Vineyard Journal

Sites 2 & 3 are almost ready for the new Noble muscadines, that will arrive later this month from Tinga Nursery. Site visits by Kathryn Holmes, Rockingham County Cooperative Extension, and Dr. Sara Spayd, NCSU were conducted to advise us on plant viability due to the late freeze we had in April. Some damage is visible, but we are optimistic we can prune or replant to make up for the losses.

In order to even start or considering planting our crops, we had to first survey the land:

•     In March 2005, my dad and I took accurate measurments of the two fields we where going to use by using a steel tape measure and sky view photos to calculate the size of the fields.
•    We added area for some trees that will need to be removed prior to planting the muscadines. We decided it is not necessary to remove the trees prior to planting the cover crop, as the area is not that extensive.
•    Once we finished the calculations using our measurements, we determined we had enough clear acreage for two fields which are large enough to plant 900 muscadine plants and accommodate the trellis support system.
•     We had previously made site visits to several vineyards in North Carolina. This helped us decide how far apart we wanted to place our trellis for the vines. We plan to plant on ten foot centers. This will allow us enough room to prune and take care of the plants. This will also allow enough room for the movement of tractor and spray equipment between the rows.
•     We decided to plant two different types of native muscadines. We will plant 450 Carlos and 450 Noble muscadine plants on the two fields. We were also advised during our site visits that the grapes from the Carlos plants planted in red soil will make a sweeter wine. We were also told by another winery owner that Noble grapes grown in sandier soil is preferred for one of their wines. This information helped us decide which field to designate for each type of muscadine.

Preparing the soil

•    Once the area was marked, we collected soil samples in April. Although the fields had previously grown tobacco well, we wanted to do soil sampling to make sure our cover crop was adequate to replenish any missing nutrients the soil needed. My Dad and I had attended a Barclay Poling's muscadine soil sampling session at the NC Muscadine meeting. Professor Poling gave us some soil sampling kits that we could send back to NCSU. Please note that it was recommended we take the samples before the cover crop to guarantee an accurate reading.
•    The soil samples were mailed promptly. After sending in the samples my Dad and I had fun planting the cover crops. We spent a couple of weeks turning the soil and then planted in late April. This is an easy part of the farmer's job, or I should say the farmer's son. Yeah, I love taking the tractor out for a spin and I know the extra help gave my Dad an opportunity to do other things.
•    We planted sorghum and fescue as they were both recommended by NCSU. We had never planted either of these before, but it has been fun to watch them grow. They provide the soil with calcium, potassium, and protein. An added bonus has been to see at least two quail nests hatch with several chicks. We think the cover crops provided them not only protection but a food source during the summer months. Just last week we saw four quail heading back into the fields, one after each other.
•    As the middle of August is here, we are very close to being ready to turn the cover crops. We want to wait until some adequate rain has fallen first. We are excited knowing that we have fertilized the soil as our ancestors did.