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Grounded Grapegrowing GL enn MCG o URT Y Tuning Your Vineyard for the next Vintage I am constantly amazed by the won- derful transition winegrowers expe- rience between November and April. This rings especially true in the months since November 2010, when the harvest dragged on and on. Rain, late picking and numerous minor disasters ranging from mold to stuck tractors re- sulted in frayed nerves and tempers. As the cold, wet weather of late 2010 gave way to some lovely sunshine during January and February, everyone seemed to regain energy and optimism. Now they're ready to take on a new grapegrowing year. My friend Dave Koball, the chief viticultur- ist at Fetzer Vineyards, has a saying that I like: "My vineyards are like an orchestra, and my job is being the conductor. I need to get every- thing in tune and following the same beat." Good winegrowing is as much about timing as knowing precisely what to do. Most years the vines go from dormancy to bloom and full canopy expansion in a relatively short period of time—usually about 80 to 90 days. Weather can get in the way of many critical operations in- WINERY & VINEYARD GREAT BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY! Working Winery, Restaurant, Vineyard. Tasting room, boutique, restaurant, banquet room, party terrace with a view of Seneca Lake. 18A Fully productive grapes. 17A suitable for more planting. Good retail & wholesale distribution. Licensed Real Estate Broker/Owner Office: 315-568-9404 Cell: 315-246-3997 Call for our latest inventory! Mel Russo $995,000 website: www.senecayuga.com e-mail: senecayuga@aol.com 60 Wines & Vines APRiL 201 1 97 Fall Street, PO Box 386 Seneca Falls, NY 13148 highlights • Good winegrowing is as much about tim- ing as knowing precisely what to do. • The author lists priorities for spring vineyard tasks to set vines up for a healthy year. • Disease control, cover crops and canopy management need attention during the first 80 to 90 days of growth. cluding spraying if it is windy or raining, waiting for shoots to grow if it is cool and then feeling hopelessly behind when winter suddenly disappears and summer seems to arrive overnight. Cool followed by hot makes shoots expand extra rapidly, and staying ahead of canopy management operations turns into a real challenge. ON SENECA WINE TRAIL Additionally, many problems and help- ers in the farming system can either work against you or with you. Numerous benefi- cial insects and mites, plants growing on the vineyard floor and even birds and bats can help produce a high-quality crop. Knowing who is hanging around in the vineyard— whether helper or hinderer—is an impor- tant part of good vineyard management. Disease control Big canopies become a challenge for pest and disease management. Some things that you can do early in the season make a big difference later on. If you have struggled with powdery mil- dew in previous seasons, applying wettable sulfur spray during the first 6 inches of growth is an excellent practice, especially if rain occurs after bud break. Spores released from the over-wintering fruiting bodies of the disease known as cleistothecia can cause infections in new shoots and leaves, and wettable sulfur is very effective at stopping these infections. Sulfur sprays also prevent the cleistothecia from sporulating. UC Extension plant pathologist Doug Gubler claims, "You can probably control about 90% of potential problems with powdery mildew if you apply two well- timed applications of wettable sulfur in the first three weeks after bud break." If pos- sible, try to direct your sprays specifically at the trunks, cordons and new shoots. Lime sulfur is also highly effective for this purpose and recommended in vine-