Last week, we finished pruning Meadowcreek Vineyards and since Tassel Ridge is also done, we are finished with our two largest vineyards. We have also finished removing Mulberry trees in one bloc of our Edelweiss vineyard at Tassel Ridge. If they are allowed to get tall, these trees can prevent us from mechanically harvesting our grapes. So, their removal is an annual task. We also made good progress cleaning up the trellis where we will plant our new Foch and L’Acadie Blanc vines.
This week, we pruned the Maple Woods vineyard with the mechanical pruner, finished cleaning up the trellis where we will plant Foch and L’Acadie Blanc, and sprayed the plots for Foch and L’Acadie Blanc with a herbicide to kill weeds. We also sprayed Satori, a fungicide, on the trunks of our vines. This is an annual task to prevent fungi from growing in the cracks of the trunks. It is performed on all vines and fruit trees.
Our vines have lots of furry-covered buds that are beginning to swell. Here is a photo of one bud on a St. Pepin vine at Maple Woods Vineyard. Bud-break is probably about two weeks off and it is dependent on continuing warm weather. At that point, the bud covering (the furry part) splits open and the leaves emerge. Although it is exciting to see the buds swelling, it is also a nervous time because a cold snap with temperatures below 28°F may damage the bud and this kind of cold weather will definitely damage the new leaves.
