Now (2008) & Then (1998)
~ On FACEBOOK as Muscadonia Vineyards~
18Nov09
Another 200 vines to be planted. *See NEWS*
23Aug09
Picked Washed Crushed
This is an Aerial view of 12 acres; circa 2003 ©GoogleEarth
Circa 2003 ©Lexington County
Circa 2003 ©Lexington County
There are 41 rows at 12712 total linier feet of trellis.
At 181 vines per crop acre, we will be farming 3.45 total acres.
Our irragation system is somewhat unique and efficient.
Our home uses a geothermal heat pump which draws water from a well before discharge.
I have taken the discharge and directed it to storage tanks around the property.
One 250 gallon tank is used to pump water to misters on our tin roof for cooling.
Three 250 gallon tanks are used to irragate Zone Five.
Two 1550 gallon tanks are used to irragate Zones One thru Four across the street.
I have not yet figured out the best way to irragate Zone Four as it is across a creek and at higher evevation.
I may pump to an additional tank on the high ground for Zone Four.
Two cultavars will include Nobel (black)90% and Carlos (bronze)10%.
I have decided to add a few wild cultivars as well!
I was told by Clemson that the average cost per acre for installation would be $5K. So far, I'm at $19,000 and that excludes the cost of clearing the stumps at $6K.
Well, it must be a passion play with great expectations for an ROI. Question is, how long...
A bit of Vineyard Art~
Above is the start of some Fig Wine. Looks like it will have a very nice color and who knows how it will taste?
Nobel planted in March 2009
Looks like a couple of raisins jumped in here~?
Above & Below are the 2009 grapes on the century old vine. These are the most grapes I have ever seen on this vine!
At this rate, I expect somewhere around 50lbs on just these two 20ft vines.
Time to slow down the alge in the water tanks... (looking West)
(Looking East)
This is a very old Wild vine (200yrs) with clusters of 40+!!!
The oldest of my vines at 250+ years!!! Eight inches...
Found this hidding over the creek.
Very large fern grove.
Jackie is keeping up and guiding the way...
Nobel planted in March and will produce the first year!!!
Zone One looking South East.
Mar09
This is my new pH meter! It takes me back to my old Navy days when I had to test the process chemicals.
Now it's a matter of keeping up with the pH of the soil.
I find it interesting that Distilled water does not have a pH of 7. The actual pH is 5.87. Now I have to figure out how to stabilize the
Distilled water or adjust my reading to reflect the actual pH of a test.
Testing soil pH is a bit of a trick. I have read many post about the procedure online and have experimented with different techniques.
I also tested the pH of the Dolometic Lime with a resulting pH of 8. After I factor the Distilled water, the actual pH may be closer
to 9.13.
Refractometers...
OPTICAL:
This is a sample of Mtn Dew at 13% sugar (Brix).
DIGITAL
23Aug09
03Aug09
This is the newest addition to the "family of buildings" on the property.
We're adding Phase Two (the main room) with a 15' ceiling and two drive thru doors.
I have not completely decided what to do with the building. It started out as a new photography office & studio.
With the purchase of the property across the street, I do not need the office here. I could use the space for a studio,however.
Now I'm thinking about a wood shop or better yet, grape post production and lab.
I also need a place to organize all my junk, (wifes definition).
Either way, I'm sure that it will soon fill up with more junk but I hope it will allow me to free up space in other buildings,
(Tere are six other buildings with all kinds of great stuff in them. I just can't seem to let things go. Too many pending projects...).
30Apr09
These are 150 cuttings from the Noble vines. We stuck them in the pond and appear to be alive. If they survive, we will use them to expand the vineyard. Great way to save on future purchases~!
This is the Bobcat to replace the old Ford. 32hp Hydrostatic with quick release front end.
This is John Deers new 100F Vineyard/Orchard tractor. 95hp and very expensive at $52K! Maybe someday...
31Mar09
New leaves from the original 80yr vine.
New bud on Noble
New buds on original vine
Original vine
Last years growth
80 year ok=ld original vine
After pruning of old vine
Some kind of fungus on old vine
Looks like mildew on the old vine
30Apr09
28Mar09
2.25 inches of rain in two days! A bit of a soaker...!
The sun is setting and the rain is waining. Zone One has a few spots that need to be drained better. While the
rows are free of standing water, in between is a bit flooded. I'm going to plant Bentgrass in the middles. This is
the same grass seen on golf course putting greens.
17Mar09
200 Noble Muscadines from Wills Orchards in South Georgia.
I ordered 100 2yr old and 100 3yr olds. It appears that they sent all 200 as 3yr olds!
We'll have to wait and see what, if any, grapes will produce this year~!
I ordered 100 2yrs & 100 3yrs... How cool is this? All 200 are 3yr olds!
Two 1550 gallon water storage tanks.
