After what has felt like the proverbial long cold winter, spring is rapidly approaching. As usual I find myself going from having plenty of time to being on the verge of seriously behind schedule. The installation and planting of another acre and a half of vineyard isn’t helping alleviate that feeling. Luckily the finish pruning is complete and all off season tasks in the existing vineyard blocks should be wrapped up in a matter of days. Bud vitality surveys look promising for a positive bud break which on our property historically ranges from as early as March 28 in the Chardonnay on our highest elevation to as much as 14 days later in the Cabernet Sauvignon.
In our region the late fall/early winter weather was ideal and we felt confident with the vines cold heartiness. Although the average temperatures during the winter months were well below normal we didn’t experience any overly dangerous lows. Dry conditions continued through the winter but we seem to be trying to catch up now with close to 6 inches in the last 30 days.
This week I will begin scouting for signs of bud swelling and for the presence of climbing cut worm. The sprayer will also be prepped this week as I can expect my first spray for CCW to be applied in the next 7 to 10 days. Grape Berry Moth traps are going out as part of Tim Jordan’s research at Virginia Tech. Last season our first positive catches of GBM were observed on April 15.
I am awaiting the results of our soil samples so fertilizer can be applied and am hoping to see an increase in pH in our Cabernet Sauvignon block where we have continued our soil remediation project.
The winter technical meeting was a wealth of information as always, many thanks to the long list of folks who make that possible. One of the big take home messages was that high density planting may not be achieving our goal of decreasing vigor in our Virginia climate. Proper vine spacing seems to be a function of site characteristics. Certainly an expensive and time consuming endeavor to find what is best for your vineyard. The meeting also highlighted that as an industry we are all equally disadvantaged in regards to Brown Marmolated Stink Bug. The impact of this pest can potentially be severe in both the vineyard and the winery. I encourage us all to communicate frequently as we try to discover how best to deal with BMSB. The upcoming reformatting of the VVA website should facilitate a more “real time” discussion opportunity. Good luck to everyone this season.