pineappleman420
Well-Known Member
Okay I was on an unrelated thread and the topic of training grape vines came up...so in an attempt to move the conversation here... I hope we all can contribute our knowledge on the subjects of this thread.
Lets talk vinyards and orchards
- Thread starter pineappleman420
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pineappleman420
Well-Known Member
This link should be good food for thought... http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S0103-90162010000300003&script=sci_arttext
hellmutt bones
Well-Known Member
I have no knowledge but im interested
Ive got apple training/cloning/pruning/orchard experience, but only planted my first 4 concord grapes last year soon found that one plant would have been plenty to fill a 12x12 arbor, other than that I don't anything about grapes, except that there is a really funny video of a reporter busting her ass trying to stomp grape juice somewhere on the interweb lol.
Uncle Ben
Well-Known Member
I'll take that trade.I am starting to grow my own hops for my craft beers. Trade you a 6 pack for a bottle of wine
Off topic but I've been in commercial agriculture all my life. Family runs a century farm for grass seed and specialty crops... we should start a thread so I can pick your brain about your vineyardI have two rows of Concorde grapes but am a novice and have only attempted making anything birthrate juice a few times.
Do you make wine?
Growing hops should be very rewarding.Yep, I make wine. My grapes are Aglianico, Merlot, Petite Verdot, Syrah, Grenache, Mouvedre, Viognier, Vermentino, a few Alicante Bouschet, seedless eating and my favorite red for Texas, at least for me - Tannat. I"m probably one of the only winemakers in Texas that has a flor growing on what is becoming a Fino Sherry. Used the Vermentino grape. Hell, I may be the only one in the U.S. that is doing sherry with a real flor. Also am making wine vinegar with my wine. I sell grapes to amateur winemakers and as a service I have a 1 HP., S/S crusher/destemmer that will do in 40 seconds what it takes a couple to process in 4 hours. I charge them 10 cents a pound to crush/destem and they love it. Vineyard is pre-sold for 2015.
Bladder press, bottler, floor corker are just a few of my toyz.
Yep, VSP as in.....
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Uncle Ben
Well-Known Member
I also consider myself a lover of fine tequila. After a hundred test trials with friends and my wife (reposados being my favorite because the fruit still comes thru but the nectar is mellowed by French oak with overtones of vanilla) I've found MY Holy Grail, at a great value, partly owned by Carlos Santana who is also on the Board of Directors. Casa Noble, their reposado. We drink it "neat", quaffing not wasting it on a shot with salt and lime. This is one celebrity that has not endorsed a commercial product in a hokey, phony kind of way. Check out his own private reserve in the video. Triple distilled, it's like drinking liquid silk. Too damn smooth!
http://tequilaconnection.com/Grading1.htm
http://tequilaconnection.com/Grading1.htm
We are all old school cider drinkers here, air lock and let it rip, natural yeast just like Pop did for the bulk, but we've been doing 28 gallons of experimental batches for the last few years. Pop told me once that the shakers would pick prime apples for cider (no drops) then set them out on the south side of the barn on a bed of straw. As the apples continue to sweeten their smell becomes stronger and more carries more distinct nuance. Well....long story short, last year we tried this method, and all I can say is wow, been drinking hard cider since I was 10 and by far this method produced the most complex deeply flavored Cider I've ever had. On another note, what do you guys think about any of the commercial ciders that seem to be popping up all over. I personally hate sweet cider, I like it dry, dry, dry.
tip top toker
Well-Known Member
I'm from somerset, the home of cider. But have no direct experience growing the apples, we always stuck with eating and cooking apples for well, cooking and eating. But i've had experience with the process, but nothing modern, we're talking presses hundreds of years old, all hand worked, the real deal. Real deal also means real strength, none of this 5% bullshit, generally 10-20%
With grapes, we grow hundreds of kilos a year, but have never had vineyards or trained anything, we just let the vines grow naturally on 5m tall stone walls around the gardens. We've never found a need to train and such, picking efficiency was never a requirement.
With grapes, we grow hundreds of kilos a year, but have never had vineyards or trained anything, we just let the vines grow naturally on 5m tall stone walls around the gardens. We've never found a need to train and such, picking efficiency was never a requirement.
