The Pinot Noir was waking up on April 8 …
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Last year I planted 30 cabernet sauvignon vines on 3309c rootstock. They have not yet started to break. Last fall they seemed to be doing ok but I worry they might not have made it through the winter. Any thoughts?
This post, and photo, are from last year. I haven’t had bud break this year yet. I think its because we’ve had colder than normal weather. How has the weather been in your area? Are local growers seeing bud break?
Erroll
Well I really dont know anyone else growing grapes in my area 🙁 You might be correct. I live in Belfair and the winter was really cold this year and we have had a few days in the past month that dipped below freezing. I also have a couple of concord and niagara vines on there own roots. I was out looking at them yesterday and they look like they are just about to break. We are going to have some freezing weather this weekend again so my fruit trees and the vines might get it again. During the drenching rain this winter we flooded and grapes were was sitting under about 6 inches of water for about half a day. I hope they are not all dead from this. I put so much time and effort into them…
Belfair? There are places called Belfair in Alaska and South Carolina, but the one I know best is in Mason County, Washington. I wouldn’t try to grow Cabernet Sauvignon in my Belfair (Highway 3, Hood Canal, are we talking about the same place?). I think it could survive the winter, but I don’t think it could ripen any fruit. Some red grapes will ripen there, like Leon Millot and Foch, but I think the best choice would be Regent. A disease resistant red wine grape that ripens in much of Western Washington and, I’ve heard, makes very good wine.
Cloud Mountain Farm sells Regent, and Raintree might.
Erroll
Yes Belfair in Washington. You have the correct place and you might be right about not ripening any fruit. I live right in the valley though and Belfair valley does get some really very hot weather in the middle and end of the summer. It can be like a crucible in my backyard since its clear and faces south. I see days where we are hitting 90 to 100 degrees in my backyard and it can go on for a month or more. I am hoping that its a little micro climate that will work for me. I did also plant it on a rootstock that is supposed to ripen the fruit 2 weeks early and its a hybrid early cab. Its kind of an experiment on my part and I am doubting more and more its going to pan out. I am starting to think I might move to Siegerrebe and a Pinot Precoce Grape on the 3309 rootstock. I did talk with the vineyard where I bought the vines about soil and climate and they seemed to think it would work but… you are not the first one to tell me it might not :).
see the above mentioned grapes at:
http://www.raintreenursery.com/catalog/producttype.cfm?producttype=Grapes%2DWine