Here is a view of the wildness....

The cover crop, Japanese Buckwheat, is quite tall as can be seen. Despite it looking like a mess, the Buckwheat is bringing in the Honeybees, Bumblebees, Parasitic Wasps, Butterflies of many varieties, among other flies I cannot identify. The other gardeners are benefiting from this choice of cover crop, whether they realize it or not. Also, I have Fava Beans growing in the patch and underneath the vines along the fence on the south side of the garden. I recently broadcasted some Alyssum Seed underneath the vines on the south side, along with Organic (non-GMO) Hard Red Wheat (which was planted in the larger patch). Time will tell what grows and what doesn't. If I can get the Alyssum to take, it, too, will bring with it beneficial insects into the garden for all to benefit from.

Yesterday I threw out a few Southern Giant Mustard seeds which will improve moisture retention in the soil due in large part to its taproots which has the ability to penetrate more difficult soils. I built up the larger patch, it has been referred to by the garden manager as an 'excavation hole', but on my end of the garden after every hard rain, there is standing water for nearly a day after. Not many other places in the garden have such a feature unless there was an intended depression created by shovel work. The Mustard will improve soil quality in the long term.

Update photos from mid-April 2012

Here is a cluster of photos from April 16 2012.


(These 3 photos feature my 3-year old La Crescent grape vine.)

Here is a cluster from April 19, 2012.


(The first photo is of the young Japanese Buckwheat I am using as a cover crop.  The goal is to always improve the soil by increasing biomass, have something growing to compete with undesirable weeds, attract beneficial insects, and with other cover crops attempt to improve the nitrogen levels - Fava Beans, for example. Just best to never have a barren soil at any stage of the off or on-season, which implies my growing interest in utilizing summer and winter cover crops.)

(More photos of the La Crescent grape vine.)

update from Glen Ellyn, IL Monday Feb 21 2011

Took a photo of the vines in Glen Ellyn this morning (Feb 21 2011).  I will be pruning them on Sunday morning, unless there is a tornado that picks me up and sends me off to Oregon or the Russian River Valley for work at a vineyard.  Today the area has received freezing rain.   The temperatures are definitely getting increasingly warmer.  The low tonight is supposed to be 19 degrees Fahrenheit.  That is pretty low, but it is not single digits or temperatures in the negatives.  Little victories.  I am cold as I write this in my apartment, have been all day, actually.  But I know that March is only next week.  Myself and many others are looking forward to the advent of a new month ushering us into the growing season.  How about a picture of the Frontenac and La Crescent vines as they are today?  Here you have it!  Enjoy.

The photo doesn't look like much, other than the product of an amateur doing his best with the smallest budget in the world and less knowledge than now about how to design a setting for a few vines. Anyway, I am excited for the next 12 weeks. Oh what a change we are in for.

From -12 degrees Fahrenheit to 43 degrees Fahrenheit in 78 Hours!!!!

This is the story of the Glen Ellyn vines and their current existence underneath the blanket of probably 12 inches of snow, even still, nearly 10 days after the Chicago Blizzard of 2011 (which took place on Feb 1st and 2nd, 2011).

As I registered the real temp of -8 degrees Fahrenheit on late Wednesday night of this past week (Feb 9, 2011), I learned when I had awoken that at 8AM Glen Ellyn, Illinois was expecting the mercury to drop to -12 degrees before reversing such a trend. So far, to my knowledge, that is the coldest temperature that Glen Ellyn has been able to reach so far this winter.

The current temperature is 43 degrees Fahrenheit. That registers a 55 degree difference and temperature range. The winds are blowing today, quite vigorously. But we are not out of winter's clutch just yet. Things are changing, though, ever so slightly. Actually, a family friend tells that the oil rig workers in the North Sea have to deal with the March gales at this time, indicating changes in the seasons and the dawn of spring. Follow the link for a cool website:

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/marine/shipping_forecast.html#All~All


More to come.


Thank you!

Winter temps in Glen Ellyn, Illinois - Feb 9, 2011 Wed

Just checked the current temp in Glen Ellyn, Illinois and the mercury is revealing a -6 degree Fahrenheit temperature. It may drop 2 additional degrees at the most. We needn't worry as the hybrid varietals from the Univ of Ninnesota research station are planted in the soil here, those being: Frontenac and La Crescent.

This is only a quick update. The 16-inch layer of snowpack will take care of the rest.


- out!!!!!!!

updates from the Glen Ellyn, IL vines

The following photographs were taken 7 days ago (Sunday Aug 8, 2010). Very good news. It appears that the vines will be ready for the winters of DuPage County. Looking forward to more growth in the coming weeks and to seeing the current vines turn to wood from the harsh winter coming up.

Frontenac grape vine located front-left in the yard. (1 of 2 photos same vine).  Glen Ellyn, IL.

Frontenac grape vine located front-left in the yard.  Glen Ellyn, IL (2 of 2 photos, same vine)

Frontenac grape vine. (2 of 2 photos) Located back-left in the yard.  Glen Ellyn, IL.

