Hey growers!

We hope everyone is doing well and maintaining vigor despite these heat spikes! Here at Guillaume, we're diligently tending to the young nursery blocks. Take-rates are looking fantastic, and many young vines have successfully found their way to new vineyard block homes.

We've been out in the field meeting with growers and are always happy to arrange a time for an on-site visit or phone call to discuss any questions you might have. On a recent visit, we met with a grower who achieved an impressive 99.4% take rate with their planting.

Several diligent decisions made throughout the planting process have contributed to this success.

Proper weed management with cultivation helps gives vines space to grow

• This order was placed in November 2022 for bare-root vines that were delivered on April 1, 2024. The early order ensured the availability of the desired vine material and gave the grower ample time to prepare the site.

• Planting on schedule allowed the vines to benefit from cool spring weather, which helped them acclimate, explore the soil profile with feeder roots, and establish themselves. As the weather warmed, the vines were in perfect condition to thrive with the season.

• Fertilizer was introduced a few weeks after planting, depending on the existing soil nutrition and any amendments added prior to planting. Please feel free to ask any questions or reach out to your fertilizer supplier for guidance!
• The grower has been meticulous with water, providing just the right amount and includes proper weed control, keeping the plants free of any undesirable competition. Regular watering kept the young vines moist and encouraged growth, as too much or too little water at a very young stage can seriously stunt the vines.

One crucial aspect of this diligent planting project is the attention to detail. Their oversight confirmed proper planting height, proper trellising, and vine cartons sunk into the ground to prevent the "chimney effect". Great care was taken to ensure that soft, loose soil was used to fill in around the vines.  Often, we see planting crews using dirt clods from shovel scoops to fill the planting holes, which can cause air pockets around the vines and stunt root growth by preventing proper soil contact.

Using soft, loose soil fills these air gaps, and adequate irrigation immediately after planting fills any remaining gaps. Irrigation is sufficient for this purpose, and neither bare-root nor potted vines need to be stepped on or stomped to be set into the soil.

As always, we are available to address any questions or concerns, reply to this email or contact Dylan at (530) 379-5007.

Best,
Guillaume Grapevine Nursery