Under Trellis Management Webinar

Hi Folks,   Hope your winter is going well and I'm sure everyone is anxious to get out and start checking for winter damage after Dr. Helen Fishers' talk at the GGANS AGM on the weekend!  I mentioned that I would post a link to our factsheet on how to monitor for Spotted Wing Drosophila - here it is!  Please send me a message if you have any questions... 


I also wanted to let you know about this great webinar that's coming up next week on Under Trellis Management.  I get lots of questions from growers on what the best strategy is for the area beneath your vines... we are lucky to be able to take advantage of hearing these excellent speakers without having to leave the comfort of home!   Please see below for webinar details and how to register!! 

Under Trellis Management

Webcast 

         

Friday, April 4, 2014, 9:00-11:00am

Featuring:

Dr. Justine Vanden Heuvel, Cornell University

Dr. Tony Wolf, Virginia Tech

 

Learn about the use of green covers under vines, a management tool that allows a reduction in herbicide use and helps to manage vine vigor.  Additional impacts, including influences on fruit quality, will be discussed.

 

 

This webcast is hosted by Alice Wise and Libby Tarleton, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County. There is no charge for participation. Due to the format, NYS pesticide recertification credits will not be offered. Attendees will view this meeting on their own computer.

 

RSVP is required – please respond to Libby @ lt68@cornell.edu or 631.727.3595. 

 

Several days before the meeting, we will forward an e-mail with instructions on how to join the webcast. Please note that you will have to download a program to your computer prior to the meeting please leave adequate time to accomplish this. Details will be provided in the e-mail.

 

Artisan Distillers Workshop - PEI BioFood Tech - Feb 3-7, 2014

Hi Folks,

I trust everyone had a safe and 'fruitful' harvest!  From most accounts, it sounded like yield and quality were good right across the province and it was nice that the weather was mostly cooperative! :-) 

Just wanted to mention that they are now accepting registration for the five day Artisan Distillation Workshop presented by BioFoodTech at the Rodd Charlottetown Hotel on Feb 3-7th, 2014.  Please click here for details and registration information.   

Happy Holidays!

Rachael

 

Reminder Vineyard Walk - Thursday August 29th, 6pm at Avondale Sky

Hi Folks,

Just a reminder that we have our final vineyard walk of 2013 scheduled for 6pm this Thursday evening at Avondale Sky (see post below for directions!).  Right now the forecast is looking a little wet, so be sure to wear proper footwear, raincoats and bring and umbrella and hopefully we won't need any of it!!!

Hope to see you all tomorrow evening! 

SWD, GGANS Summer Tour, and Next Vineyard Walk!

Hi Folks,

As you have probably heard, there have been a few trap catches of Spotted Wing Drosophila in the province.  Numbers remain low but I would strongly recommend that you start monitoring in your vineyards now using the technique outlined in our SWD Factsheet.  If you start seeing significant numbers in your traps, you may want to consider using one of the insecticides that have been registered through the Emergency Use Program as a precaution.  The list of products can be found here. 

Reminder that the GGANS Summer Tour will be held in the South Shore area on Wednesday August 21st - please contact Joanne Moran at the Grape Growers Assoc NS ggans@ns.sympatico.ca  for more information and to book your seat on the bus! 

Finally our next vineyard walk will be held on Thursday August 29th,  6pm at Avondale Sky Winery, 80 Avondale Cross Road, RR#2 Newport Landing .  Click here for directions and a Google Map.  We have had great turn out so far this season for all our vineyard walks so we would love to see you all out again on the 29th!  

Rachael 

Reminder Vineyard Walk TONIGHT - Domaine de Grand Pre

Reminder that the vineyard walk is being held tonite at 6pm at Domaine de Grand Pre!!!!!!    See directions in details in the post below! 

Next Vineyard Walk - Domaine de Grande Pre - WEDNESDAY July 24th, 2013

Hi Folks,

Hope you are enjoying this heat and sunshine... Just wanted to let you know that our next Vineyard Walk has been scheduled for WEDNESDAY July 24th at 6pm at Domaine de Grand Pre.  Please note the change in day - for this month only we will be holding it on Wednesday instead of Thursday (due to a standing Thursday evening event at Grand Pre). 

The Walk will start at 6pm - We will meet in front of the restaurant in the Central Square area with the cobblestones.   People can park in the main lot by the highway, if this gets full, go past the winery, if coming from the 101, take the first right and go down the Old Post Road, at the top of the hill on the right across from the new park is a lane into Grand Pre's new vineyard.  People can park there and walk down to the winery.  For directions:  Click Here

 

Looking forward to seeing you all on the 24th! 

 

 

Time to start thinking about disease management

Hi Folks,

First off I'd like to give a big shout out to Michael and Jocelyn and their staff at Lightfoot and Wolfville Vineyards for the great Vineyard Walk last Thursday night.  What a great way to start off the 2013 Season - there were over 50 people in attendance and I suspect many of you went home to google some information on Biodynamic Grape Production.  Here's a link in case you were looking for more information... UC Extension Research into Biodynamic Grape Production.    And here's the buzz on Biodynamic wine - we hope to see some vintages from Lightfoot and Wolfville make this list someday! 

Regardless of whether you are growing conventionally, organically, or biodynamically... this is the time to start thinking about fungicides for disease prevention!  As you can see by the 2013 Grape Guide - there have been a number of new fungicides registered this season and it's important to rotate fungicides to prevent resistance development.   There are a number of products that are registered for more than one disease so for more 'bang for your buck' it's probably a good idea to include some of these products into your rotation schedule. 

We are approaching bloom (and perhaps reached it in some areas of the province) - so it's time to start thinking about Black Rot, Downy Mildew, Powdery Mildew, and Botrytis Prevention.   I want to bring special attention to Botrytis Bunch Rot.  It is difficult to predict what the weather is going to be like in 2-3 months from now, so really your botrytis management program should start at the Late Bloom stage with further applications at Pre-bunch Closure; Veraison, and Pre-Harvest (days to harvest will depend on product’s PHI).   There are number of products registered for Botrytis management and there are also some cultural practices that can help in botrytis management: 

• Practice shoot positioning and selective leaf pulling


• Remove leaves that are directly touching clusters


• Avoid excessive Nitrogen

 
For more information on Botrytis Bunch Rot, please see the following factsheet from Virgina Tech Cooperative Extension. 

We are still looking for a volunteer vineyard to host our July Vineyard Walk - please send me an email if you are interested!