Terraced vineyard

[mdbarb]

I put a similar post in vineyard management practices in rural living but thought it might go here or in photos. This his a hiilside I am terracing (I think I once measured it at 28% - don't remember - but I sure can't go sideways)
I'm planting 250 vines here, taking all summer to dink around but the rain is coming tomorrow so I needed to finish grading, cover crop, and spread the hay or my vineyard will be down in the pond at dawn

 

[mdbarb]

Another shot of the terracing

 

[mdbarb]

Lastly, got the cover crop and straw down. Let rain!

 

[rlk]

Mdbarb, nice work. One question though.

On the bottom of the first picture there are some strange looking objects that I don't recognize. Looks like wood sticks with some type of metal on the end. They can't be tools, as I don't see a motor, or any controls. Are these antiques of some type, or something you dug up, or what?

Bob

 

[mdbarb]

Yeah i keep trying to start them up until I get tired and have to go rest with my favorite adult beverage

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I am so so jealous. A vineyard? How lucky can you get? Is that an olive tree I see? Do you have a Meditteranean background, or is that typical of N. Cali? Please send updated pics. Any fig trees?

 

[mdbarb]

The place has oaks, bays, redwoods, madrone (thats probably what you see), buckeye, eucalyptus and a bunch I stuff I don't know (My wife is a landscape contractor, I figure I don't need to memorize any plant stuff) We have fruit trees in a fenced "orchard" (deer eat everything here) Unfortunately I am going to have to fence in the vineyard.
The landscape is pretty much typical of northern california.

I'll take some new pics as the cover crop has filled in and the slopes are all green.

Just today we got the first half of a delivery of 35 tons of Sonoma Fieldstone. We are going to build walls at the face of each terrace. A bit of an extravegance but it will look very nice driving up the driveway. My wife just called - the rock truck wouldn't go down the driveway. The only place around to dump them is on my good neighbors big flat spot (It's fine with him) but it is about 3,000 feet away which means ALOT of back and forth. Maybe he will loan me his big articulated loader.

 

[CTyler]

What is the easiest way to spread straw/hay?

I ask because I'll be seeding a couple acres. The ground drops about 3' every 50' and need to cover it to try and prevevent ruts, washout, etc..

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Hi,

Last fall I asked for some advice regarding getting some stuff growing on some banks, in not the best soil, and also on some flatter places.

Someone suggested that I plant something like wheat. Grows fast and grows just about anywhere I was told.

I planted some winter wheat and indeed it did take off real fast and help hold the soil.

Now, this does not answer your question. But the second part of the advice was to cut it after it comes up, and it becomes the straw that you want to spread...and you seed grass over the cuttings...the stubble helps hold the grass seed, and the cut wheat helps hide the seed from the birds.

So rather than having to spread spread all those bales of hay, you just have to spread the wheat or rye or whatever will take off quickly.

So far it seems like it will work. I will know for sure in the spring, but I did have 4 inches of pretty green show up fairly fast after throwing that winter wheat sead down.

Bill in PGH, pa

 

[mdbarb]

Here is a recent shot of the previous post. Ground cover filled in almost immediately and I starting to bring in the rocks for the walls, then rellis and deer fencing. Vines will be here in a month or so.