Fruiting wire goes up!

Bonnie measuring the height for the fruiting wire.

Next comes the hole.

What you don't want to have happen with high tensile wire!

Finished! Five of the Marquettes are tied to the fruiting wire.
(Click on the photos to enlarge.)

It was a very long day here at The Farm as we strung the fruiting wire in the vineyard. First Bonnie measured the height for the holes in the posts. She then used one of Denny's drill bits (a little overkill on the size) to drill the holes. Next Bonnie cut some PEX tubing which she gently tapped into the holes to protect the posts. The 12 1/2 gauge high tensile wire was then threaded through the PEX in the posts and was secured with Gripples at the end posts which, of course, required a Gripple tool to tighten the wire.

The first row was not pretty. We put the Gripples on incorrectly and then didn't use the tool right so couldn't tighten the wire. After much cussin' and discussin' we decided to try to find a video on the Internet that Bonnie had once seen that would show us how to use the tool. (No booklet or instructions came with the tool!) It took a while, but we finally found the instructions online and realized what we had been doing wrong. We decided to do the next four rows and then go back and cut and splice the wire, and replace one of the Gripples on the first row.

Somehow the wire got all tangled up which added more time that we care to admit to the project. When we were all done we decided to go ahead and tie the cordons on the fruiting wire of the 5 Marquettes that are our most mature vines. We currently have 79 vines. 76 of them are in the vineyard and 3 are spares in Bonnie's garden and will be used for replacements in the vineyard. We have one vine in the vineyard that Kathy thinks may not make it.

No work for us tomorrow as we are off to see the witches of Oz.

We need to string two sets of catch wires on the four rows of vines we are training to VSP(Vertical Shoot Positioning). We will use the top wire cordon system for the row of Niagara, Concord, and Frontenac Gris. Unfortunately, that means that Kathy will have to struggle with the high tensile wire again! We are using 12 1/2 gauge monofilament for the VSP...much easier to handle!

Kathy will be back at work on The Farm on Wednesday...if not sooner. We are thinking of starting the work on the drainage tiles ourselves once we have a plan on how to do it! Kathy has just about had it with the mud at the walk-out basement where she lets her dogs out.

Bonnie's garden is doing well. Most all of her fruits and veggies are up.