We are back in UK.
The remaining (in SA) vines are 183 days old - exactly 6 months. We stopped irrigation about 10 days ago and autumn is setting in. The leaves are yellowing. We've lost 927 vines - far more than we wanted to ...but... we have a recovery plan.
The statistics at the 6 month mark:
- 625 mm of rain and irrigation (includes 40mm of rain in April at last RAIN!)
- 620 hours of good sunshine (that's only 3.8hrs of sunshine per day - which I still think is understated by at least 100%). It is much cooler.
- Looks like 1mm of water = 1hour of sunshine (or 2/3 hours
The 2,100 vines still alive look well though and are now starting to go dormant for a while.
The plan for the next 6 months:
- Finish the stakes and anchors for the Tempranillo field - by 10 May - the stakes are complete already.
- Complete the irrigation system for the Tempranillo field by 25 May. 70% complete already
- Cut back dead vines - done
- Put 2 spades of donkey/horse manure on each vine - by end of May
- Plant Lupins/clover bewteen the rows as an overcrop - by end of May
- After leaves drop cut back all vines to 3/4 buds - start mid June; complete mid July
- Replace dead vines - start and finish in July
- Spread Cormorant Guana between vines on the bankies - August
- Plant 2500 Tempranillo vines - last 2 weeks in August and first 2 weeks in September.
I know - It's a pretty boring report.
We know what we are doing now............ famous last words?
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