Springtime Pruning at the Vineyard
By the end of the month, Fredy and crew will have successfully finished pruning all 70 acres of vineyard, which has been a large undertaking for sure! Reports coming from the vineyard are good! Any over wintered disease pressure is low, meaning we will start the growing season with happy and healthy vines. Though, the biggest excitement comes from the greenhouse. All 6,000 cuttings of Norton are still dormant, but they have begun developing strong, healthy, roots. We are not far from bud break so it is only a matter of time before the cuttings find their new homes in a vineyard or even your backyard!
Though, we still are not home free. In fact, now things get even more difficult for us at the greenhouse. Maintaining ideal temperatures is critical and can mean the difference between healthy and strong cuttings versus weak or even dead cuttings. We do this through temperature management. The soil where the developing roots reside has to maintain a temperature of 75-80°F while the shoot above the soil must be no warmer than 55°F. Currently, aside from monitoring the temperature of the vines, Freddy waters and adds a small amount of nutrients every 18 days to the vines to ensure proper development. If all goes well and the vines keep progressing, it will only be a few more weeks and the buds will begin to swell signaling that it is time to plant them.