Late Summer And Fall Vine Management

摘要

AS WE move into the fall, the grapes are maturing, and we, as growers, start to relax. But this is not a time to become complacent. Rather, we should pay close attention to irrigation and focus on fall fertilization and developing our vine managementstrategy for next season. Whatever actions that have been taken to enhance the quality of the fruit were mostly completed prior to veraison (berry softening). During this fruit-maturing period, soil moisture should be kept at moderate levels to allow theberries to develop soluble solids (sugar) and flavor characteristics. Excessively dry soils and the resulting vine stress will actually slow down the berry maturing process. This is particularly important in arid areas (most of California) and can be important when summer rainfall is low in the Midwest and on the East Coast.