Pruning lessons continue through the season. This session focused on reducing the 'shoulders' of the grape clusters, removing new shoots, removing diseased clusters, and trimming leaves that blocked light. When we first walked in, it was almost overwhelming; there were so many clusters and they looked so healthy at first.
But then, we started noticing things. A swathe of dying grapes. A batch of speckled leaves and grapes. Contractors had painted the outside of the glasshouse. They had not closed the windows before spraying the outide walls with chemicals, probably paint stripper, and the toxic material had wreaked havoc inside. We cut off buckets of grapes that weren't safe to leave behind.
There was some evidence of Botrytis mold in a couple of clusters. And there was clear evidence of nutrient insufficiency, probably Mg and Ca. We worked away for several hours and got the vine cleaned up. Personally, I was horrified to be reducing the size of the clusters so drastically. It seemed like such a waste, but I'll have to get used to it, I suppose.
Alex gave Andrew a bottle of mead and several rooted cuttings of ancient grapes, including the ones from the convent in Westport, the glasshouse in Foxford and Ross House.
We came home with several borrowed books with lots of interesting information about vines and bees and whatnot. Overall, a very enjoyable and productive session again. Only Alex and me, Mary and Andrew, with lots of people dropping in to chat along the way.
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