecticide. Good luck with yours and all the best for next year.
I enjoy your channel. I have a small vineyard (120 vines) in North Carolina, US and have the same worries as you. I'm surrounded by woods too and deer are/were a problem. Solved that one with a double layer electric fence. Reasonable for my size but probably a lot more expensive for your size. I've struggled with vine loss over the years as well. Nearly half my Cab Sav and Sangiovese just decided they didn't like it here so they offed themselves 😄 I love the grass between my rows if for no other reason than it makes everything look nice! My spray program is decent I think. Found a small vineyard spray guide online from the University of Kentucky years ago which helped a lot with what I could do without breaking the bank. Some of the commercial products are so expensive and in such large quantities, they just don't work for me. Just finished a spray this morning! Knock on wood, I've been fortunate in the 7 years of doing this that I've not had any of the usual vine issues (other than dead ones). Anyway, thanks again for an enjoyable video and continued good luck with your season and harvest.
156 vines, in New Zealand. I control my grass with a little quad bike and a tow behind mower. It’s even faster than a small tractor, uses less fuel and I can man handle the quad onto a trailer etc if I need to take it somewhere. Mildew hasn’t been a problem for us yet, but we’re a few years behind you. My vines struggled in the first year from too much rain on clay soils, but they’re much happier this year.
My experience from the 10 acre vineyard I manage is that good canopy management is more important than fungicides. Good airflow throughout the vines, sunlight reaching the canes and no overcrowding. That with regular sprays every 2 weeks over the growing season and you should be fine. Looks like you're doing a great job so far though
Hi there. Not tried Merlot, but I’m hoping the Aron do will prove to be more resilient. Bacchus is hard work though in the damp Uk. I’m not aware that the rootstock makes much difference but you never know….
250 vines in southern Belgium, same issues. Clay soil. Definitly close to the maximum I would recommend, alone with a full time job asside... I have made the 1st row perpendicular to the vineyard to cut the wildlife access from the woods. Lateral access bordering meadows are protected with electric fence, thanks to neighbour farmers. No major problem for those last 2 years. Vine loss was ok last year, but I had a lot of problems with late frost this year. +-15% are still dormant 1,5 month after, those are not often the weakest from last year. To me, the issue lies with the choice of vine type. Some varieties are making bether than others with this strange climate those months. Greatly suprised by Johanniter and Fleurtai. On the other hand, I had a bad surprise with Pinot Iskra planted this year, which are supposed to be quite resistant to mildew but was heavily attacked. Souvigniers gris suffered a lot from this late frost (+-50% not awake yet...) I used metal post from the start (Reisacher). They are competitive compared to quality wooden posts, whose price greatly increased here. I also like the grass for same reasons. But this year, with all the rain, it is tough to keep up. I cut every 3 weeks atm. Looking for the right equipment since my brushcutter is heavily time consuming. As I went with mostly resistant vines, I haven't needed to spray last year... Only a preventive one with copper, and it worked. 2 years ago was tougher, and maybe this year. Experimenting baking soda, let see how it goes (preventive only) I used metal post from the start (Reisacher). They are competitive compared to quality wood posts, whose price greatly increased. I also like the grass look. But this year, with all the rain, it is tough to keep up. I cut every 3 weeks atm. As I went with mostly resistant vines, I didn't need to spray last year... Only a preventive one with copper, and it worked. 2 years ago was tougher, and maybe this year. Experimenting baking soda, let see how it goes (preventive only). 3rd year, first real quality grapes expected this year. Good luck with your project and keep it up!
Hi there. Thank you so much for letting me know how you are doing your vineyard. Hoping that my other two varieties will need less soraying as they are meant to be more resistant Like your suggestion about having the end row at 90 degrees to prevent wildlife. We use potassium bicarbonate rather than sodium bicarbonate as I read it was meant to be slightly better but would love to know how you get on. I may have experiment with that too. No late frosts here as yet but I'm sure our British weather will oblige at some stage in the future. All the best of luck with your vineyard.
@@mycountrylife810 best option "(infinito or previcur) + topas + microelements = kills the powdery mildew = kills the downy mildew = kills the chlorosis" before flowering and after(when berries the size of a pea). Some times need after extreme rain when conditions are favorable and diseases occur.
Watched all of the videos, really great job with everything! If you had to give some recommendations, what would be a few good resources people who are beginners can start with? Thanks!
Hi there. Thank you for your kind comments. For resources to start with, try the website wingrowers.info. it is a mine of useful information. Also on Amazon there are some good books of you search for 'how to start a vineyard. One of them may be the one I wrote but there are a couple of other ones too. Try them to start with and see how you get on.
How about using clover instead of grass? I'm not one that would recommend a clover lawn, but in the vineyard it might make sense to capture some extra nitrogen.
I really appreciate this channel, thanks for continuing to update on how things are going for you and your vineyard. Cheers!
Hi there. Thank you so much for your comments.
490 vines Shiraz and Chardonnay in NEVic Australia. I here you loud and clear on all your thoughts. Love your videos! My first crop that I was going to take of my vines earlier this year I lost to European Wasps! Devastating! I working hard to try and not have the same issues this year? Though hard as surrounded by farm land and wasps come from everywhere? We’ll see?
Hi there. So sorry to hear about your wasp problem. That is very frustrating indeed. We have had wasps in the past but not this year. I found the nests which look a little like mouse holes in the ground and then blasted them with insecticide. Good luck with yours and all the best for next year.
I enjoy your channel. I have a small vineyard (120 vines) in North Carolina, US and have the same worries as you.
