As with any countryside business, Spring is very busy here at Lokkelebery. We have been out in the vineyard since January completing a number of tasks, including pruning, guard removal and vine ‘tidying’.
While many will know about pruning and its importance to plant health, the tube removal was a new, one-time task for us. Ever since we planted the vineyard, we have become used to the site of thousands upon thousands of green guards lining the rows. Until now there have provided the vital service of protecting the vines from predators like rabbits, while also acting as a greenhouse, proving warmth to the young vines to push them up towards the sky. However, for the majority of our vines, they have now after 3 years, finally outgrown their guards. We distinguish vines which are ready to be freed of their guards by looking to their bark. If the bark is flaking then generally this is a sign of maturity. We had the fun (and slightly painful) task with the help of many volunteers, to cut, remove and collect these guards, all of which will now be recycled. It is a dramtic change to the landscape of the vineyard, which now appears more brown than green. However, to think that so many vines have now reached maturation, with their trunks able to fill out and grow as mature vines, is very exciting indeed. The remainder of the guards in place will be removed next year, but only if each respective vine is ready.
Our vine ‘tidying’ task began straight after de-guarding. For the vines to flourish long into the future, it is vital that they have straight trunks and are positioned on the correct side of the trellising. Equally, protection of the buds and spurs (which may provide the future fruiting canes) is vital. Vine tidying in our eyes ensures that we meet all of the above goals. Each vine is approached and is checked for several factors:
- Does the trunk have 2 rubber ties?
- Last year each vine above 20cm high was tied with 2 special rubber ties to the metal stakes which accompany each vine. This was in order to ensure the trunks grow straight.
- Are the bands positioned correctly?
- One band should be near the base of the vine, and the other below the 2 spurs left at pruning
- Is the trunk straight?
- The trunk should be tied twice but also should not wrap around the metal rod
- Is the trunk on the west side of the trellising?
- The straightened trunk must stay on the west side of the fruiting wire. This is so that as the trunk thickens it stays in line with the intermediate posts in each row. The reason being that this keeps the trunks in line with the trellis structure and out of the way of tractors and machinery. Were the vines trained on the south side outside the trellis they would eventually start to grow into the path of the tractors.
- What is the spur orientation?
- At pruning, each vine is left with two spurs, ideally one on each side. These spurs will be vital for future as they provide the basis for future fruiting canes which in turn grow our fruit. In an ideal world, the vine trunk will be orientated so that the spurs align with the trellising wires so that the upcoming fruiting canes also align with these wires. If they don’t align, we might have fruiting canes growing into the alleyways.
The eventual outcome should be a perfectly straight vine on the west side of the fruiting wire, with spurs aligning to the wires and 2 bands in the correct positions. In other words, there is a lot more to vine ‘tidying’ than meets the eye!
It is important to mention that many other vineyards may not consider this task in their calendar. Indeed it is a task linked to the establishment faze of a vineyard. However, many might think this superfluous to requirement. But not at Lokkelebery. We believe that such tasks are imperative to the future resilience and health of our vines, and in turn to the strength of their crops. Nothing we do at the farm or vineyard is the bare minimum even though it might perhaps make life easier! This task will set up a healthy trunk with strong sap flow, the life blood of our vines.
