Trellis Meeting Notes For Saturday, 18 May, 2019

[Colin Keizer]

The meeting started at 9:00 am with a brief and general discussion of grapes, grape vines and Tacy's success this year starting all of the cuttings she received from David in January.

Nora mentioned that in her experience it's a good idea to water adequately the cuttings and young plants, regardless of advice about more mature vines that suggest wine grape vines should be denied water, in order to concentrate sugars in the grapes. Table grapes can be watered more.

Deer seem not to be familiar with grapes (yet) so they might nibble but don't seem to devour Nora's vines and leaves. In any case, a mature vine probably will outgrow the deer's appetite, while also growing taller than the deer may be inclined to stretch.

Colin mentioned that his fig cutting has sprouted a leaf this spring, so it seems to have survived the winter. The miniature lemon tree in its pot in our greenhouse died after the roof caved in on it, along with a foot of soggy, heavy snow.

HARDENING PLANT STARTS

As soon as you expect to be able to put your starts into the ground about two weeks in the future, begin exposing new starts to outdoor conditions.

TWO hours in shade for two or more days, then,
FOUR hours in shade for two or more days, then,
SIX hours in shade/partial sun for two or more days,
FULL DAY in partial/full sun for two or more days
PLANT in your selected soil or pot

HEAVY RAIN can be an issue for hardening and newly planted starts. They can be pounded flat in particularly heavy rains, which of course arrive with NO WARNING. If you notice heavy rain while you are hardening plants, quickly bring them in under shelter. If you notice heavy rain after planting starts, quickly cover them with sturdily supported plastic or cloth material.

WATERING IDEAS FOR SUMMER VACATION AND DRY WEATHER

In Snoqualmie Valley we are DOWN about 7 inches compared with average rainfall in the first five months of recent previous years.

The groups discussed a variety of solutions, which break into two logical groups.

QUICK SOLUTIONS
Watering spikes
Volunteer watering aides

LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS
Hugelkultur
Cover crops
Good mineral balance, soil health and drainage

Susan Miller advised the group regarding an inexpensive soil amendment opportunity. Sawdust Supply ( sawdustsupply.com ) at 6314 7th Ave S in Seattle, near South Michigan and I-5, sells GroCo, a mixture of sterilized city sewage plus sawdust that is cooked for additional sterilization time. Available in pickup truck loads and 100 pound bags. Call for pricing, 206-622-4321.