What’s Happening in the Vineyard

After some very much needed rain, Evan and Glen are both out cultivating the soil in preparation for seeding the cover crop. Cover crops are sown for a number of reasons. A green manure cover crop usually from the legume family will be established and then plowed in before reaching maturity, this improves the soil’s fertility with the addition of the nitrogen. Cover crops also help manage erosion, as a dense cover crop slows the rate of rain hitting the ground and then running off and it also increases the soils permeability. Once cover crops have been plowed in they can also improve the soil composition itself by adding extra organic matter which in turn increases the ability of the soil to hold water and nutrients. Once the cover crop has been sown, we wait for the vines to become dormant, then pruning begins.