K Fertilisation.

No, this photograph isn't meant to be in soft focus, nor did I have too much to drink last night...it's just teeming down. 'Out of the Window' Vinogirl is sitting at the dining table with a cup of Earl Grey gazing out at a bleary, sodden vineyard. The Vinodogs curled up in their beds, periodically eye me askance, disapprovingly, like the rain is all my fault. They will be deprived of their walk today. Poor V2 hasn't had many instances of rain in her short life so she's a little confused.
What is not confusing is the propitious timing of Napa's first significant rainfall since February. Vinomaker and I have been busy out in the vineyard applying Potassium sulphate (K2SO4) around the vines. Placing the fertiliser near the root zone in large amounts, is the best means of overcoming soil fixation as Kalium, (K), is particularly immobile in the soil. It moves so slowly in fact that the results may not be seen until the second season after the application. Though it is an expensive procedure, it is an absolutely necessary one. The potassium needs of a grapevine are high, comparable to the demand for nitrogen, and a deficiency would result in poor vine growth and lower crop yields. However, one application will last at least 5 years.
So Mother Nature continues to smile on Vinogirl and Vinomaker, albeit in a different way, and helps move the fertiliser into the soil...next up, cover cropping.