Growing grapes and making wine in Bellevue
Posted in gardening on May 29th, 2008
This time last year, I was trying to make up for lost time, “better late than never!” I thought as I belatedly weeded, watered, and fertilized. I didn’t want spindly plants this year, so I tended my rhubarb in March. The payoff came in May when I harvested 1 lb 14.5 oz (865 g), putting [...]
Posted in climate & weather, gardening on May 26th, 2008
Vote For Washington Winemaker! Grapeseek is a directory of grape and wine related links, and they are having a vote for their top ten. I would love it if you voted for Washington Winemaker. Click here to cast your vote. A cold April followed a cold March with the average high temperature 3.36 °F (1.87 [...]
Posted in climate & weather, gardening on Apr 3rd, 2008
The National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center has an explanation for cool weather I noticed in March. When the eastern Pacific Ocean cools, called La Nina, it affects local climates in predictable ways. Here in Washington State it brings cool, wet weather. Since the CPC expects La Nina to continue into April, it looks like [...]
Posted in climate & weather, gardening on Apr 2nd, 2008
This is not what I expect my backyard to look like in Spring! I start paying close attention to the weather this time of year, because I’m starting my garden and a lot of what I grow will end up in a primary fermenter. How’s the weather looking thus far? It felt cold to me [...]
Posted in gardening on Oct 8th, 2007
More on growing rhubarb and tomatoes for wine.
Posted in gardening, tomato wine on Sep 7th, 2007
I began harvesting my Gold Nugget tomatoes a month ago. I hope to get at least 15 lb (almost 7 kg) to make a white tomato wine. The 6.5 oz (175 g) that I harvested on 8/9/07 has become 9 lb 12.5 oz (about 4.4 kg) and counting, so I’m about 2/3 of the way [...]
Posted in gardening, tomato wine on Jul 27th, 2007
I’m waiting to see how my white tomato wine turns out before trying a red, so I haven’t been thinking about which varietals to try. Until yesterday. That’s when I noticed a photo of some beautiful bite-sized tomatoes that, if they were darker, would be just the thing for a red tomato wine. The photo [...]
Posted in gardening on Jul 24th, 2007
The 20 oz (550 grams) that I pulled in today was my biggest haul ever, and puts my total for this year at 3 lb 3 oz (about 1425 grams). I’ve always had my last harvest in August, and if I can manage 2 oz more than last year’s 15 oz (about 425 grams), then [...]
Posted in gardening, tomato wine on Jul 8th, 2007
I put a lot of thought into pruning my grapes, but I normally just let my tomatoes grow any which way they choose. I might try to tuck them into their cages every now and again, but I never thought about pruning. Now that I’m growing tomatoes for wine, I’m starting to wonder if some [...]
Posted in gardening on Jul 6th, 2007
Checking in on the rhubarb patch