Author: Christopher Smigell
Planning Unit: Horticulture
Major Program: Commercial Horticulture
Outcome: Intermediate Outcome
Chris also visited a number of Kentucky vineyards, all of which have suffered significant damage by the past two severely cold winters. These effects will continue for the next couple of years, and it is important to have Chris available for vineyard management consultations. The impact for vineyards is not just significant, it is critical. The Khoury family vineyard in Nicholas County is a specific example. Nearly all of their 1700 vines were so severely damaged last winter that the vines either needed to be replaced, or new vines trained up from the remaining roots. Replant costs would run about $6,000 for these vines, plus about $12,000 in maintenance costs for two more years before a crop could be harvested. Chris instructed the grower on retraining new vines from the existing plants. In this way, most of a crop should be harvested next year, with an approximate savings of $10-12,000 at this one vineyard.
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