A Technical Guide
for Wine Producers

RECENT ARTICLES   |   WYNBOER HOME


Wynboer Tips for December

PLANNING

  • Make profile pits and have a soil scientist do comprehensive soil analysis and charting.
  • Make arrangements for soil preparation (take soil samples and book contractors) in January/February.
  • Make provision for labour requirements during the harvest.
  • Check that wine press/mechanical harvester is in good working order.
VINEYARD PROGRAMME

Irrigation

  • Monitor soil water status and vineyard’s reaction to irrigation scheduling.
  • From pea berry stage – moderate moisture stress on vigorous vines and large berry/premium red cultivars.
Disease control
  • Persist with preventive control programme of oidium and downy mildew in particular.
Pest control
  • Monitor mealybug and ants and control where necessary.
Vine development
  • Complete the formation of cordons (green shoot method) and top for the development of bearer shoots.
  • Crop control of young vines (first bearing) is very important – no bunches on weak shoots (<50 cm shoot length).
  • Fertilise where growth is not sufficient.
Canopy management
  • Regular tipping actions are required to control growth and prevent shoots from falling over.
  • It is very important to pick up foliage wires and position shoots timeously.
  • If canopy above bunch zone is too dense, leaves should be broken according to the ? leaf-breaking principle.
  • Remove green and poorly coloured bunches at 80% veraison for high quality wine goal.
  • Also remove gleanings (“na-trosse”).
FINANCIAL Contact Gert van Wyk for information about:
  • Viability, cost and profitability analyses.
  • Financial study groups/production plan (financial overview or industry branch analyses).
  • Economic and industry related articles.
  • Economic and industry related presentations.
  • Collection and distribution of representative agri-economic industry information.
Compiled by: VinPro Consultation Service
For more information contact Annamarie van Onselen at (021) 807-3027.

Motto: Cutting edge advice for sustainable wine production

Wynboer is incorporated in WineLand, magazine of the SA wine producers.

Subscribe to WineLand

Visit our sister sites:


South African wine farmers' representative organisation


Facts, figures, contact details and much more in the 2009/10 Directory

UP COPYRIGHT (C) 2000 WineLand