Wednesday, April 28, 2010

April 25 2010 updates

Greetings!

A couple of updates with this blog. I'll try my best to do a weekly snapshot of my favorite plants in the garden. It is clear to me, as my remarkable roommate reminded me, that these very grapevines I am growing now could well be the nexus of what I hope to conceive of and manifest as Conejo Loco Vineyards. As I read more and more from material I have gathered provided by the area University Extension programs - many of them have PDF files on how to grapes (and manage vineyards), most of them are products of the Horticultural Departments of the area universities - it is clear to me that I simply want to document a successful summer with the Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and the Cabernet Franc. Get them growing, observe and record as much as I am able, then make the adjustments as they are required. I also want to make mistakes from simply trying, and then I hope to garner some growing wisdom from the results and the observations. These vines are all coming up by simply putting cuttings into flower pots and surrounding them with simple soil, and NOT Miracle Grow soil. Just a cheap bag of $2.49 Potting Soil from the local hardware store.

Let's carry on with the photos. Things are growing fast



What I have here is my great hope for growing/starting a Cabernet Franc vine in Chicago, IL. The bud has really risen and changed colours in recent weeks. That seems to reflect that growth is coming as is the holy moment of 'Bud Break'. There is sure to be additional footage of either its success or its failure. Here's to hoping. Nature is so terribly unpredictable.



This is the second Cabernet Sauvignon cutting that sprouted this spring 2010. Putting up a photo here from a different setting than last week's photo. Growth is coming along nicely.



These are the beloved Willamette Hops vines. Apparently canines like them just as well as Homo Sapiens do when the fruit of the vine gets boiled down and integrated into a brew.



This is the first Cabernet Sauvignon plant that I have grown in Chicago. This is the first spring in trying to grow them and the first cutting to indicate growth. This is a particularly vigorous and robust developing vine, although it is still in a pot. Probably the next question to answer is when these need to get in the ground. I consider this an important question because, while I had success with growing cuttings of Syrah last year, I believe I may have put them in the ground too late in the year (September 2009), to be exact. Only one of my (5) Syrah cuttings that I put in the ground last September has indicated any life. But I'll take anything. There will surely be some hits and misses.



The update photo on the Mars Seedless grape vine. The leaves that are unfurling are simply brilliant. It truly is no wonder why humans are so captivated by the vine. It is amazing to see these things come alive.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

updates from April 13 2010 - Garden photos


Russian Sage
very early spring 2010 April 13


Red Bergamot
(Monarda) very early spring April 13 2010. It survived its first winter.


I love this photo of the Willamette beer Hops because the rhizomes are just simply out of control. This is the 3rd spring that I have grown these particular hops. It is going to be a watershed year, I have a hunch.



These are Mars Seedless grapes. This will be the type that I'll use for putting on the table for snacking and sharing with friends, neighbors, etc. I thought this was a decent photo because of the silly little info card providing a white background by which to contrast and grasp the growth of the buds.


I love Big Bluestem grass. This is 'the' grass of the Midwest and Plains states, in my opinion. I would wager that any professor of Horticulture would beg to differ. I really have such a high regard for this type of prairie grass, native to so many states, when it is fully mature. I often think of Dave Scharr, an old boss from when I was a camp counselor in south central Iowa (mid to late 90's in Warren County, Iowa, to be exact). Dave taught me so much about native habitats. I was a young chap from the city of St. Louis who only knew the cutting and manicuring of urban lawns and fending off the pesky dandelion 'weed', as I understood it.

Friday, April 23, 2010

Growth updates from the garden

I wanted to provide a couple of photos from the apartment/pseudo-vineyard. I did look at my Cabernet Franc cuttings that are in the pots inside my apartment, but I didn't have enough time to set up good lighting so that the buds on the cuttings could be seen on the photos. However, there does seem to be ongoing development with the Cab Franc cuttings. As I indicated in the previous posting, these particular cuttings must be adjusting to their new environment still, and coming out of a dormancy.


Syrah Grape vine. This cutting survived the winter. Growth is coming along.


Syrah Grape vine.



A Cabernet Sauvignon grape vine cutting. This is the second ( 2 of 6) to sprout in the apartment, thus far, since planted on March 1, 2010.



This particular specimen is the strongest of the batch I planted on March 1, 2010. It is the first of the lot to have 'bud break'. Very exciting times in the southeast Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago, IL at Conejo Loco Vineyards.



All photos for this post were taken on Thursday April 22, 2010.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Time to Pick this Up


Joe Pye Weed popping up out of the ground. (1st success after a winter season)


The bulk of what will be produced within the framework of this blog will center on my own experience, at this early stage and during the beginning entries. There are only a very few weeks before I embark on a career change. Part of me has considerable concern for what lies ahead. My approach to all of this will be quite similar to that of taking a butterfly (fishing net) at various prospective opportunities and simply hoping that I grab a beautiful butterfly, in my case I only hope it is meaningful employment that can pay the bills. Hopefully I can gain some more skills in areas or industries that I am interested in.


Syrah Grape Vine during 'Bud Break'. Click on photo and look at base of vine. Successful after 1st Winter season in ground.

Today I took two hours to make it back to my apartment to get away from work, as it was the case that I was scheduled to work tonight. Rest is more and more necessary with getting older. 35 is coming around the corner. But, whenever I go back to my apartment I immediately dance toward the plants and the cuttings and the seedlings, etc. I am delighted to report that I have two (2) Cabernet Sauvignon cuttings growing. The way to express this is that 'bud break' has occurred. The cuttings are from a Cabernet Sauv grape vine that my parents tend to in their backyard in St. Louis, MO. My parents' grape vine was originally planted back in March 2008. The existing one was one of a pair that I planted as a gift to them.

In addition to the Cabernet Sauvignon cuttings, I planted, last Septmeber 2009 just before the first frost, five (5) Syrah cuttings that I grew in pots beginning in March 2009. So far, only one has experienced 'bud break' after wintering in the soil and facing the weather of Chicago, Illinois and the winters that visit this region by Lake Michigan.

Thirdly, I have six (6) Cabernet Franc cuttings in pots in my apartment. I have not seen 'bud break' yet, but according to the evidence I noted today at the apartment, I am confident that I will be able to successfully grow Cabernet Franc grape vine cuttings this summer. I am delighted because it has seemed that these vines were in a very deep sleep. I had a good deal of worry in recent weeks that my purchase of these vines was for naught.


Willamette beer Hops. 3rd summer in the soil.

The entire garden, as a matter of fact, is simply erupting with life. Joe Pye Weed, Rudebeckias, Switch Grass, Hostas (3 varieties), Willamette Hops, Big Bluestem, Russian Sage, Bergamot, etc., etc. Things are looking up on many levels. I did see the Willamette Hops just rocketing out of the garden, ALREADY!!! This is my 3rd year of growing Willamette Hops in the backyard of the apartment that I live in. The 3rd year must be the charm because these living plants have covered nearly half of the area that they covered last year. AND, it seems that the hops multiplied underground, unbeknownst to me, during last year's growing season.



Willamette beer Hops. 3rd summer in the soil.

I have no idea what cards I am going to draw. What is beginning to become a very solid notion is that this endeavor of growing vines is and has to be part of a 30 to 40-year plan, part of a Master Plan, if you will. Baby steps, but solid steps.

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