Our agricultural endeavors seem to be veering along two separate and distinct paths. With two radically different outcomes. Perhaps the difference is that one is being run along the lines of a corporation i.e. good and knowledgeable professionals are brought in when needed. The other farm is run by a rank amateur desperately trying to learn “on the job”. Who would that incompetent be? [Guiltily raises hand.]
First let’s talk about the successes. Because if we start with the failures, I won’t be able to finish the post. Did I say success? How about an excess of success? That’s what’s happening at Two Terrier Vineyards.
I know we look like the farming equivalent of the bad neighbor who doesn't mow his lawn. But there is a scientific reason behind this seeming neglect.
In the past few years, as the vines were planted and maturing toward first harvest, our vineyard management company has been seeding the land between the rows with nitrogen-fixing cover crops like red clover. Periodically they hauled in mulch and spread it between the rows. We did our part dutifully returning the pressings and cuttings as further mulch to the vineyard.
As this season has gone on, I noticed our vineyards becoming decidedly seedy. Grass was growing wild as high as the vines and no cover crops had been added for over a year. I brought this up with the vineyard manager who comes here on an ad hoc basis. Let me just digress on this vineyard manager business. I’m not talking a snooty Frenchman who wears a beret and waffles on endlessly about “thee terroir“. I’m talking a great guy named Clarence who has some tractors and vineyard equipment. In other words, this guy is a farmer. And a good one. In case you ever forget, or I do, let me remind both of us: 99% of this winemaking game is farming.
So Clarence, or rather his equally knowledgeable partner Linda, told us the surprising news. Our grapes are doing entirely too well. That’s why they’re letting the grass go wild. They’ve got to suck some nutrients OUT of the soil. And furthermore, they’re shutting off the water. We knew grapes needed to suffer to produce good wine grapes (instead of big fat watery table grapes which will take all the pampering you can give them). But our grapes are heading into their own Abu Graib. Call it waterLESSboarding. Yeah, what doesn’t kill them will make them stronger. In the end, when I pour you a glass of Vintage 2009 Estate Grown Two Terrier Cabernet, you’ll thank me for taking a Dick Cheney stand on this.
Even more draconian and Darwinian, we're advised to cut half the fruit off the vines and throw it on the ground. The foxes are already rejoicing.
The scenario is completely different in the little kitchen garden down the hill. Let’s call it Stumblebum Farm. I’ve done everything for those crops. I irrigated. I cleared out aphids. I brought in worms and ladybugs. I’ve mulched and driven to Santa Cruz twice for organic compost tea. I tell ya, I’ve worked my fingers to the bone for those vegetable kids. No respect.
Say, why is there a big hole in the middle of the tomato bed? Is it because the marigolds and tomatoes on the right were starts planted by someone else? The middle? That's where I planted seeds. Nada.
The melons are way behind in their development. I'm thinking of calling the teacher and having them held back.
Maybe it’s time for a little Tough Love in the vegetable patch.
At least I'm getting some Vegetable Love from my corn. You can hardly tell the difference between the starts and the seeds I planted.
Hmm. Fascinating about the clover and grass.
Our vegetables are still behind – my dill still has not sprouted. I think anything grown from seed will be challenged this year.
Do you know of Hester Creek? We just drank a good bottle of 2003 Cabernet Franc tonight.
With drought, then deluge, heat wave, then cold snap, no plant here knows what season it is.
Haven’t heard of Hester Creek, but then my wine experience is pretty myopic these days. I’m focussing on wineries in my area who are growing the kinds of grapes and making the kind of wines we are. Just hoping to steal good ideas.
Call me odd but I really like the wild flower look, mayb it is because in my land of suburbia it is a huge no-no and sometimes I get sick of all the manicured, perfect lawns, which this weekend I am working my tail off to get my home to ‘fit’ in with the rest on the street!
Congratulations on your successes! And about Stumblebum Farm, one thing we’ve learned with our teen is that it is sometimes best to provide minimal coaching up front and then just let him run with it…At least that’s how it worked with snowboarding 😉
The seedling migration happened in my garden as well. Mesclun popping up in the bibb lettuce or arugula row. Sugar snaps popping up with the patch of weeds 6-7 inches away. I think it is due to a lot of rain for the two weeks after I planted, (and then after I had to re-plant.) did you have a lot of rain as well that could have mixed up the soil and moved the seeds you planted?
Nice kitchen garden, though. I am hoping that at least some of my stuff bears fruit and it looks like yours is well on its way.
thanks for the tips, Siren. Yes, we had a deluge of rain, but unfortunately, I can’t attribute the “hole” in my tomato patch to that. The ones that are evident were starts and there are exactly as many as I transplanted. The seeds? Well, they were in the middle and they haven’t sprouted up anywhere.
Can you explain the marigolds? Do they keep the nasties away from the tomatoes? I think I’ll head to the greenhouse tomorrow and randomly plant them in our boxes!
My grandfather-in-law planted grasses and grains between rows not only for nutrients but as an indicator when water was needed. As for your veggie patch, is everything getting enough sun. My melons have gone buzzerk.
I’m the last person anyone should turn to for gardening advice, but I did read that marigolds repelled certain tomato pests. But Googling it, I find the matter is hotly contested. And marigolds are supposed to attract slugs. All I can say is it works for me. Apparently, the trick is to find a particularly stinky variety of marigold. So go to the plant store, seek out the marigolds and sniff.