Friday, June 06, 2014

A leafy nave.

Considering California has had three rather dry winters in a row, and Vinoland's vineyard has not yet had the benefit of irrigation this year, the Orange muscat vines are growing very enthusiastically.  The vines are so enthusiastic that I decided to top them today.  It was very cosy inside the verdant, canopy tunnels, but in order to allow more overhead sunlight to penetrate to the lower leaves (and air to circulate), the vines had to be quite severely trimmed back.  Topping the vines will encourage more lateral growth, but at this point in the growing season additional photosynthetic potential from new leaf activity isn't a bad thing.

4 comments:

New Hampshire Wineman said...

V-girl: Did you use your "trusty Felco No. 6 secateurs"?
Just a note on your Junco post: another group of FB friends were very pleased with my application of it in response to a little girl's sorrow over the death of a suffering thrush.
Odd how cyber-space is changing the way people relate! Sadly many cantankerous cranks can make it a minefield :-(

Vinogirl said...

NHW: I did :) The Orange muscat block is small enough to do by hand.
Glad Mr. Beakly was posthumously helpful.

Thomas said...

Topping-topping up
one takes but the other adds
confusion reigning

Vinogirl said...

Tomasso: I'll slowly work my way through the vineyard, removing lower laterals to enlighten the heads of the vines...I, however, will remain confused.