April is a month of transition and rebirth: it marks the awakening of the vine after winter rest and the beginning of a new growing season. The stages of budding and flowering follow each other with vitality, going on to determine the quality and quantity of the future harvest. What work are we going to do during the month among our rows?
The month of April opened with a light drizzle and much lower temperatures than last month’s: a lowering that led to an inevitable slowdown in the budding of the vines in our rows. Making a virtue of necessity, we have taken advantage of this “setback” to move the soil – in order to promote its drainage and aeration – and remove excess grass, as it is a potential and easy vehicle for the ascent of Agrotis ipsilon to the tenderest buds. An ‘operation that, we would like to point out, was conducted with the aid of mechanical means only.
The gradual development of the first shoots has also disproved our fears regarding possible damage resulting from the hailstorm since July 6, revealing healthy buds ready to hatch. All that remains is to trust in the absence of sudden frosts and the maintenance of climatic stability, which can benefit soils and plants.
During the month, we expect to proceed with periodic soil movement: a procedure aimed at bringing more oxygenation to the soil, avoiding risky stagnation, and allowing water to run down deep to create a small water reserve, crucial for the months to come.
April is also the perfect month for planting the “barbatelle” (small graft vines), the young plants: in the case of new planting, or the replacement of old rows that are now dead, in fact, we proceed with the creation of special holes in the ground, inside which the small vines are to be inserted. A procedure, this, that must necessarily be conducted manually, in order to avoid future and substantial damage as the plant proceeds with its natural development. In using the auger to create the hole, one in fact ends up creating a sort of “pot” of compacted earth, from which the roots of the rooted vines will struggle to get out, with consequent limitation of expansion into the surrounding soil. The risk is that the root system – squeezed inside this hole of well-compacted soil – will begin to turn in on itself: this can lead to a slowdown in the growth of the plant, consequent suffering reflected in the quantity and quality of the grapes or – in the most serious cases – death by asphyxiation of the young plant.
Welcome then to April, and welcome back Spring: time for blooms and new buds! Here at Agricola Marrone, work continues quietly and steadily, respecting nature and its rhythms…because that of the winemaker, you know, is meticulous and patient work, made up of small attentions and continuous observation!