In the vines, in the vines, where the sun certainly shines. We are now in full swing of tucking in the vines. I love the picture these words create. It always makes me think of tucking the vines in to bed for the night. And, in a way, it is a bit like that.
As summer lengthens, so do the vines. Many seem to just keep growing. So it becomes quite important to tuck them in. Sometimes, often times, twice or more we walk the rows again to check and tuck as summer progresses.
Tucking in the vines involves working a row, usually by yourself. Travelling up it, always up it feels, making certain vines are tucked up into the raised wires. Sometimes it’s just one errant one. Sometimes it’s a collection of them.
Vines are raised so that they don’t trail on the ground and bring disease or mildew up on to the plant. Raising them also allows sun to reach in easier to help ripen grapes. So tucked in between raised wires, vines are trapped pointing upwards.
Guiding the Growth
There is another reason for this gentle tucking in ritual. Vines are naturally determined little things. Their instinct is to reach, stretch and find their way towards the light. Those long green shoots are searching for space and sunlight, but left to their own devices they would happily wander in every direction. Tucking them in helps guide that energy back into the structure of the vineyard.
By keeping the shoots upright, the leaves are spread out like tiny solar panels, each one catching the sun and turning it into energy for the plant. This process, called photosynthesis, is what helps the vine grow and, ultimately, helps the grapes mature. The more balanced the canopy, the better the vine can share its energy between growing leaves and ripening fruit.
Clearing the Way
And whilst we are walking the rows, we are also keeping an eye on the ground beneath our feet. Weeding happens alongside tucking because the vine and everything growing around it are all competing for the same things: water, nutrients and space. A little bit of grass or a few wild plants might seem harmless, but in a vineyard every drop of water counts, especially as the summer heat arrives.
Removing the weeds around the vines gives the roots less competition and allows the vine to focus on what we are hoping for most — healthy, happy grapes. It also helps with airflow around the base of the plant, keeping things drier and reducing the conditions where unwanted mildew and disease can thrive.
A Conversation With the Vines
So, as we tuck the vines neatly into their summer homes, we are also clearing the way beneath them. It is a small act repeated thousands of times: lift, guide, remove, continue. A conversation between us and the vines, helping them do what they do best. Grow.
Camaraderie builds if there is a team involved, even though there is not much actual talking whilst walking the vines. The odd ‘ca va’ (alright?) as one passes another here and there. But occasionally you find yourself in sync with someone and have a moment of conversation.
Surprisingly the time passes very quickly. Or maybe I should say, just quickly enough. I generally relished the break for lunch, as I would be truly hungry and ready for my mind to come outside itself and delve into a book. After an hour, it was back in the vans and off to a different set of vines to tuck in.
Keeping the Shape
After all the careful tucking in, guiding and weaving of the vines, there follows the further task of trimming the tops. This is ideally done with a machine that travels along the rows (as it takes a heck of a long time to do by hand). The idea is to gently cut back the wildest, tallest shoots that have stretched beyond their space.
It can feel a little strange after spending so much time encouraging the vines upwards, only to come along and cut them back. But, like a good haircut, it is all about balance. Vines are wonderfully energetic plants and, left completely alone, they would happily keep sending shoots and leaves skywards, putting their energy into growth rather than the grapes.
The trimming machine helps keep the vineyard tidy and the canopy controlled. By reducing excessive leaf growth, we help the vine put more focus into ripening the grapes. It also opens the canopy, allowing more sunlight and air to move through the plant. Good airflow is one of the vineyard’s quiet protectors, helping to reduce the damp conditions where mildew and other diseases can take hold.
Together, the two jobs work in harmony. We tuck the vines in to guide them, and we trim them back to help them breathe. Both are part of the same conversation: encouraging the vine to grow well, but reminding it where its energy is needed most.
More about seasonal work in the vineyard:
What else is done during the summer : Summer Work in the Vineyard (May)
And what comes after Tucking in : Summer in the Vines is Officially Here (July)
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