The heading says it. This is not a post on vineyard development, design, soil preparation etc. This is a post on the fundamentals of planting a grape vine to grow old.
In South Africa, it still shocks me to see the abuse that some (most) grapevines must endure when planted, only to be ripped up after 20 odd years. Usually there are many excuses to why this is happening, but most often ego and the unwillingness to learn is at fault.
Even after the decades of work that Prof Eben Archer put into planting vineyards, studying root development and the effects of planting methods, even writing a book on it, it still seems out of reach for most farmers, producers and winemakers to plant a grape vine (let alone thousands) correctly…
The problem:
Prof Archer once told me that there is only one thing lazier than a member of parliament… a grapevine root…
Having been in the unfortunate position of being called out to hundreds (yes, hundreds) of vineyards either not performing, suffering sudden heat strokes, underperforming, or insufficiently ripening grapes etc, I have studied many root structures of grapevines that was planted with the dreaded “j-rooting” issue.
Here is a prime example of how it looks:
The issue is simple. The hole was dug (usually too shallow), the vine was stuck in the hole with roots only to the one side (resembling the letter “J”) and stomped on. That’s it. Job done.
Some are just pushed in.
The root structure only develops to one side, or, if twisted upon planting, stays in that position. The grapevine root follows the path least resistance. If you plant the roots sideways – it will go sideways. If you plant it facing downwards, it will go downwards.
The solution:
Education. More should be done to fix the problem in the long term. Not just education of viticulturists, but of farm managers, farm foremen, farm workers and yes, winemakers. In 16 years, I have yet to come across a person that plants a grapevine properly. (Now I don’t care what you do in Europe, but this is Africa. Things are tough out here, so planting correctly is one of the best investments you will ever make. )
First. Make. A. Proper. Planting. Hole.
50cmx50cmx50cm
Make a little pyramid with the soil you dug out in. Throw it back in the hole and position the vine over it, with the roots going downwards at a 45-degree angle, 360 degrees around it.
Break the sides (walls) of the planting hole with a fork. Gently put the soil back in the hole, covering the roots and slowly filling the hole.
Gently push (firm) the soil down to remove excess air and cavities.
Water properly to push any remaining air out, unless you have loads of rain coming.
There you go. It is that simple.
And to quote a piece of the final thoughts out of the book (“Vine roots”) co-written by Prof Archer:
“Buffered vine root systems are probably the most important weapon against climate change (warmer and drier) in the Western Cape of South Africa”
And when I look at climate change worldwide, you can apply this across the globe.
*None of these photos are my own. It was not taken by myself, but I have been in all of these vineyards, and seen their demise.
Please go and get your e-book of Vine Roots, or Wingerdwortels as we call it in Afrikaans. And while you are there, the Covercrops book is amazing. Who am I kidding, get them all! Fantastic research by a bunch of people dedicated to help South Africans grow better grapes and better wine. The more we read the more we learn!
