Farming those baby vines

Plowing one foot around each baby vines has been my summer's morning work out. Braise and Smokey loved it too!

Dear Friends,

Summer is about to say good bye and our baby vines can thank the sky for a gentle climate and enough rain.. Humidity which can be an issue when vines mature grapes did help our babies not to struggle too much from drought, as there is obviously no systematic irrigation in our vineyards.

It actually started quite hot and dry. As I had decided to seed yellow flower mustard in betwwen rows in order to bring natural nutriments and oblige the vine to root vertically (they vould not compete with the mustard roots), this drought started to endenger our little ones and I decided to cut them just as the strated to flower.

But as rain then started to come regularly, it did help weeds to grow and this allowed to maintain myself in good shape, plowing manually one foot around each vine, which is at sunset, is actually a real joy

Manual spray straight to the leaves permit more efficiency and less product to the ground

In August, I manually sprayed the first mix of natural copper-sulfur in order to avoid leaf mildiou and also help the new vine shoots harden. The past heavy rain in August will oblige me to do nother spray soon and a last one in September as to keep as many leaves alive, which charge their batteries when it is time to bloom in the early spring.

Our baby vines and our olive trees, where next year's plantation will take place... Photo from Dorothy

As I often say, vines are like human beings. Some are big, some are small, some take off early some later, some can be hill, some are in perfect conditions... But the outcome of this first plantation is incredible and I am proud to announce that only 5 vines out of 3600 did not make it.

Time now to think about next year's plantation. This will be another challenge as we will plant right in the middle of the Olive Groove. But I like challenges and this is an exciting new project.

In the meantime, I will leave you with this wonderful photos album made by our good friend Dorothy and do not to miss video of ladybugs pictures