Vineyard Management Marathon

The Olympics inspired me to write this blogpost about the Marathon that is vineyard management. I came up with a heptathlon of activities that constitutes this marathon.
1-Spring Pruning

The first of the activities in spring is pruning. We try to begin spring pruning in February but it all depends on the weather. Since we are typically cold averse, it has to be above 30 degrees before we consider going into the vineyard to begin the first of the activities in the vineyard. This activity can take about a month so we are into March and sometimes April before all of the pruning is done.
2-Lowering Our Bird Nets

One thing that we did differently this year was to lower our bird nets and secure it with Velcro to our irrigation hose. We have always been meaning to do this because in past years, we are always pulling out shoots that have grown around the netting with their tendrils when they are left at a higher level on the trellis. This activity of pulling out the tendrils from the netting occupied most of the summer, with the last of the netting being lowered just in time for harvest! Not a very efficient use of time! We were able to lower the nets during March to mid-April.
3-Securing the Year's Fruiting Canes

This activity of securing the fruiting canes that were identified by pruning can take place concurrently with pruning so this year, we were done with pruning as well as laying down our fruiting canes by May 7th. Just in time for budbreak!
4-Shoot Removal

Soon after budbreak we are busy with shoot removal where we thin out the fruiting cane, leaving enough space between each shoot so that there is a good amount of airflow in the developling canopy.
5-Shoot Tucking

While we are busy with one area of the vineyard, doing shoot removal, other areas of the vineyard decide to grow uncontrollably. It wasn't too difficult this year since nearly every week we had a good amount of rain coupled with sunny (usually very hot and humid) weather. Shoots will grow!. There is nothing to do at this time but to suck it up and try our best at shoot removal and shoot tucking. Did I mention that it was easier to do this because our nets this year were no where near the growing canopy!
6-Hedging

Shoots are growing! While we shoot tuck we find ourselves needing to hedge! This year we had stellar help from our grandson who wielded an electric hedger. Along with my husband, they were able to hedge 5 rows of vines during the cool of the morning. Alas, our grandson had to go home but our granddaughter helped in other ways throughout the summer, lending a hand when needed and being in charge of mowing the vineyard!
7-Weeding and Deploying our Bird Nets

Now, we are at the present time. Last week, my husband weeded the vineyard and we raised the bird nests and deployed a few. The Auxerrois is the first to enter veraison, so those nets came down first and were closed with clothes pins and then the Chardonnay received the same treatment.
Although I categorized this marathon as a heptathlon, it can really be a decathlon since weeding occurs a few times during the growing season and mowing the vineyard is a weekly task. Next up is harvest!