Right now, people are very busy trying to sort out what is actually happening in the vineyard.
Are the vines alive or
dead? If there is top growth, how many
buds are growing and are there many buds at the base sending up suckers? (This
could be a sign of trunk injury that may have implications in a few weeks as
the weather gets hotter!)
Are you prepared to be able to apply pest controls to where the vine is actually growing (sucker growth adds a new challenge when your sprayer is set up for canopy spraying)? Have you thought about your best pest control options/product choices ahead of time, so you get the best value considering the costs?
Here are some suggestions that will bring
dividends in the future, though it is a bit extra work right now.
- Document
all of your time spent on tasks. Make note of extra time and labour
allocated to keeping the vineyard going. Do this on a block-by-block basis as
this information may be critical if there is to be access to any support
funding.
- Prioritize
your work. Do not spend a lot of time
propping up poor vines at the expense of taking care of the majority of
vines. A rough rule of thumb is 80% of
your vines pay the bills, the remaining 20% is for profit. This year with
severely reduced income or none doing essential work first is your best
strategy.
- Ask for
help from others. Everyone is in the
same boat with vine damage but to differing degrees. Many people are trying
many different things to recover and reestablish. Find out what others are
trying and go see firsthand how it is working out. Ask for help from experienced grape
production people that are looking out for your best interest in the long run
and not just trying to sell you a product or input.
- There
is no magic solution! There are no magical sprays or nutrients or foliar sprays
to fix winter injury though some may tell you they work. If you want to try
some things out of the ordinary for you, do so but only in a few rows and see
for yourself before you spend a lot of time and money on the unknown.
- Take a
break and find a way to unwind. Find a
friend or others to talk to and take time for your own well-being and mental
health. All of us get frustrated or challenged when things are not going the
way we think they should be going.
So many things to do
and deciding what to do first can be overwhelming. Take a break, and write out
your tasks and goals, create a realistic estimate of time needed to complete
the tasks and then commit to a plan. All
journeys start one step at a time and all of us will get to destination the
best we can!
Vineyard growers, you're invite to...
