Fall has finally arrived in the vineyard

Fall arrived, if only for one day. Today it's back to warm and wet but yesterday it was cool, crisp, and sunny with frost overnight. The red vines have dropped their leaves but the white vines and hanging on. The grass and weeds have control. Next have to get out there with a shovel and dig out the docks. Then Alex will have to strim. Finally we will go in and select out the main shoots and prune away the rest. Then Alex can build the overhead trellis system we'll be adopting from Spain. Trying to be patient.

Red vines have dropped most of their leaves

White vines hanging on to leaves

Finally, leaf fall

The weather in Ireland has been ridiculously mild this Fall. Few gales or storms. Way above average rainfall for September and below rainfall figures for October. Unusually, we had two days of intense all-encompassing fog which obliterated the world, then froze it in dendritic patterns.

Dormant season

This week we had a cold snap. Ground frost and freezing fog turned the landscape into Narnia. The water froze solid in the containers the cats drink from and the glass in the cold frame was covered in gorgeous crystal patterns. So I went into the vineyard to see if it was time to prune the grapevines.

Interesting!  The red grape vines had dropped all their leaves, but the white grape vines were holding on tightly. Still fully leafed. So "not yet" was the answer.

I raked the leaves from the lawn instead. The trouble with planting deciduous trees is that they drop their leaves and make work. I think I'll go for more evergreen from now on.

Fall in Daria's vineyard

The red Rondo grapevines have dropped their crimson leaves in our absence.  We were in Manchester for a few days and returned to see Fall in progress. The white grapevines are still holding on to their thick green foliage. I wonder if they will change colour yet before dropping to join their red sisters. We shall see. 

Whenever I visit the vineyard, I always have an escort of at least one cat. This time Thelma the crazy feral feline came along, winding around my legs in an effort to commit a crime against humanity by tripping me. It failed. But she nudged and nudged until I picked her up, which freaked her out as usual. 

We had several days of wet foggy windy days. Now we have southerly winds bringing in sunshine and warmth in the second week of November. So in a few weeks, if the cold does come and the vines begin their hibernation, I will begin the pruning. Until then, I watch and document and learn.