May in the Vineyard

We have made it, the soil has warmed up enough! Clay soils do take a little while to warm up and even though February was above temperature and below average for rainfall, the opposite has happened in March & April with the water reserves in soil back up to normal levels and the temperature below average. This meant a slightly later Budburst this year.

Now we have reached Budburst, the main growing stem and trunk is beginning to look green again, and in the last 3 weeks, the new green stems have already grown 5-7cm in length. For the nest few months, these stems will be thinned down to 7 from the 12-14 growing points that have started.