No longer play chicken

8 Dec 2008

Another week of progress with the usual setbacks and leaps forward. We were away most of the week (in Die Hell) more of that in the other blog. The vines are now a week older and the anchors and cordon wires are complete. We have some losses - about 5%. BUT we have spares and Zakrey will move them in soon.

The vines have had another 35 hours of sunshine and 5mm of irrigation BUT it is very very hot - it hit 34 C yesterday so we may have to do some therapeutic cooling.

For those of you keeping graphs the totals are 248 mm of water and 130.7 hours of good sunshine. We still have no dam water (from the dam that is). Maybe Wednesday?

Zakrey (our Rasta farm manager) is watering the vines that we think may need some help.

Half of the vines have lost their chicken status and have been pruned to 2 shoots heading for the cordon wire.

Zakrey is showing off the 2 shoots in this photo - am not sure which vine it is Row 1 in Block D vine 22 I think.

The 'rock mulch' is very evident in the last photo.