FARMING PRACTICES
Preventing water evaporation and promoting water and nutrient absorption in the soil is key to the sustainability of the soils, the vines and therefore our business.
Cover crops are sown in March and April between the vineyard rows for several reasons:
- Moderating the temperature of the soils
- Water retention in the soils
- Control of water/nutrient hungry weeds
- Root development conditions in the soil and soil structure
These crops need to stop growing in spring to allow the vines to flourish and to eliminate a habitat in which snails can thrive. Conventional farmers simply spray pesticides to kill the cover crops, but we prefer to roll them flat. This stops the plants from growing but allows them to decompose naturally, feeding the soil with essential nutrients and nitrogen. The mulch also improves the structure of the soil.
Red clover is planted on the ‘bankie’ which is the raised part in which the vines are planted. It doesn’t grow high enough to interfere with the growth of the vine but acts as a mulch controlling weeds and evaporation. It also contains enzymes that fixate nitrogen. So, the clover plant absorbs the nitrogen from the air and then converts it into nitrates which the soil can absorb and use.
Plant waste is chipped and applied as mulch to our vineyards to decrease evaporation.
No harmful insecticides are used on crops. Instead, natural predators, Permipar and Limonica, combat pests such as mealie bug and thrips.
COMPOST TEA
Healthy soil produces healthy grapes produce good wine. Focusing on soil health makes a big impact on the wine in your glass.
Until recently, organic fertilisers were only available in pellets. These need considerable amounts of water to dissolve, so when put onto the vineyards in Spring, often the pellet does not dissolve properly due to lessening rainfall, and so isn’t able to feed the vines as planned.
Recently, a liquid organic fertilizer was released onto the market by Ecosoil which could be added to the drip irrigation system as a form of compost tea.
To make the tea we erected 2 x 5000-litre tanks with aerated pipes installed inside and heating elements suspended over the tops. The tanks are filled with water and a compost tea starter (mixed specifically in response to soil analysis results) is added. As the microbes from the tea increase, so the oxygen levels decrease which is why air is constantly bubbled through the system by the pipes. The tea is heated to 25ºC by the elements to allow the fermentation process to start. 24 hours later, an additional bag of tea is added. After a total of 48 hours, the brewing process is complete, and the tea consists of nutrient material and a wide variety of beneficial bacteria, protozoa and nematodes.
This solution is then pumped into a tank, driven to the vineyard and pumped into the drip irrigation system.
This compost tea comprises protozoa, bacteria, fungi and nematodes. They feed on each other, and the resultant metabolic by-products include nitrogen and other beneficial nutrients to the soil and vines.
The compost tea has been applied regularly for several years now, and soil tests show that the level of Carbon in the soil has increased by 220%. This is a sure sign that our soils are becoming increasingly healthy, and healthy soils produce healthy grapes produce good, naturally made wines that authentically express their unique terroir.
Legitimizing our Carbon Hero Status
