Study: Sugar demand, not auxin, is the initial regulator of apical dominance

This is (essentially) the thinking behind sprouted seed teas. We take a seed like barley, and through a soak/rinse/rest cycle begin to sprout the seeds.... then halt that sprouting once enzymatic action has peaked. These enzymes turn the starchy endosperm of the seed into sugars which feed the seeds germination/growth. These grains are then mashed/pureed and strained at this point, and added as a soil drench to our marijuana plants.

Anecdotal evidence only, but it seems to stimulate a lot of growth.

In theory, practice and theory are the same thing. In practice, they're not.

I'm impressed with the even spacing of the spurs and just how organized it all looks. I imagine this vineyard has a few years on it? I can see something like this taking quite some time to arrive at what we're seeing here. Were all these vines planted as just shoots from another vine, kind of like what we call cloning around here?

st0wandgrow said:

This is (essentially) the thinking behind sprouted seed teas. We take a seed like barley, and through a soak/rinse/rest cycle begin to sprout the seeds.... then halt that sprouting once enzymatic action has peaked. These enzymes turn the starchy endosperm of the seed into sugars which feed the seeds germination/growth. These grains are then mashed/pureed and strained at this point, and added as a soil drench to our marijuana plants.

Anecdotal evidence only, but it seems to stimulate a lot of growth.

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Ahhhh, malting. I know this process quite well as one of my other hobbies requires this same process to allow the enzymes to break down the starches into something my little yeasties like to eat. Although you have anecdotal evidence only, it seems to me the readily available sugars produced by the enzymes certainly wouldn't harm the soil. How much of that actually becomes available to the plant is going to be determined by the condition of the soil you're treating. If there is a healthy population of micro-organisms ready to munch on the sugar, you probably have a nice little soil amendment there. The mycorrhiza fungi certainly enjoy the extra rotting material that results from the un-eaten sugars.

Unlike most, I can get a full term cordon the first year on about 90% of my new plantings. It's all about the tweeks.

I plant the highest quality vinifera clones on the rootstock that will provide them with the best nourishment. In fact, one of the parents of the rootstock I use came from my area, and is now used worldwide. It likes lime, is drought tolerant, vigorous as a mofo, and delays budbreak. A scion is budded to the rootstock at the nursery, grown out in the field, dug in the spring and put into cold storage, roots nipped to 8" long and shipped in neat bundles of 25.

Clones - like I said, if I'm going to spend the time and money, I want the best. For example, my Merlot clone came from Beaucastel, France originally. It is the clone that all Merlot clones are compared against regarding wine quality. I also buy certified virus free stock.

Without breeching my security, here's another photo showing budbreak down a row. Have some awesome pix of the vineyard in the with deer grazing on the other side of the fence.

Check out the scars on the side from my pruning. There are thousands of them.

Rocketman64 said:

Ahhhh, malting. I know this process quite well as one of my other hobbies requires this same process to allow the enzymes to break down the starches into something my little yeasties like to eat. Although you have anecdotal evidence only, it seems to me the readily available sugars produced by the enzymes certainly wouldn't harm the soil. How much of that actually becomes available to the plant is going to be determined by the condition of the soil you're treating. If there is a healthy population of micro-organisms ready to munch on the sugar, you probably have a nice little soil amendment there. The mycorrhiza fungi certainly enjoy the extra rotting material that results from the un-eaten sugars.

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Yes, this is used in an inoculated, organic medium. And yes indeed, it is the same malting process that brewers would use. A lot of other grass seeds can be used as well.

During my travels I've driven past vast areas of grape vines that seem to run for miles. I simply can't imagine the time involved in harvesting a viable crop from all that. Holy smokes!!

st0wandgrow said:

Yes, this is used in an inoculated, organic medium. And yes indeed, it is the same malting process that brewers would use. A lot of other grass seeds can be used as well.

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I'm actually distilling but the process of mashing is virtually the same.
So grass seed, huh? I'm listening...

Rocketman64 said:

During my travels I've driven past vast areas of grape vines that seem to run for miles. I simply can't imagine the time involved in harvesting a viable crop from all that. Holy smokes!!

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I can get a ton of high quality grapes from about 2/3 my vineyard, about 150 vines I'm fruiting. Am still working on a 2 year old row that has no vigor, am dropping fruit and hitting it with my new Love Potion 99 brew. Time? It's all about time management and economy of scale. I have a tractor, implements, 3 commercial sprayers, one being an air blaster, homemade netter, ATV and a heeler that keeps me company.

What's a killer is the pests - galls, diseases, viruses, hail, wind. Last year raccoons broke through the net and stole 1,600 lbs. They strip the clusters perfectly clean leaving this skeleton. This year I have to put up an electric fence.

