I spent the full morning pruning the vineyard. There is only so much I can reach, so Alex came over later and followed in my wake, editing further. There is a lot of growth, and the Solaris vines are strong, but the grapes are not looking great. The Rondo, on the other hand, are looking very good and, believe it or not, are beginning to show signs of veraison...in July!!!
We are removing a lot of vine growth. I'm trimming all shoots that are not associated with bunches of grapes, most tips, all tendrils and backup grapelets. I am also removing select leaves to open up the grapes to sunlight. It's hard work and disorienting to stand with head tilted up, arms overhead, on tiptoe, stretched to the hilt.
Tendrils are fascinating structures with lives of their own. They behave like hands. Tendrils on grapevines are specialised, thread-like structures that help the vine climb and support itself. Their behaviour is a fascinating example of thigmotropism, which is a plant's response to touch or physical contact. I asked ChatGPT how tendrils 'behave'. Here's what they had to say.
1. Searching for Support (Coiling)
Exploratory movement: Tendrils grow out from the vine and move in circular or helical patterns, "searching" for something to grab. This movement is known as circumnutation—a slow, spiralling motion as the tendril elongates.
2. Touch Response (Thigmotropism)
When a tendril touches a solid object (like a trellis, wire, or neighbouring plant), it responds by coiling tightly around it. The cells on the side touching the object slow their growth, while the cells on the opposite side grow faster, causing the tendril to curl around the support.
3. Securing the Vine
Once coiled around a support, the tendril often forms tight helices and may even produce additional coils to pull the vine closer and secure it. This pulling tension helps stabilise the vine and allows it to grow upward or outward toward sunlight.
4. Senescence and Shedding
If a tendril does not find support within a certain time, it may dry out, die off, and drop. Successful tendrils, on the other hand, harden and provide long-term anchorage.
Summary
Grapevine tendrils behave almost like plant "hands": they reach out, sense contact, coil around objects, and pull the vine toward stability. This behaviour is a key reason why grapevines can grow effectively on trellises and arbours. In the wild, they grow up through trees.
Tendril and flower clusters have a common developmental origin. Therefore, one might find flower designs developed at the end of the tendril.
So there you have it. The fascinating life of grapevines.
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| Baby back-up grapelets |
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| Solaris grapes |
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| An inflorescence with a tendril |
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| Chardonnay vines look quite different... |
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| ...from Solaris vines. |
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| Baby backup grapelets. |
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| Complex tendrils suck energy |
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| Tendrils come in specific shapes |
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| Alex with his head in the grapes |
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| Veraison beginning on Rondo |
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| Rondo is ripening very early |
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| Look at the length and strength of those tendrils |
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| Donkeys kept us company all morning |
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