Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/543863
www.goodfruit.com Good Fruit Grower AUGUST 2015 9 winemaker may want herbaceous flavors, and purposely want more canopy shading, he explained. But in both warm and cool sites, the timing of leaf removal is critical, says Schlagel. Leafing must be done early or fruit will sunburn. In his own leafing trials conducted on Bordeaux red varieties, he found he could remove leaves on both sides of the canopy without sunburn problems, if leaf removal was done early. While cooler sites can have higher disease pressure, warmer ones often require extra insecticide sprays due to additional pest generations. In some of his warm sites, he's had three generations of leafhoppers to control. Yield management In both warm and cool sites, the secret to getting fruit ripe is yield management. "Yield is absolutely critical to ensure you have quality and requires collecting a lot of data to get it right," said Schlagel. In cooler sites, he constantly monitors cluster development. He also does more crop and color thinning in cool sites than warm ones. "If it's a marginal site for Cabernet Sauvignon, and we've had uneven veraison, we will often do a quick color thin of the clusters." He believes flexible yield targets are advantageous for cool sites and can help the grower ensure quality. For years like 2010 and 2011, both very cool growing seasons, flexible yield targets for Cabernet Sauvignon can help ensure the crop ripens. Schlagel also thinks that acreage contracts are import- ant when growing late maturing varieties in cool sites. "Acreage contracts are not as critical in warm sites," he said. "Most of the time, you can get Cabernet Sauvignon ripe in a warm site—regardless of the vintage—if you do your cultural practices right." Lastly, labor is an issue when growing Bordeaux varieties in both warm and cool sites, particularly when viticultural practices must be done by hand. He noted that finding adequate labor in recent years has been an increasing problem for vineyardists. • TJ MULLINAX/GOOD FRUIT GROWER When growing Cabernet Sauvignon in cool sites, growers worry about fall rain and frost while waiting for grape flavors to fully develop. Call us FIRST for the largest selection of trees and rootstocks available Future contracts for cherries, pears, & apples; ALL ROOTSTOCKS. NEW APPLE rootstock! 1-800-421-4001 Phone: 503-538-2131 Fax: 503-538-7616 E-mail: info@treeconnect.com Web: www.treeconnect.com INC. Representing Over 30 Leading Nurseries in the U.S. and Europe From the breeders of Bud 9: • Vigor between M-9 T337 and M-9 Pajam®2 • Yield efficiency similar to M-9 T337 • Dwarfing • Cold hardy • Disease resistant • Fireblight tolerant B10 ® cv. Mich 96 USPP 21,223 Services are FREE TO GROWERS!