The calendar of the wine-grower

Viticulture in R. of Moldova / The calendar of the wine-grower

We shortly present the calendar requests of the workings that must done in vineyards and that are usually planned in advance. Depending on the meteorological conditions of the given year or at the beginning of the given vegetation stages, the time period of the necessary workings must be clearly specified.

January

Finishes the harvest of stocks (if this activity wasn’t completed in December );
the wine-growing planting material is systematically checked (grafted vine, rod and stocks ); in the rooms where is being kept the wine-growing material are measured the temperature and the air humidity ;
are being repaired the workshops used for grafting, the testing rooms and the pools and vessels for wetting the grafted saplings and stocks ; are being prepared the rooms, hothouses and trenches where will be harden the grafted vines; old boxes are being repaired and new ones are being manufactured (for testing the grafted saplings); are being brought all the tools, instruments and materials necessary for the grafting activity;
are being determined the expenditures needed for the production processes: there must be achieved the optimal proportion between revenues and expenditures so that an economic profit could be obtained.
The setting down of the plan of workings for the grafting period.

February

Are being tested rods from the vineyards in order to determine the viability of the eyelets before pruning and after the winter frost;
Are being repaired the boxes used for layering grafts and manufactured new ones; are being checked and repaired the electrical installations;
Are being accumulated: sawdust, fuel, paraffin and other materials necessary for the grafting campaign;
Are being organized training courses for the workers in charge with grafting.

March

This month is decisive for the vineyard grafting campaign. In its second half, in vineyards is being done the automatic and manual digging up. The pruning of vineyards is being done immediately after the digging up, and this process must be finished before the beginning of the vine “weeping” and budding. Simultaneously is being done the cutting of unnecessary superior roots and rods.

In young plantations are being installed means for sustaining the bushes. In vineyards the damaged and rotten pillars are being replaced and the wires are being stretched on the espalier.

Are being done the smoothing and vigil of the terrains in order to create new plantations;
The empty spaces from young plantations are being fulfilled with grafted vines, and the ones from old plantations by layering;
Is being done the dry tiding of rods and shoots. From the empty spaces between the rows are being taken the cut rods.
In soil are being introduced the mineral fertilizers;

After the ending of cleaning, tiding, and elimination of cut rods from the vineyards, are being applied the deep loosening of the spaces between the rows –without overturning the furrow (with chisel type cultivators) at the depth of 20-25 cm. it does not admit the spring plough, because it strongly dries the soil.

April

Continue the grafting and testing; begins the sorting of grafted bushes tested in sawdust and their acclimatization, so that they could be planted in vine nurseries.
In the 3rd ten-days period of the month, when the soil temperature in billons at the depth of 20 cm reaches 10˚-11˚, starts the planting of grafted saplings;
Begins the planting of vines, stocks and graft plantations.
For planting are being used vines of earth marked varietals that correspond to the in force standard.

May

The workings applied this month in vineyards, stock and graft plantations and in vine nurseries are decisive for the grape harvest and the output of grafted vines.

In the young plantations are being done the workings of bushes’ formation;
Continues and finishes the planting of grafted bushes in vine nurseries;
In vine, stock and graft plantations are being done the green operations such as: the weeding of unnecessary grafts, the weeding and tiding of shoots.
In young vineyard plantations is being done the cutting of superior roots; are being reduced the billons;
In stock plantations are being taken the measures against phylloxera;
The soil in vine, stock and graft plantations are being maintained light (loosen) and out of weed;
In vine plantations is being made the additional radicular fertilization;
Start the treatments against some series of diseases and vineyard pests.

June

During this month the wine-growers have distinct worries: the maintaining of vineyards, stock and graft plantations and vine nurseries. These activities demand a lot of work and good handling.

Are being applied treatments for disease and pest fighting(mildew ,farinaceous dew );
Are being continued the summer superficial weeding; in young plantations continue the workings for the bushes’ formation;
On the hills where the spaces between the rows are covered with turf the grass is being weeded and left there;
During the flowering is being done the artificial supplementary pollination;
Is being done the green grafting;
In vine nurseries is being made the first cutting of superior roots;
In stock plantations is being done the weeding.

July

During this month everyone works hard, the workings are being arranged according the priorities are being executed on the fly.

