Bud Break in the Vineyard

We had bud break and began leafing out on April 29th and continued through May 3. Here is Chardonnay in Kati bloc that is looking very nice. We are about 1 week behind with all the cold weather and rain we have been getting here in Kansas City area. The later bud break and leafing is a welcome sign in contrast to last year where we all got hosed with the Easter freeze. We will be doing our first spraying of the vines in about a week with Dithane a fungicide, Sulfur, Magnesum Sulfate (Epsom Salt), Boron, and a little bit of Sticker/Spreader. The film crews have been calling as to when the "Back to the Future" double winged air blaster sprayer will be set in motion. I have been telling them it will be May 11th.

Also, here is Cabernet Franc leafing out. It is on track with the Mourvedre and Petit Verdot.

Sprayer Hood

During the season, it is my preference to keep the turf underneath the trellis clear of weeds. I maintain 1.5 feet on each side clear of grass and weeds. In order to do this, I spray both a premergent and round-up on the ground to kill any weeds and hopefully prevent any from growing. The premergent that I use is Treflan, most commonly labeled as Preen. I buy this chemical in bulk in liquid form I use a 20 gallon spot sprayer with a funnel that was installed to prevent drift of the the spray while going down the rows and on a windy day.

This funnel was purchased at Tractor Supply store and bent to a good shape for spraying. By removing the end nozzle you can slide the funnel over the end and then reinstall the end nozzle.

Also I bought a new wand that is 30" long so that I don't have to lend over as much while doing this from the tractor.