E & I ran up to the mountains on Sunday morning so I could check on the vines and water them thoroughly. There was a very light rain, so the irrigation was still needed. Rainfall did not even register in the weather station.

The Chardonel continues to be way ahead of the pack as far as rapid growth goes. The one or two leaves we saw last week on these have turned into 3, 4 and 5 leaves. Very exciting.

The Chambourcin vines are also doing well, with lots of leaves and good, green growth.

The Nortons are slower to green up. These were the vines that were grafted on Cynthiana and had a very small root system with short stubby roots. I have always read and heard that the Norton is a prolific grower, so I have every confidence they will catch up soon.

But, sad news on one vine. Norton #3 appears to have no green growth whatsoever. I will contact DoubleA vineyards to inquire whether a bit more patience is needed, or if it is a lost cause.

I’m confident they will replace it if it’s dead.

This upcoming Memorial Day weekend I will install the drip irrigation system I devised. It includes 100 feet of poly tubing with 3 strips of drip tape, one for each vine row. Drip tape lays on the ground and has a slit cut in it every 6 inches or so. This should save money and time as trips to the mountains just to water can hopefully be eliminated.