Annual Vineyard Growing Calendar

In college I had a good friend from New Jersey who was convinced that Californians lacked depth of character because we didn’t have to live through harsh winters. Even though I disagree that you have to shovel snow or ice fish to reach your potential as a human being, I do agree that awareness of the passing seasons coordinates our lives in mysterious ways. There is a right time of the year for everything, including certain vineyard practices. There is a rhythm to the way the winegrowing season advances and I would like to provide aspiring new vineyardists with a simple viticultural metronome that they can adjust to their own vineyard and climate. Farming winegrapes is a challenge, and developing a plan for the upcoming year will help your backyard vineyard live up to its potential. We will also define backyard grape growing strategies and offer suggestions concerning the seasonal timing of pruning, watering, fertilization, disease control, pest control, canopy management, weed abatement and harvest. POST-HARVEST (October through February) One common misconception of backyard vineyard ownership is that your work