Wine growers Working in a vineyard New plantation
The preparation of the ground requires meticulous care.
In the first place, when necessary, one has to level the land, to flatten humps and fill hollows, and to have the land drained if there is an excess of water.
Then follows the trenching plough, which ploughs the soil deeply. This process enables the young roots to develop rapidly. This work is done either in autumn, in the case of heavy, very clayey soil so that the winter cold slowly bursts the clumps of earth or in the spring with lighter earth.
At this point the vine grower acts as a geometrician in that he/she ‘squares' the parcel by deciding where the rows, the ‘tournières' and the vine plants should be placed.
Then comes the placing of the pickets (small stakes of bamboo, wood or metal...) placed strategically, with the aid of a marker on a cord, to support the young plant.
The planting follows. This can be achieved with the aid of either a spoon, fork or with a machine. Why the names of kitchen utensils? That I really do not know, especially as they do not resemble their culinary namesakes.
- The spoon is a sort of a punch which allows one to make a hole 25 cms deep and 10cms. in diameter. The young plant is placed in the hole, covered with earth and the soil is pressed down lightly. Then the plant is watered so that the soil sticks to the roots and the hole is closed with a hoe.
- With the fork (if the soil is loose enough) the young plant is pushed into the earth at the required depth and again the plant is watered to ensure that the roots are well sealed with soil and to avoid air pockets.
- With a machine, which is used in large plantations, with motors guided by laser, the stakes, plant and the watering are all done simultaneously.
In general the ground is weeded to avoid grass growing and suffocating the young plants in the very first months.
In the second year it is time to install the trellising, screw in the mooring lines at the ends of the rows, drive in the posts - either of wood or metal - extend and position the metal wires, nails etc.
In conclusion: in the vineyard there is rarely a lack of work . . .