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Friday, May 15, 2015

Grape Hoe: Cut and Smother

Now that we have budbreak, we are dealing with bugs and now weeds. It is inevitable. But this year, we have automated our weeding with the grape hoe that we tested and purchased.
In the early years, (i.e. 2013), we have hoed weeds by hand and learned that the weeds grow faster than we can hoe. So, this was not practical. Last year, we went up and down the rows with our weed wacker, a little bit more automated, but still not practical because by the time we finished weed wacking all the rows, the first row we did was full of weeds.
So, this year, putting a little bit more money and a lot more smarts into this recurring situation of weeds in the vineyard, along with the grape hoe, my husband also purchased a disc so that as he goes along the vine rows, the grape hoe cuts the weeds at the roots and the disc hills over the cut weeds with soil to smother the weeds. At the moment, he cannot do this operation in one pass because the bracket that the disc is on is at the same location as the grape hoe. He is in consultation with our supplier. But, even when making two passes, it is so much better than manual labor. Here is a photo of the vine row with weeds and the result of the cut and smother operation with the grape hoe and disc.
One thing that hasn't changed, however, is the uncovering of our perennial crop of rocks. Our friends Mary and Barry loaned us this cart. After my husband goes down the alleys with the grape hoe, I've been going down the alley to pick up the rocks that the grape hoe uncovers. To pull the cart, or to push the cart, that was the question. It is easier to push the cart full of rocks, but when I do that I feel like a peddler. I wonder what it is I am selling?
I can't help but be reminded of the egg lady in Athens. She had a cart like mine and she would chant something that even our Greek friends could not decipher. I'm not selling eggs, but if you're in the market for rocks, we have them by the ton, and for you, my friend, I'll give you the special price.

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