Julian’s June Vineyard Report

There is no more rain, so we get to wear sneakers instead of rainboots. It’s a lot warmer now and there is no more frost danger. Dad emptied the diesel out of the vineyard heaters and put it back into the big storage tank. He put the battery from the wind machine in the barn, and took down the thermometers too.

There are a lot of bees around now. The grape flowers attract bees even though grape vines don’t need bees to pollinate. Right after the flowers are finished blooming, the grapes are set. Then there is a tiny, green grape where each flower was. There are really big leaves on the vines now. The shoots are getting so high that they are as big as small trees.

Dad pulls off the shoots that don’t have grapes, so the vine will give all its food to the grapes. He puts the shoots with grapes onto the wire trellises, so they will know where they are supposed to grow. He pulls off the biggest leaves, so they won’t shade the grapes from the sun. The sun is a good thing for the flavor of the grapes. It helps the leaves make sugar for energy, like the food I eat that gives me energy. If Dad takes off too many leaves there won’t be enough to make sugar for the grapes. But if he leaves too many on the grapes might get moldy. Then we’d have to throw them away. We have to do a lot of guessing. Dad checked the drip hoses to make sure the coyotes hadn’t chewed through them. Now, we’re ready when the vines get thirsty.

Rivervine Press
P.O. Box 585
Geyserville, CA 95441-0585
Phone: (707) 857-3704 Fax: (707) 857 3772
www.grapesgrowsweet.com