Addendum: As of 2006, Fritz Westover moved from Viginia Tech to assume the viticulture extension role with Texas A&M University with responsibilities in the Gulf region of Texas.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Vine Balance
I wanted to understand more about vine balance so I was doing a little online research and came across a clear and concise presentation called Dormant Grapevine Pruning which includes Basic Pruning Concepts and Grapevine Anatomy and Vine Balance. The presentation takes about 24 minutes and it is given by Fritz Westover, Viticulture Research Associate from Virginia Tech's Cooperative Extension.
Some training systems that Fritz covers include Vertical Shoot Position (VSP), Smart-Dyson, Geneva Double Curtain and Lyre systems.
Fritz's take home message was about how to use pruning to achieve vine balance, the balance between vegetative growth and crop load which could help in vine cold hardiness.
1. Dormant Grapevine Pruning
Addendum: As of 2006, Fritz Westover moved from Viginia Tech to assume the viticulture extension role with Texas A&M University with responsibilities in the Gulf region of Texas.
Addendum: As of 2006, Fritz Westover moved from Viginia Tech to assume the viticulture extension role with Texas A&M University with responsibilities in the Gulf region of Texas.
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In a cool region such as you inhabit - I suggest that you might like to look at "Hanging Cane" as a system. It raises the buds higher out of the spring frost zone and as you "tuck down" reduces labour significantly. Of course, it does not suit up-right growing varieties such as Sauvignon blanc, but decumbant varieties (e.g. Pinots, Chardonnay, Riesling) work very well.
ReplyDeleteExposing the fruit in this way reduces significantly the amount of leaf-plucking that needs doing; the exposure increase air-flow and thus reduces rots; the system can be machine harvested. The major con is that being so exposed, you must net - or the feathered pests will have a field-day. If interested, you can get in touch.