Breaking Down Plant Stress: there’s no substitute for boots on the ground…yet
Breaking Down Plant Stress There’s no substitute for boots on the ground…yet By Dr. Mark Greenspan and Loni Lyttle Here at AV, we make our irrigation recommendations based on three primary pieces of information: soil moisture dynamics, leaf water potential, and stomatal conductance. We also look at the vine (shoot length and elongation and foliar […]
Ask a Viticulturist: Can I walk away from my vineyard for a year if I don’t intend to harvest?
A vineyard is not a Christmas gift. It is a 30-year-long commitment Get yourself a puppy if you want something easy “Hello AV. I’m not planning on harvesting this year. Can I just walk away from my vineyard for a year? What is the process for putting my vineyard in mothballs.” It’s not news that […]
Choosing a Trellis System
Choosing a Trellis System While numerous training and pruning systems exist, three basic canopy structures serve as a starting point in deciding on the best trellis system for your vines. Vineyards are not natural systems. If a grapevine had its way, it would: (a) not be grafted onto some strange rootstock of a different species mix, […]
Ask a Viticulturist: How to prevent Sour rot
Ask a Viticulturist: How to prevent Sour rot in the vineyard A disease complex that hits you right in the c(rot)ch We’ve got our first Ask-a-Viticulturist question! This one is from a grower in Ukiah, Mendocino County, California. This grower writes: We had a problem with sour rot in some Sauvignon Blanc this year. How […]
Should you be irrigating this winter?
Should you be irrigating this winter? With a potential drought on the horizon, vines will need water sooner than you think. As though 2020 couldn’t get any more biblical, it looks like we could be headed for another drought. So far this year, total rainfall is below average with respect to the previous five years. […]
Rootstock: the biggest mistake you can make in your vineyard
Rootstock: The biggest mistake you can make in your vineyard Selecting the wrong rootstock is something you have to live with It is not only frustrating, its exasperating, having a new client ask you “what’s wrong with my vineyard” and knowing what the answer is even before delving any deeper about the facts. Sometimes it’s […]