I'm surrounded by woods too and deer are/were a problem. Solved that one with a double layer electric fence. Reasonable for my size but probably a lot more expensive for your size.
I've struggled with vine loss over the years as well. Nearly half my Cab Sav and Sangiovese just decided they didn't like it here so they offed themselves 😄
I love the grass between my rows if for no other reason than it makes everything look nice!
My spray program is decent I think. Found a small vineyard spray guide online from the University of Kentucky years ago which helped a lot with what I could do without breaking the bank. Some of the commercial products are so expensive and in such large quantities, they just don't work for me. Just finished a spray this morning! Knock on wood, I've been fortunate in the 7 years of doing this that I've not had any of the usual vine issues (other than dead ones).
Anyway, thanks again for an enjoyable video and continued good luck with your season and harvest.
156 vines, in New Zealand. I control my grass with a little quad bike and a tow behind mower. It’s even faster than a small tractor, uses less fuel and I can man handle the quad onto a trailer etc if I need to take it somewhere. Mildew hasn’t been a problem for us yet, but we’re a few years behind you. My vines struggled in the first year from too much rain on clay soils, but they’re much happier this year.
That's great. Yeah, some vines take a year or two to get going. Onwards and upwards...
My experience from the 10 acre vineyard I manage is that good canopy management is more important than fungicides. Good airflow throughout the vines, sunlight reaching the canes and no overcrowding. That with regular sprays every 2 weeks over the growing season and you should be fine. Looks like you're doing a great job so far though
Hi there. That is great advice - thank you. I will definitely take that on board. It won't be long before I need to start trimming and thinning out.
Have you tried another variety like Merlot which might be better against disease also your rootstock
Hi there. Not tried Merlot, but I’m hoping the Aron do will prove to be more resilient. Bacchus is hard work though in the damp Uk. I’m not aware that the rootstock makes much difference but you never know….
250 vines in southern Belgium, same issues. Clay soil. Definitly close to the maximum I would recommend, alone with a full time job asside...
I have made the 1st row perpendicular to the vineyard to cut the wildlife access from the woods. Lateral access bordering meadows are protected with electric fence, thanks to neighbour farmers. No major problem for those last 2 years.
Vine loss was ok last year, but I had a lot of problems with late frost this year. +-15% are still dormant 1,5 month after, those are not often the weakest from last year.
To me, the issue lies with the choice of vine type. Some varieties are making bether than others with this strange climate those months. Greatly suprised by Johanniter and Fleurtai. On the other hand, I had a bad surprise with Pinot Iskra planted this year, which are supposed to be quite resistant to mildew but was heavily attacked. Souvigniers gris suffered a lot from this late frost (+-50% not awake yet...)
I used metal post from the start (Reisacher). They are competitive compared to quality wooden posts, whose price greatly increased here.
I also like the grass for same reasons. But this year, with all the rain, it is tough to keep up. I cut every 3 weeks atm. Looking for the right equipment since my brushcutter is heavily time consuming.
As I went with mostly resistant vines, I haven't needed to spray last year... Only a preventive one with copper, and it worked. 2 years ago was tougher, and maybe this year. Experimenting baking soda, let see how it goes (preventive only)
I used metal post from the start (Reisacher). They are competitive compared to quality wood posts, whose price greatly increased.
I also like the grass look. But this year, with all the rain, it is tough to keep up. I cut every 3 weeks atm.
As I went with mostly resistant vines, I didn't need to spray last year... Only a preventive one with copper, and it worked. 2 years ago was tougher, and maybe this year. Experimenting baking soda, let see how it goes (preventive only).
3rd year, first real quality grapes expected this year.
Good luck with your project and keep it up!
Hi there. Thank you so much for letting me know how you are doing your vineyard. Hoping that my other two varieties will need less soraying as they are meant to be more resistant
Like your suggestion about having the end row at 90 degrees to prevent wildlife.
We use potassium bicarbonate rather than sodium bicarbonate as I read it was meant to be slightly better but would love to know how you get on. I may have experiment with that too.
No late frosts here as yet but I'm sure our British weather will oblige at some stage in the future.
All the best of luck with your vineyard.
thanks for the videos they are very helpful. I have started a small vineyard on my small farm in Portugal,
Hi there. That's great well done on starting your vineyard in Portugal.
Hi. I love your videos, for me best preventative sprays for mildew and black rot is "topas 100ec" + "Energy previcur". Lithuania.
Hi there. Thank you so much for your top tip. I shall look into that.
@@mycountrylife810 best option "(infinito or previcur) + topas + microelements = kills the powdery mildew = kills the downy mildew = kills the chlorosis" before flowering and after(when berries the size of a pea). Some times need after extreme rain when conditions are favorable and diseases occur.
Watched all of the videos, really great job with everything! If you had to give some recommendations, what would be a few good resources people who are beginners can start with? Thanks!
Hi there.
Thank you for your kind comments. For resources to start with, try the website wingrowers.info. it is a mine of useful information. Also on Amazon there are some good books of you search for 'how to start a vineyard. One of them may be the one I wrote but there are a couple of other ones too. Try them to start with and see how you get on.
Great job 👏
Thank you! Cheers!
Thank you; much appreciated😁👍 Agreed, terrible weather this year, after last year’s drought! Slugs are our current problem with the wet🙄
How about using clover instead of grass? I'm not one that would recommend a clover lawn, but in the vineyard it might make sense to capture some extra nitrogen.
That's very interesting. I will look into that. Thanks for the suggestion.