jmheflin

7 ms·

1. 1.▲
   by jmheflin 5y ago

   Awesome build and write up. I used to work for a company called AEssense making automated aeroponic systems for commercial cannabis growers. They are still around and have installs all over the US. Many similar features to your NFT system.
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   by jmheflin 6y ago

   You are right about avoiding organic fertilizers. It is my understanding that traditional hydroponic greenhouses that use inorganic nutrients are still eligible for organic certification. Cuttings are used to start every vineyard, even vine
3. 3.▲
   by jmheflin 6y ago

   Yup, will revise. Thanks!
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   by jmheflin 6y ago

   Thanks for these links! Before I started graduate school, I worked as an engineer for a company making aeroponic systems. Great potential here. I will look in to chitosan as well.
5. 5.▲
   by jmheflin 6y ago

   Correct, young leaves are BIG carbohydrate sinks until they have expanded and begun to produce their own photosynthate. Pruning off new growth allows the plant to redirect carbohydrates into existing organs. There are a few leaves around th
6. 6.▲
   by jmheflin 6y ago

   Great question! You can keep dormant canes in the refrigerator for about a year before they start to degrade. After 2+ weeks in refrigeration, the canes can be rooted. It takes about 6 months from budbreak to harvest. This time is the same
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   by jmheflin 6y ago

   You totally nailed it. I would just add that I am growing these vines for only 6 months before harvesting the fruit and discarding the cutting. They do not have time to put out really long roots. In addition, air pruning of the roots happen
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   by jmheflin 6y ago

   Hello. Thanks for your feedback. You are correct. Every greenhouse of course has risk associated with it. However, it is less than in the field if managed properly. In general, thrips are a minor problem on wine and raisin grapes in Califor
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   by jmheflin 6y ago

   The basement grows were just to establish the proof of concept. My future grows will all be in a greenhouse. Hydroponics also uses far less water than traditional ag.
10. 10.▲
    by jmheflin 6y ago

    Grapes actually don’t need a winter dormancy period. They grow at the equator without it. I will probably set up to grow year round in the greenhouse, with supplemental lighting during the winter. I would have to make sure winter growing is
11. 11.▲
    by jmheflin 6y ago

    This is a great idea. I will reach out to some. Thanks!
12. 12.▲
    by jmheflin 6y ago

    Thanks for your questions! I have gotten fruit. About 50% of the cuttings I use produce fruit right now. I am still working to optimize the process. I throw the cuttings away after they produce fruit. More cuttings can be collected each yea
13. 13.▲
    by jmheflin 6y ago

    Please see my response to metanoia! I addressed this there.
14. 14.▲
    by jmheflin 6y ago

    Hi! Thanks for the question. I haven’t written anything, or really thought this far ahead yet. But $4/pound is close to what they sell greenhouse grown tomatoes for, and their yield/sqft is likely similar to what I could get. I do
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    by jmheflin 6y ago

    Thank you! I have had many issues. I use a dilute bleach or hydrogen peroxide solution to clean the hydroponic equipment between grows.
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    by jmheflin 6y ago

    No, this is why I am growing my 3rd batch of plants in a greenhouse!
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    by jmheflin 6y ago

    I am not sure! I think so, although I am not in Napa. The good news is that you can build greenhouses on land that is not suitable for vineyards, like in abandoned parking lots.
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    by jmheflin 6y ago

    I know, sorry. I am writing a post now that will detail the whole process with more pictures. The first thing you need to get started is the dormant cuttings. From there it doesn't take any specialized equipment.
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    by jmheflin 6y ago

    Hi! Wine grapes varieties have ‘perfect’ flowers which means they contain both male and female parts. They self pollinate from wind. In a greenhouse, this means you would need oscillating fans during anthesis.
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    by jmheflin 6y ago

    Thanks for your thoughts! Indoor growing would allow us to replicate certain conditions that vineyard managers want. Vine nutrient stresses, water stresses, direct light exposure, swings in temp, all doable using hydroponics in a greenhouse
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    by jmheflin 6y ago

    Another great question. Thanks for taking the time to read my post. Larry Williams, a professor at UC Davis did a lot of work on this. He found that canes are not a significant contributor to vine nutrient status. Only 2% of the nitrogen th
22. 22.▲
    by jmheflin 6y ago

    Absolutely agree. I am not going to convince people that wine origin doesn’t matter. But I believe that 15% of grapes from a ‘Napa Valley Cab Sauv’ labeled wine can be grown outside of Napa. 25% if the wine is labeled as a ‘North Coast Cab
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    by jmheflin 6y ago

    Thanks for your question! Grapes used for making bulk wine wholesale for about $2000/ton. I am not yet able to produce them at that price point. For now, I am hoping to partner with a vineyard that wants to make the highest quality win
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    by jmheflin 6y ago

    Thanks! The first thing I would do is check to see if the cuttings are producing roots. You may see budbreak on cuttings without roots, but they will soon shrivel and die due to lack of water. Try rooting the cuttings in a 75:25 perlite:pea
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    by jmheflin 6y ago

    I put some pictures on my website https://www.hefvin.com/
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    by jmheflin 6y ago

    Great question. Grape vines have an extremely heterozygous genome, which means that their offspring (seeds) will not resemble the parent plant. This is why grapes plants are always propagated via cuttings. I wrote a post about grape clones
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    by jmheflin 6y ago

    Yes this is possible! Usually done with repurposed clean room pass thrus. It becomes harder to achieve as greenhouses get to 1+ acres in footprint.
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    by jmheflin 6y ago

    Hi! These are great questions. Thanks for your interest. At the low end of the winemaking market ($5/bottle), grapes are a commodity that provide sugars for alcoholic fermentation. At the high end of the market ($100+/bottle), eac
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    by jmheflin 6y ago

    Try to let the soil/media dry out between waterings. I use yellow sticky traps and neem oil for plants I am going to eat. For ornamentals, I use Marathon 1%, shake a bit on the soil every 2 weeks or so.
30. 30.▲
    Show HN: Growing Wine Grapes in My Parents' Basement(hefvin.com)

    86 points by jmheflin 6y ago|86 comments