The soil is not white in Oakville, these mounds are large piles of fertiliser heaped around the edge of the Opus One vineyard waiting to be applied and disked in.Whilst vineyard managers are primarily concerned with all things harvest at this time of year, they must also consider whether an application of fertiliser is necessary. Apparently, the people at Opus One who are responsible for the health of this particular vineyard have decided that a good dose of potassium sulphate (K2SO4) is in order. I am assuming that it is K2SO4: potassium chloride (KCl) is another form of of potassium fertiliser that could be used, but it should not be used in a vineyard that may perhaps have an existing salinity condition.
Late autumn or early winter is a good time to treat a vineyard as full advantage can be taken of winter rainfall to move the fertiliser down into the soil and on into the root zone. Seeing as this vineyard was ripped out last spring, perhaps due to some unnamed creepy crawly, this empty field is a clean slate on which a new and improved, and fertilised, vineyard can be planted.
8 comments:
Not very biodyunamic is it?...like I care!
I don't think they farm their vineyards biodynamically.
This is an amazing post, VinoGirl. Really interesting to follow the updates on Opus One through your eyes...
Interesting stuff... Whilst I'm a fan of many Natural Wines, I've never considered myself particularly fanatical about the ethos. But this would actually make me feel a little worried if I had the money to afford the like of Opus One.
Ceasar: There is nothing unnatural about adding potassium sulphate to the soil. These chemical elements are synthesised from natural resources. Synthesis means to change (and combine) not manufacture. Sulphur is very abundant on our planet and potassium is merely a salt.
Isn't it a metal? Anyway- I'm not anti any anion anyone adds. Just seems like an awful lot of it.
i remember them ripping out last year, jez they have a very buy time ahead of them and thats aloy of fertilizer.
Cesar: Yes it is, but as potash it is considered a salt.
Monkey: Potassium is very immobile in soil, so it has to be applied in large quantities so that some is available for uptake by the vines.
Post a Comment