I've used alfalfa seeds, wheat grass, mung beans, chia seeds (more difficult to sprout, makes a bit of gelatinous mess).

Tough to quantify exactly to what extent the plant is utilizing these sugars, but again, rapid growth is consistently observed by those using it.

For anyone not familiar with malting .....

http://www.mosquitobytes.com/Den/Beer/Hmbrewing/Malt.html

Uncle Ben said:

I can get a ton of high quality grapes from about 2/3 my vineyard, about 150 vines I'm fruiting. Am still working on a 2 year old row that has no vigor, am dropping fruit and hitting it with my new Love Potion 99 brew. Time? It's all about time management and economy of scale. I have a tractor, implements, 3 commercial sprayers, one being an air blaster, homemade netter, ATV and a heeler that keeps me company.

What's a killer is the pests - galls, diseases, viruses, hail, wind. Last year raccoons broke through the net and stole 1,600 lbs. They strip the clusters perfectly clean leaving this skeleton. This year I have to put up an electric fence.

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Never ending battle I imagine. Congrats on a sweet looking(and producing) vineyard!! I hope it's more than a labor of love for you, labor of 'cash' sounds more fun.

Yes. Those vines are well kept for sure. Good job Uncle Ben!

st0wandgrow said:

I've used alfalfa seeds, wheat grass, mung beans, chia seeds (more difficult to sprout, makes a bit of gelatinous mess).

Tough to quantify exactly to what extent the plant is utilizing these sugars, but again, rapid growth is consistently observed by those using it.

For anyone not familiar with malting .....

http://www.mosquitobytes.com/Den/Beer/Hmbrewing/Malt.html

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Excellent idea using the malting idea. Like you, it's tough to quantify exactly what's being used but again, it certainly doesn't hurt anything. Have you done any side-by-side just for giggles?

Rocketman64 said:

Excellent idea using the malting idea. Like you, it's tough to quantify exactly what's being used but again, it certainly doesn't hurt anything. Have you done any side-by-side just for giggles?

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I have been meaning to. I want to do the same with compost teas, nutrient teas, silica, etc.

Rocketman64 said:

Never ending battle I imagine. Congrats on a sweet looking(and producing) vineyard!! I hope it's more than a labor of love for you, labor of 'cash' sounds more fun.

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I sell to amateur winemakers. I have an additional charge of $0.10/lb. to crush and destem the grapes using a motorized S/S crusher/destemmer. What takes a couple 4 hours to do by hand I can do in 30 seconds. They leave as happy campers. I put all posts and trellis in by hand. Try digging 2' deep holes with a manual post hole digger in heavy clay loam but all's well that ends well. It paid for itself upon the first harvest - 3rd leaf.

Uncle Ben said:

I sell to amateur winemakers. I have an additional charge of $0.10/lb. to crush and destem the grapes using a motorized S/S crusher/destemmer. What takes a couple 4 hours to do by hand I can do in 30 seconds. They leave as happy campers. I put all posts and trellis in by hand. Try digging 2' deep holes with a manual post hole digger in heavy clay loam but all's well that ends well. It paid for itself upon the first harvest - 3rd leaf.

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I worked on a farm for years and the auger was often broken and we had to dig post holes by hand. Great way to build muscles and pop blisters

Looking good Ub,

Uncle Ben said:

I sell to amateur winemakers. I have an additional charge of $0.10/lb. to crush and destem the grapes using a motorized S/S crusher/destemmer. What takes a couple 4 hours to do by hand I can do in 30 seconds. They leave as happy campers. I put all posts and trellis in by hand. Try digging 2' deep holes with a manual post hole digger in heavy clay loam but all's well that ends well. It paid for itself upon the first harvest - 3rd leaf.

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The dreaded post hole digger, uggggghhhh. I spent 8 years installing satellite dishes for a national company many years ago. We installed rain or shine and in the dead of winter with a frost line touching around 12". Our posts had to be below 40" to keep the freezing ground from heaving the concrete up. You want to talk about a friggin workout? The sound of a solid iron spud bar pinging off the frozen Ohio mud still gives me nightmares.

Uncle Ben said:

I sell to amateur winemakers. I have an additional charge of $0.10/lb. to crush and destem the grapes using a motorized S/S crusher/destemmer. What takes a couple 4 hours to do by hand I can do in 30 seconds. They leave as happy campers. I put all posts and trellis in by hand. Try digging 2' deep holes with a manual post hole digger in heavy clay loam but all's well that ends well. It paid for itself upon the first harvest - 3rd leaf.

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Do I see a three point hitch post hole digger in your future lol?

waterdawg said:

Do I see a three point hitch post hole digger in your future lol?

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Sold it. I'm a masochist. (had a leaky gasket, use neighbor's now)