What a day for a bud burst!

Magical Clew Bay

It's gorgeous out at the moment. We're just getting over Covid, and it's a perfect spring day. I was able to walk to the top of the farm without a problem, so I'd say I'm pretty clear of debilitating symptoms. Ghosty walked all the way up with me without complaining. She loves this weather, too. Her whiteness really stands out up here. The northerly gales we had this year really did a number on the shrubs at the top and most of the gorse died back. I'm glad the vineyard is south facing and protected. 

On the way down, I inspected the vines and noted bud burst on both the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, but not on the Albarino. I was, however, gratified to see that most of the Albarino vines seem to be alive. Why they are so slow to get going I don't know. 

Pinot Noir

Chardonnay

Albarino

6 yo Solaris

6 yo Rondo

4 yo Solaris

The orchard has come alive, too, with the pears and cherries in bloom. The apples, plum and peach are just starting to think about it. But the fruit trees in the polytunnel are cranking. I'll have three peaches this year, and a mango finally germinated! Very weird-looking plant. The avocado is growing well, the second peach and the apple are flourishing, and the lemon and orange trees are flowering like crazy. The kiwis are growing fast as is the grapevine. Can't wait. So promising. 

Maggie

Fogbank in the distance

See the USA...

Rondo bud break

We took our first trip to the US in several years last week. Bizarre travelling again. Just 7 days but packed with activities, including renewing my US driving license, fixing a bank account's data and seeing the cherry trees in bloom in DC. 

Upon return, one of the first things I did was water in the polytunnel and check the vineyard. I was astounded at the changes since we left, despite some rather cold and blustery weather, with F11 wind last night. We flew in with 40-knot gusts buffeting the place but the pilots did very well. 

Bud burst with the Rondo is well underway. The Solaris is slightly behind, with the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir trailing well behind and the Albarino looking sickly. 

Solaris

Chardonnay

Pinot Noir

Albarino, but it's the only one

The fruit trees are well underway to flowering and leafing. Let the Spring begin. 

Cherry blossoms in the USA capital, Washington DC.

Stunning weather

Since last Friday, we've had stunning weather: sunny, dry, calm and warm. Extraordinary really. We are getting a lot of outdoor work done but there's more to do, always. It's sad as Meike, Alex's mum, loved the good weather and it's been fine since she left us. Perhaps it's her way of making us feel better. 

Alex suggested we had bud break, but it's not really. It's a precursor and I really hope they hold off because we're to have a cold snap on Wednesday. Once again, everything will have taken off only to be stopped in its tracks and regressed.  Only the Albarino is dormant still, possibly dead. Very disappointed in that. 

Rondo

Solaris

Chardonnay

Pinot

Mini heatwave predicted for Ireland

Vitis 'Vanessa' in the poltunnel

Ireland will be hotter than Malaga this week with Met Eireann forecasting a spring scorcher.

The mercury is to reach 18C thanks to a big area of high pressure, which will dominate over the coming days. Highs of 18C mean Ireland will be hotter than the south of Spain, where Malaga is expecting highs of 15C-16C with rain. 

We'll be watching closely as bud break last year was 14 April but they seem to be a bit ahead of schedule this year. 

Meanwhile, bud break for Vanessa in the polytunnel was a couple of weeks ago. She's thriving. And the fulvic acid treatment of the soil and leaves of fungus susceptible plants has done wonders all around in the polytunnel. No leaf curl on the peach or the avocado! 

A study of plastic greenhouse soils has demonstrated for the first time that humic acid and fulvic acid have fungicidal activity against many phytopathogenic fungi. What a useful finding!

Another study found that treatment of soil and foliage with HAs strengthens the cell structure. 

And one other study showed that humic acid improved the yield and quality of continuous cropping peanuts because of improved physicochemical properties, enzymatic activities, and microbial diversity of soil.

Sunshine day

The view of Croagh Patrick from Kirstin and Michael's house where Alex's mum, Meike, spent the last month and passed yesterday is astounding on a good day. It was a spectacular weather day as we said our fare wells. We walked with the hearse down to the bridge over the creek. It was a lovely gesture. 

Back at home, the polytunnel reached 47C so we left the door open all afternoon. The crop of peas, lettuce and broccoli has kept us in veggies all winter long. What a treat. The new log hives are ready to accept visiting colonies of bees. The vacancy signs are up. 

The vineyard is still asleep but is starting to show signs of life. May the lifecycle begin anew. 

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

Well, the weather has been shite here as they say until mid-day when it cleared up and the parades were held, finally, in sunshine. There is little progress in the vineyard as the temps have been cold. 

Our lives are complicated as I've been helping Ukrainian refugees coming to Ireland at the same time that my husband's mother is dying. Reconciling war and death are eating me up. It's hard to be positive about a vineyard in the interim. 

Meanwhile, Vitis Vanessa has woken up and is doing well in the polytunnel. As are the fruit trees - apple, peach and avocado. And Jenny the kiwi has started doing her thing. I've even started a peach and mango from seed and have bought a lemon and calamondin orange at Aldi. A bit of solace.

Now all I want is to be left alone to tend to my flock.