Veraison is moving forward throughout the province, with the earliest hybrids starting a couple of weeks ago and now moving to the earliest Vitis vinifera varieties. With the beginning of veraison, grapes will start to change color, soften, accumulate sugar, decrease acids and other activities are moving along. Tissue sampling for nutritional purposes is one of them, start the protection of the vineyard with nets, kites and fences, and preparing to grape sampling to monitor the fruit ripening.
Already many grapes started veraison and others are going towards this stage, it’s a good time to collect tissue samples for nutritional purposes and start preparing netting to protect the crop. Moreover, it’s time for the next Best practices session!
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At the beginning of last week, the earliest hybrid grapes started to change their consistency and color, berries are becoming softer and reddish and yellowish tonalities are everywhere, in other words veraison is here! On the other hand, as commonly happens, Vitis vinifera varieties are slightly behind and the first changes might start at the end of this week or beginning of the next one depending on the local conditions. Moreover, this is the proper time to take tissue samples for nutritional analysis and to see if it’s necessary to supply in case of lacking or missing some nutrients. Even though this will sound repetitive for our growers and the loyal Nova Scotia Grape Blog readers, it’s important to keep an eye in the fungal diseases, especially Downy Mildew, and not to forget the applications against Botrytis.
Jeff Franklin, from AAFC Kentville, is sharing with us this week weather information with increasing growing degree values. Precipitations have helped to refill the soil profile, grapevines are showing a positive development, grapes are still growing and, in some cases showing the first signs of veraison. In specific cases it’s possible to observe vines with sun burn from previous weeks, which is minimum and nothing to compromise this year’s production.
Please join Horticulture Nova Scotia and Perennia Food and Agriculture for a morning of cover crops! Seeding methods, the effects of residual herbicides on cover crop establishment, cover crop species conversations, equipment show-and-tell, management strategies, and more!
Tuesday, August 23, 9:00 – 12:30
Brooklyn Corner, NS.
Please register, and
the field location will be sent out in advance of the day. https://www.perennia.ca/eventer/the-dirt-on-cover-crops/edate/2022-08-23/
Jeff Franklin, from AAFC Kentville, is sharing with us this week weather information after a second heat wave. Last week brought an important amount of heat units, in some cases it was possible to see the vines lightly limp and nothing of precipitation at all. At the beginning of this week the situation has changed, precipitations re-filled the soil profile to continue with the proper berry development.
As in the case of a couple of weeks ago, we’re experiencing a heat wave these days. Without precipitations our soils don’t have the same moisture conditions compared a couple of months ago. It’ll be expected to see the plants a little limp, the tips starting to dry and, in some cases, where the clusters are exposed to the sun, they’ll show some symptoms as well. It’s important to keep calm, scout the vineyard and check the areas with new vines or new plantations, as these will have a less developed root system and might require some water depending on the local conditions. According to the weather forecast, next week we will receive precipitations, which will help to refill the soil profile and allow the plants to recover their turgidity through that week.