In the young plantations continue the workings of bushes’ formation;
At the beginning of the month is being done the tipping of shoots at the height of the future stem;
From the stem are being eliminated all the shoots except those two that will be used as “arms” (shoots) and are being placed at the opposite top part;
As the weed appears, in vineyards, stock and graft plantations are being done the mechanical and manual weeding;
Continue the workings directed at the fight against diseases and vine pests;
In the vineyards that were planted in the current year is being done the second cutting, eliminating the surface roots. The heaps of loosened soil are not being remade;
Is being applied the radicular and extra-radicular fertilization with potassium and phosphoric fertilizers;
At the end of the month is being done the tipping, cutting the top of the shoots;
Starts the preparing for the vintage and the beginning of the wine-making season;
Starts the harvest of table varietals with early and extra-early period of maturing (ripening);
At the middle of the month in vineyard nurseries is being made the second cutting of superior roots.

August

The wine-growers observe the results of their work and start the preparing for the harvest and wine-making season.

Continues the harvest of early table varietals;
During the first ten-days period are being taken the measures for preventing and fighting of grey rot; in order to do this in plantations with technical varietals is being made the defoliation of the grape area, with a solution of magnum chlorate –concentration of 1%;
In stock and mature vineyards where will be collected rods for grafting, and graft plantations is being made the analysis, the mass and fytosanitory selection.
In vineyard nurseries are being identified the impurities. Also in this period is being done the definitive opening of billons (at the grafting point) so that the bushes could better stiffen;
In order to help the rod maturing, in stock plantations, when the intensity of offshoots’ growing decreases is being done the tipping;
Are being made the necessary preparations for the grapes harvest;
Continue the workings of soil loosening for the cultivation of new vine and stock plantations and vineyard nurseries;
Begins the harvest of table grapes and the revising of the inventory necessary for the autumn harvest of technical varietals.

September

Begins the harvest of the varietals for wine, keeping under control the maturing of other varietals;
Continues the harvest of table varietals;
Finish the acknowledgement workings in graft plantations and vineyard nurseries;
Continue the workings of soil loosening for the creation of new plantations;
Are being prepared spaces for stocking the wine-growing planting material;
In cellars and wine-cellars are being made the necessary preparations so that the harvest could be taken and stocked: they are being cleaned, the vessels and cisterns are being washed and the equipment is being dyed.

October

This is the time when finishes the harvest and starts the autumn workings in vineyard plantations.

Begin the burying workings (protecting), especially in young plantations -recently planted and in the parcels with varietals that are less resistant to the winter frost; in plantations with high stem the soil at the base of the stem is being loosen;
On the loosened terrains of the vineyard nurseries are being done the workings of billons’ raise;
Is being done the inventory of the empty spaces from the vineyard plantations; in graft plantations of intensive type starts the collecting of rods of the varietals that were foreseen for multiplication;
Is being done the autumn plough and the repeated loosening of the land between the rows, simultaneously applying organic and mineral fertilizers in necessary quantities.

November

In this month can be appreciated the quantity and the quality of the obtained harvest. The workings from vineyard, stock and graft plantations are being continued with a higher intensity.

In vineyard plantations are being taken sample of rods in order to determine the content of carbohydrates and the degree of the rod maturity;
Is being determined the embryonic fertility of the eyelets for each type of varietals;
Continues the collecting of the graft rods and their depositing for the winter storage;
In vineyard nurseries are being done: the removal, the sorting and the layering of vines for their winter storage;
Are being intensified the protecting workings of bushes, by their burying for the winter;
At the end of the month starts the collecting of stock rods;
Is being done the supplying with the materials necessary for the grafting campaign (sawdust, growing stimulators, and paraffin).

December

Is being done the analysis of the achieved results and starts the writing down of the plan of workings for the next year;
Continue and are being intensified the shaping and layering workings of the stock rods harvest;
Is being done the analysis of the results achieved in the current year and is being elaborated the plan of technical and organizational measures for the next year.
Starts the writing down of the production and financial plan of the household.
Are being organized training courses (brushing up courses) for wine-growers in order to have productive activity in the next year in this period starts the supplying of the household with all necessary materials, machines and equipment.

“The wine-growing guide of the farmer”, AGEPI, Chisinau 2003


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