All my small batch cider is single tub small press and hand ground apples, I think it makes a difference, but maybe that's just cause I want it to since it's such a pain in the ass.
Uncle Ben
Well-Known Member
Dry? No fermentable sugar left and you're probably thinking of the dry feel of the tannic acid which comes primarily from the skins.
Most the ciders I've had have been English, UK.
pineappleman420
Well-Known Member
Thanks Guys for your contributions. I would like to know what types of grapes(thanks UB) and what types of other fruit trees you grow and any tips and trick for the noob at growing grapes and fruit trees. But feel free to post anything related. I would love to learn the processes of making ciders and wine. Hell we should even add beer and whiskey to that too.
But i will tell you all a little about me. I have been growing mostly heirloom plants in my garden for ten years. I've been gardening various veggies and flowering plants indoors for that long too. I have been mostly silent on forums just trying to learn for years. This is the year everything goes into high production and i get everything going that I've been holding back on. This is why i started this thread over all i want more knowledge on, well grapes and fruit trees. Anybody in northern climates that use greenhouse for more tropical trees and plant input will help me greatly. im rambling now 
but thanks again.
But i will tell you all a little about me. I have been growing mostly heirloom plants in my garden for ten years. I've been gardening various veggies and flowering plants indoors for that long too. I have been mostly silent on forums just trying to learn for years. This is the year everything goes into high production and i get everything going that I've been holding back on. This is why i started this thread over all i want more knowledge on, well grapes and fruit trees. Anybody in northern climates that use greenhouse for more tropical trees and plant input will help me greatly. im rambling now but thanks again.
hydroMD
Well-Known Member
Thanks Guys for your contributions. I would like to know what types of grapes(thanks UB) and what types of other fruit trees you grow and any tips and trick for the noob at growing grapes and fruit trees. But feel free to post anything related. I would love to learn the processes of making ciders and wine. Hell we should even add beer and whiskey to that too.
Well for hops I grow the stalks upand tie them to a wire suspended above on a pulley system. As they grow I raise the line to keep branches straight. Usually have 2 lines running down the outside of the stalks and train the vines into an Y, training onto both wires. Once harves comes they are 10-15 feethigh and i just lower the wire to access all the hops without messing with ladders.
works great!
Uncle Ben
Well-Known Member
Being that fruit tree and grape selection is so dependent on local soil conditions, climate (chill hours) and disease pressures, you best consult a local ag adviser.Thanks Guys for your contributions. I would like to know what types of grapes(thanks UB) and what types of other fruit trees you grow and any tips and trick for the noob at growing grapes and fruit trees. But feel free to post anything related. I would love to learn the processes of making ciders and wine. Hell we should even add beer and whiskey to that too.
Ahhhhhhhhh, tropical fruits, my new passion. I have grafted and am growing avocado, mango, pineapple, citrus, herbs, one pitaya and maters. I've got special patented avocado budwood coming from a friend and will be grafting to a small tree commonly used for rootstocks in Florida. I grow in a large greenhouse with an 18' peak. Next project on that house is to change out the north roof polycarbonate from Palram's SolarSoft 85 to clear as the trees on that side don't fruit well and tend to stretch. Other project is to shit can the two "swamp" coolers, install a very large rain tank, and inject rainwater, high pressure 1,000PSI, through flash nozzles for cooling.
Well water is hard and the maintenance on the pads is terrible.
....and yes that is leaf chlorosis, fruit is excellent though - Meyer lemon and Moro blood orange behind it. I grafted onto Flying Dragon rootstock and it shuts down during the winter plus citrus tends to go chlorotic and look sick just before the old leaves drop and a new flush comes on.
UB
pineappleman420
Well-Known Member
What is a good soil mix for the lemon trees? I have been struggling with mine...but I know I havent given it any special care. I was going to transplant it into something else, but havent yet done any research on a good soil mix for them. I have really neglected her and was hoping to give her what she needs from here on out.
calicocalyx
Well-Known Member
I have a couple dozen apple trees and make cider. Been pruning for the last week and appreciate every drop I get. 2 Towns is our local cider, their serious scrump is delicious especially considering it's 11%. Champagne yeast makes the cider dry for sure as well as a higher alcohol. Ale yeast works great too, because I don't like the drier side of things, nor the sweeter. Right in the middle.