I’ve found that cultivars that have problems with shatter and excess vigor have more uniform crops and better cluster development when cane pruned. Gewurtz and Pinot for us. Cab on St George when I was at Eaglepoint.
Backed my crews off to four 8 hours days a week as we’re too far ahead with hand work. Others in our area are doing the same. Not enough rainy days where we lost time.
Yep, Cab on St. George certainly fits your description. Wonder if it would have helped the set in 2011 and created more fruit. But I did love the set on the 2012 St. George - man, what a crop off of that. And very tasty, fruit, too.
We had a beautiful day for pruning. Started out very cold and then warmed up nicely. Four guys knocked it off in about 6 hours, including picking up and stacking the cuttings, tying loose cordons, and putting up with me pointing out this and that.
It’s a different look for sure, and to me signals the real start of the growing season: off with last year’s growth, and making way for the 2013. May the 2013 be as easy to grow and taste as good as the 2012.
Yeah, like that’ll happen again. Here’s comes 10 days with no real rain predicted. Stream and river flows already moving slowly. We might be talking about dead fish in 2-3 weeks when frost season kicks off.
It can happen, Casey. But we did have 71 degrees this afternoon as I drove down 29 to go taste at Heitz. They have just released the 2008 Martha’s, and I always try to get there in February to try their line-up.
Did about a 3 hour stint pruning my pet block of 667 pinot today. I locked Peewee out of the truck to keep her from sleeping all afternoon in her bed. When I came to the end of every row, she’d get all jumpy and silly, thinking we were loading up and taking off. It was funny to torture her and make her go explore and go visit the Day Ranch crew (about 300 yards away from where I was working) and cruise around. Starting to see some fuzzy buds on this young vine stuff and pruning wounds are weeping like crazy. I’m guessing that Pinot/Chard south of us is close to popping. The 10 day forecast doesn’t look good to me with 75 coming this Friday. We need some rain and wet soils or its gonna be a long frost season.
I’m seeing 3 days of rain (of some sort) next week, Casey. Hope it happens.
Looks like a weak one third of an inch coming over Tues-Thur in our area. Obviously, I’m happy to get anything. Hope this swings the storm door open.
Man, is my cover crop puny. My reservoir is pretty full, but I’ll take some rain just to build a little organic matter.
Same and same. Even if we get a quarter of an inch, the cover will jump. Not much water going into my ponds. A few frosty nights and they’d look bad. Can’t believe how much the pruning wounds are weeping now. Black oaks at my house are now out. Come back winter!
Wind kicking up from the south, light rain just starting. Come on baby, you can do it!!!
Wow, over an inch at my weather station in Philo. Prayers DO WORK!
Coming down in buckets in the Sierra Foothills. Blustery out there!
Small hail the last 5 minutes. Glad nothing in the vineyard has popped yet.
Going to touch the high 70’s today in most of wine country. If you live nearby and can play hooky, you should think about it. I think we’ll eat dinner out on the porch tonight.
Vineyard work is starting to take on slightly more serious tone. We have lots of canes to get tied to the wire and test the frost systems. I’d say we’re two weeks from having stuff out far enough to protect but it could be sooner.
We got to 80 yesterday. Black flies are out at dusk. I see plenty of testing of frost systems - have not seen any budbreak here.
I think 2013 should be dedicated to Bob Wood. I know he’s keeping up with the weather thread!
I saw my first ‘pencil eraser’ bud today. Not quite budbreak, but we’re not far off. On a young Chard vine on a warm hilltop. Like I said, it’s almost time.
We had a good day of starting pump engines, flushing lines and checking sprinklers yesterday. One dead battery that won’t charge was about the biggest thing so far. Guys still trying to get every cane tied to the wire quickly.
I’m thinking this rain isn’t gonna be much, maybe a half an inch. Sure would like to see 4-5 more inches before April 10th.
Well, we’ve had a quarter of an inch over night, but we’ll take it. Maybe a better storm late next week!