Frontenac grape vine Glen Ellyn, Illinois.  Situated back-left in the yard (1 of 2)

La Crescent grape vine (1 of 2 photos same vine - front-right in the yard)

La Crescent grape vine in Glen Ellyn, Illinois.  This vine apparently has taken the longest to respond to the soils and get situated for growth and development.

La Crescent grape vine.  Location back-right in the yard (1 of 2 shots for same vine).

La Crescent vine, located back-right in the yard.

View of the four vines all together as planted on location in Glen Ellyn, Illinois.  Planted back in May 2010.  They seem to be doing very well.  The immediate neighbor to the north is quite intrigued and always asks after them.

Dachshund dog with the grape vines.  Frontenac on the left, La Crescent on the right.  Dog in the middle (name for canine:  'AC'.  Sweet dog with an overbite that makes it appear to be smiling all the day long).

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I am supposed to be sleeping at this precise moment, but instead I am finishing a blog posting because I can't sleep. I will be assisting with a grape harvest in the morning, in a few hours, at a vineyard in central Illinois. I'll keep you all posted on how things unfold. I was supposed to help out on Saturday morning, but I couldn't wake up. I worked 16 hours and 45 minutes on Friday and needed some sleep. Foolish of me to think I could drive 3 hours and 20 minutes after such a work shift. Can't win 'em all. Gettin' back on the horse soon, though.

Grapevines in the ICU

This is the rough crew that made their way up to Grayslake, IL for a layover prior to reaching their permanent nesting grounds in Southeastern Indiana

This photo taken to emphasize the growth (Bud Break) on the Cabernet Sauvignon in the middle.

This is Cabernet Franc 01-2010 Chicago, fresh out of ICU in Grayslake, IL.  This vine suffering from Powdery Mildew, but on the mend.

Earlier on Friday July 23 2010 I had dropped off a few grape vines to a friend that will be taking them down to southern Indiana in the coming days. I dropped off (4) plants all told: (2) already-growing Cabernet Sauvignon cuttings, and (2) Cabernet Franc cuttings [1 is already growing but was apparently over-watered by me- big "Oops!" by a fella that claims himself as an amateur gardener].

The longitude for this particular town in Indiana is 39.3 degrees North. These plants are going to be under the careful watch of science-minded individuals, I believe there are even a few Purdue University alum in the household.  Think: engineering and science, procedure, format, building, planning, blueprints, etc. Purdue University's Cooperative Extension Service has provided many wonderful resources on the World Wide Web for amateur gardeners to reference, of which I have partaken many a time already, there is a document to reference at the bottom of this posting.  You get the idea though.  These plants will be whipped into shape in no time. It has been told to me that there will be a plan of action and there will be a program for these vines. Already, the vines have undergone early treatment from their temporary home/staging area in Grayslake, Illinois.  That is correct, these vines will be friends with the La Crescent vine (03-2010 Grayslake). 

Above this writing one will note an early photograph of the 4 vines in their existing staging area in Grayslake, Illinois (longitude is 42.344 degrees N).  For those interested, there is a soil survey that I found of Franklin County, Indiana.  This will give an indication of what kind of soil these vines will be going into.  The link for such a PDF is:

http://soildatamart.nrcs.usda.gov/manuscripts/IN047/0/franklin.pdf

The surrogate and now permanent parent for these vines provided a detailed account of how they provided early treatment to the ragtag vines that were delivered in Grayslake, IL on early Friday July 23 2010.  Here are the notes that I received by way of e-mail:

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The Cabernet Franc vines were watered too much and didn't have enough drainage. The Cabernet Franc without any greenery was transplanted to a different compost soil, similar soil that the La Crescent grape vine is thriving in (La Crescent 03-2010 Grayslake, IL). Removed saucer on both Cab Francs to improve drainage. The Cab Franc vine that had sprouted a bud break eventually lost it, it was revealed upon further examination of the cutting on the surgery table.  The cause of the loss was pinned on Powdery Mildew a by-product of having such a wet foot. Spraying both Cab Francs with mild soap and water mix to combat the Mildew. For these two vines I also lightly scraped the bark with a small wire brush, especially the bud areas to encourage growth. Did not replant the barren Cab Franc vine just as yet, didn’t want to disturb what little root system it has going.

The Cabernet Sauvignon vine (the smaller of the two in the pictures) that had recently experienced bud break did so with a bud that was situated below the grade of the soil in the pot in which it sat, so I removed some soil to expose break point to air. The heartier of the two Cab Sauvignon vines looking good but both Cab Sauv vines had dead wood that needed to be pruned. Careful to clean pruners with rubbing alcohol between working on each plant so as not to transfer disease (i.e. Powdery Mildew & anything else) from plant to plant. Made clean cuts at an angle to encourage run off and treated each cut with a little Elmer’s Glue to seal it from exposure to disease and pests.

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So there we go.  I am always learning a bundle from everyone and I definitely learned alot from this transaction and this description provided by the permanent owner of these lovely vines.  Signing off just a little embarrassed, but encouraged.

Here's a nice little document from Purdue University regarding growing grapes in Indiana:

  http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/ho-45.pdf