Sponsored: Adapt Sustainable Vineyard Practices in Your Garden
Wine growers and winemakers have been practicing sustainable farming for decades. Today many of these practices make a natural transition to the home garden.
Wine growers and winemakers utilize sustainable practices in farming and winemaking to protect the land they rely on and produce better quality grapes, which support high quality, award-winning wines. Many wineries, including St. Francis Winery & Vineyards, are leading the way in promoting sustainable agriculture and business practices.
Some of these sustainable farming practices can be adapted by the home gardener who is looking to improve crop quality along with providing a healthy environment for plants, animals and family. Here are some vineyard-inspired sustainable practices that you can utilize in your garden:
Catch pests early ”“ To help minimize problems, damage and infestations check your plants for pests when growth is new and tender. Those tiny succulent leaves and buds are attractive to pests ”“ but can be easily mitigated if caught and controlled early.
Compost garden waste ”“ St. Francis composts all of the vines and leaves from pruning and canopy management as well as the spent grape stems and skins from the winery. The compost feeds the vines for the next season, a practice that is easy to duplicate for the home gardener.
Use water wisely ”“ It’s no secret that California wine country has experienced a drought the last few years impacting ground water levels and restricting irrigation ”“ causing wineries to pay close attention to water use. Grape vines that receive minimal amounts of irrigation, called deficit irrigation, produce better tasting grapes than those that are heavily watered. Weather stations are installed at all three of St. Francis’ estate vineyards. Connected to these stations are soil probes that record moisture in various soil types and relay that information to the vineyard manager. He then uses this information to irrigate just the areas that really need it. Consider adding a home-scaled weather station in your garden and use
the information to selectively irrigate.
Provide a habitat for wildlife ”“ Throughout many vineyards you’ll find nesting boxes and platforms for owls and raptors. Providing an attractive home for these birds is one way to naturally eliminate rodents that harm the vines and dig dangerous holes in the fields. Inviting an owl or hawk to live in your garden can naturally eliminate mice and help protect your fruit trees. Setting up a bat house is easy and inexpensive and will help control mosquitos.
Pick early in the day ”“ Grapes picked at night or early in the morning come in to the winery while still cold, retaining flavors and aromatics and reducing the need to mechanically chill the fruit.
Finally, be sure to take the time to wander the garden ”“ Winemakers and vineyard managers spend a lot of time walking the vineyard. By seeing the vines at all times of the year they feel connected to it and appreciate all it has to give. Do the same, enjoy your garden, observe how it changes over time and drink in the beauty of the seasons.
This article is brought to you by St. Francis Winery & Vineyard, which was founded in Sonoma Valley, California in 1971. A family-owned winery, they farm more than 400 acres of Certified Sustainable estate vineyards in Sonoma Valley and Russian River Valley and produce a full line of luscious, elegant, fruit-driven wines from Sonoma County grapes.
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