Abandoned vineyard update

[tonyhibbett]

I found an abandoned vineyard in a local public park. I wrote to the council who knew nothing about it, so I adopted it, informing them of my intention and no objections were raised. There was scope for 98 vines, but I could only identify 33 showing signs of life. After careful pruning, that figure has gone up to 51. I have received nothing but encouragement from locals observing me working there. I have fed the vines with poultry manure, but the local drought is likely to prove a problem. However there is a swimming pool nearby!

 

[Hawks]

Good work :thumb: I remember reading the original post you made about it

 

[pittsy]

Nice 1 hope it all goes well for you

 

[alanwh]

Keep us updated, sounds very interesting :!:

 

[cf.]

Good luck with it

 

[tonyhibbett]

Encouragement appreciated

 

[31bb3]

Are you going to tempt us with some pictures

 

[tonyhibbett]

Not much to look at now as they are heavily pruned, with tiny buds and no leaves, but as soon as there's something to see, I'll take some shots.

 

[Baz Chaz]

Brilliant, good for you, hope the council leave you to it and don't interfere when you've done all the hard work :!: shame you're not nearer, sounds like the sort of project I like to see :thumb:

 

[seamus]

sounds like an intersting project but curious as to why it was suddenly abandoned - maybe the terrain isnt spot on or it's not facing the right direction

still, I wish you good luck with it as my family used to have a vinyard and I know that there are a lot of diseases that attack vines especially if humidity is wrong or you have a very wet summer

and I hope you dont put in the work and then some council **** takes notice and suddenly they want to get involved somehow!!

 

[tonyhibbett]

So long as the Parks department don't communicate with the Parking fines department, whose appeal against the Adjudicator's decision in my favour was also rejected, leaving some red faces and a policy change which now allows motorcyclists to park anywhere providing they are not causing an obvious obstruction!
Crunch time will be harvesting. Do I seriously believe that I can cope with 50 vines single-handedly, when 3 large vines and 2 apple trees last year caused me so much muscle damage, I needed a physiotherapist. Be careful what you wish for!

 

[muddy90]

Best of luck Tony. I'd help if I was nearer. :thumb:
Does the swimming pool have chlorine in it? It will evaporate away given long enough.

 

[evanvine]

The Vinyards latitude is certainly on your side, if they are white grapes you will have a fighting chance.

 

[evanvine]

Just read your first thread Tony, how do your wines turn out?
This far north I can only grow white grapes under glass, and even then the acid level is high!

 

[tonyhibbett]

Last year I left the white grapes until the end of October, when many of them were overripe, although about half were slightly underripe. A a result, the average sg was 1065 and the acidity was 7 ppt (as sulphuric), so I had to add sugar (to 1080) and potassium carbonate (to 5.25 ppt) to correct. The wine has a slightly odd flavour initially, but after a year tastes very good, even better if carbonated.
The red (Wrotham pinot) ripened earlier, and were starting to dry, with an sg 1090 and needed no correction, but the wine was lighter than a 'typical' red. Flavour unimpressive, but early days yet.
This year the buds have burst very early, so if a late frost doesn't get them, a longer growing season could produce better results, although lack of proper rain is a potential problem.

 

[anthonyUK]

That sounds great Tony.
Do you have a blog or any pics?

 

[tonyhibbett]

No pics as yet, but I do have a blog. However, I won't provide a link here on this respectable and law abiding site. Not hard to find, though, given my username and the fact that there appears to be someone else with that name.

 

[graysalchemy]

I can't find you mate. All I get is football pundits and even if I search for wine I just get his favorite wine :lol: :lol:

 

[tonyhibbett]

tonyhibbett.blogspot.com
would appear to be my blog address, but it's all very new to me. If I type this into google search, it finds it from my pc, but then it would because it's been there a few times already!

 

[tonyhibbett]

Pictures were requested but I can't upload them here. Hopefully this link works:
http://tonyhibbett.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/vineyard-anomoly.html