Between the rain drops, we are continuing with fine pruning (done manually) with Brianna, Edelweiss, Verona, and Itasca as priorities. We have lots of Edelweiss so this pruning is going to take some time. We remove the suckers that emerge from the base of the vine at the same time we prune. Buds are starting to form however they are still very small. This is a big problem with Edelweiss because this variety is very vigorous and it grows what are called “bull-canes.” Bull-canes are very long, oval-shaped canes that do not produce fruit but when pulled out of the canopy, break the buds off other, fruitful canes. It just takes lots of time to fine-prune Edelweiss.
The recent rain storms have made the grass between the rows of grapevines very happy and it is growing very fast. So, this week, one person will be focused on mowing all four vineyards while everyone else prunes.
I have been asked if we have suffered any frost damage because of the freezing temperatures over the weekend. There are a lot of variables involved, but I am going to say, I don’t think we had any damage. The reason is that while we had some swelling of buds, the growth so far this season was not enough that we were in danger of bud damage. Also, our temperatures didn’t get down below about 33°F on either night. But, as the buds continue to develop, we will be exposed to frost damage if the temperatures fall below 28°F.
