Friday, June 16, 2006

Canopy Management


Sometimes I wonder why I chose to grow grapes vs. watermelons or tomatoes. Week after week the work never seems to end from April thru June, the vines grow upwards of 4 or more feet after budbreak and we are constantly trying to keep up with thinning the vines, on-going suckering at the base of the trunks, keeping the shoots upright in the vertical trellis with tucking and moving up wires to accomodate this burst of growth. But it all makes it worthwhile when we see the flowers bloom and by the end of June thru July the emergence of the tiny green berries means my favorite time of the year has begun.