21Mar09 Newly installed grow tubes.
Pump, controller and filter system for irrigation.
Eight 1000ft irrigation tubing for the 2g/min dip emmiters. These were purchased from an irrigation distributor.
(The tubing from Lowe's is both 15mm & 16mm so the fittings do not always fit like they should).
These are three cultivars of seedless bunch grapes. I put these in just to see if they would grow in this terroir...
Friday 13Feb09
Here we go with the Dolomitic Lime application...
I took the Clemson Extension soil test results and converted from acres to square feet.
I formulated how much per row by percentage and tested the "drop rate" of the spreader.
Not an exact science, but close. I will test the soil again with my pH meter and make adjusments
as needed.
I should have applied the lime last Fall but I wasn't prepared at that time. So I'll have to get by for now...
07Feb09
21Feb09
Zone One with 10' on center rows.
Looking into Zone Two past one 1550gal storage tank.
These tanks will be elevated to six feet above ground and provide irragation by gravity.
07Feb09
Here are a set of rocks that are right in the middle of Zone Two.
The rock in the background has already been moved.
I still have two rocks to move! Ugh~!
My little tractor and rock bar will have to work extra hard to tackle these beast...
20Feb09
Correction... There were seven rocks and they were quit large. No way my tractor
would have moved these beast!
After an hour of trying to bust the tops down below the surface, we decided to dig them out.
That's when we realized how many and what size they were.
Now I have a huge hole in Zone Two. I will have to come up with some filler to get the hole filled.
Crispen is glad that we didn't have to do this by hand~!!!
Great landscape rocks, but I can't move them. I guess they will just be the divider between
Zones 2 and 3.
This is part of the trouble ahead...
There is a small herd of these grape loving creatures every night in the fields~
There were 7 of these huge bettles under a fire pit! They are about three inches long!
I don't think they will be a problem and I can not find ANY information on the net about them...
Truly remarkable creatures~
These are the post that will elevate the water storage tanks.
I will be purchasing 625 of these metal stakes from Lowe's at $5.50 each.
Half the price of the 4" wood post and much easier to install.
4000ft - 12.5 gauge - High tensile wire and some 1/2" irragation tubing.
Just a few of the 36" "Dead Man" anchors that will secure each row end.
This little tool is a real back saver!
My neighbor Dean fabricated this device to use with the auger to drive
the earth anchors into the ground. By hand, each anchor takes 30 minutes to drive.
With the adapter,I can drive anchors in about 30 seconds. What a time and effort saver!!!
Well worth the $300 for the adapter~ If you're interested, I can have one made for your installation.
I will be driving 110 anchors. It should only take a day or two opposed to weeks of hard work...
I have four zones on the new property. (Zone 5 is on the original property)
These photos were taken in December 2008.
I took several images and "stitched" them into panoramics.
This is Zone 2 after the clearing.
(Zone 1 is on the two ends and Zone 3 in in the distance to the left.
Zone 4 is beyond the tree line to the left)
This is Zone 4 before the clearing of the under brush.
(This is the area that is covered in wild Muscadine)
This is Zone 4 after the clearing.
(There are still hundreds of wild Muscadine that I will have to remove despite the clearing)
The following images were taken 20May07...
This is the original vine of unknown variety. It produces a small black grape.
This is the old 80 yr vine after pruning...
These two vines have been growing at least since 1942. (Unknown Cultivar)
I'm not sure what caused this damage...
A young bud on an old vine.
Yippy~ tiny flowers!
Zone 5
22Feb09
This zone has been relayed to a new and more efficient design...
It's not just fun and games anymore... it's play'n in the dirt~!
Zone 5 (Original property) This zone has been redesigned. See Above Image...
This is the first row installed on Zone 5. (I have since changed the irrigation system /July08)
The main water supply meets the four way manifold. Note the 1/2" takeoff with valve to feed the drip line.
Each 3/4" is reduced to 1/2" at the storage tanks.
These images were taken on 01Jun07.
This is a field of wild muscadine on my new property...
This is about one acre of new growth in Zone 4.
Different angle on the same acre of Zone 4.
The new growth is very dense and almost covers the intire ground on Zone 4.
When the trees were clear cut, many of the mature vines were damaged.
One of several mature vines that have continued to grow and sprout new vines.
One of the few vines still suspended from tall trees.
This is one of two natural springs.
Other mature vines that fell with the trees.
This is a bee doing his business...
Here he is coming in for more action...
10Jun07
Starting to show some size.
Oh Boy~
This is one of many Yellow Belly Turtles in the pond of Duck Weed.
I can usually count on an escort...
Another welcome and common site.
One of two natural springs. It was bricked in the 40's to make it easier to fetch water for laundry.
The lack of rain has slowed the rate from 20gpm to less than 1gph.
Resveratrol: