Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/728583
16 OCTOBER 2016 Good Fruit Grower www.goodfruit.com Black tape marks the graft union of Cabernet Sauvignon onto Merlot plants at a Hedges Family Estates vineyard. The shoot on the lower left may still be Merlot because it's below the union, Gomez said, and crews will have to go through next spring to eliminate those shoots. the right wood is up on the wire. It will be time consum- ing but worth it, Gomez said. The graft union is high off the ground, above the sec- ond wire, to minimize frost risk. That means Merlot spurs have grown below the graft union, which is one of the things the crew will be looking for in the spring, he said. The site sits on very porous soil that holds no water. The vineyard is set up as a separate irrigation block that requires more water on hot days. "You can't deprive this of any water. Don't stress it out. Make sure it's growing. If you stress it out, that grafted material will collapse and you're back to regrafting the following year," he said. "Next year and the year after that, then we will start adjusting the growth" So far, the block looks good, Gomez said. The vineyard had a slight powdery mildew issue, which he addressed using 2 percent Stylet oil. "I'm hoping to come in with the big sprayer next year. It's just too rough on young plants this year," he said. Crown gall developed at the base of some grafts, where wind pulled at the cut. They will have to be regrafted next year. Anywhere the graft didn't take, they are letting the plant continue to grow. "You want the trunk to think it's still growing, and we'll regraft next year," he said. Gomez said they are hoping to be in full production in year three. About 4.5 to 5 tons per acre would be a good crop; 3 tons might be feasible this year, he said. "Almost everyone tells me Cab Sauv acts like Cab Sauv no matter what rootstock is on the bottom," he said. "We'll see in a few years." •