2003 At The Vineyard

SPRING 2003

The 2003 growing season started off early with the application of sodium alginate as an experiment to determine if this chemical would have promise in the delaying of bud burst to avoid late spring frosts. I found that the alginate washed off quite readily with each spring rain and needed to be re-applied regularly. Alginate did delay the bud burst and aided in late spring frost avoidance though. This was especially evident with the early varieties. As can be seen in the above photograph, the cane on the left, which was treated with alginate, survived intact and had a normal, but delayed budding. The cane on the right was left untreated and the primary buds are dead from freezing. I experimented with various means to extend the alginate's properties without washing off and will be mixing in an additive next year that should prevent such regular re-applications. Without the sodium alginate treatment, I would have had no crop on many of the early varieties such as Foch, Millot, GR7, and many others.

The spring of 2003 was cooler and wetter than normal in Rist Canyon. Growth was slowed. On the 14th of June, the vineyard experienced a hail storm that produced 3/4-1 inch hailstones for a prolonged 30-40 minutes. Many of the flower clusters were stripped of the vines. Those that remained sustained damage to some flowers. Leaves and shoots were also torn from the vines and those that remained were tattered and pitted. It was disheartening and left in doubt the size of the crop and whether the grapes would mature properly. It also left in doubt whether this would interfere with proper cane hardening and whether the crop next year would be affected. The weather finally got hot as the onset of July brought the first flowering. I was not sure if this late flowering was due to the cool spring, the hail damage, or both.