Notes from the Field: A Grower’s Perspective – Philippe Coquard Chat #9
Hello Wisconsin Fruit News subscribers and welcome back to Notes from the Field: A Grower’s Perspective! I had my ninth chat with Philippe on August 8…
Philippe and his crew are back to heavy irrigation at Wollersheim. Despite recent rain events, it has hardly made a drop in the bucket for the vines’ water needs.
Powdery mildew appears to be under control, and no other diseases have been observed. When we last spoke in late July, Philippe applied a systemic insecticide for the Japanese beetles and phylloxera, and as of today he is seeing very little Japanese beetle damage. With Marquette at 100% veraison and roughly 30-40% on the other varieties, Philippe anticipates one more fungicide application of the season with Kocide. In general, the weeds are under control.
Right now, in the vineyard, Philippe and his team are focused on combing and leaf removal. They are also waiting to decide about ‘green harvesting’, but based on the reduced growth, shorter shoots, and small clusters this season he suspects that they will not remove these grape clusters.
In terms of harvest, Marquette will likely be picked around the end of August. For the other varieties at Wollersheim which are usually picked in late August, they will harvest closer to Labor Day weekend due to the drought conditions this season. Philippe anticipates that harvest will stretch a little longer this season, possibly picking 2 to 3 days apart. Additionally with the reduced foliage and smaller crop, he expects that the fruits will accumulate Brix a little quicker this season, estimating 1 °Brix every 3-5 days. With fruit quality measurements underway, Philippe and his team can start to get ready for wine making!
That’s all for now! Check out the notes from my next chat with Philippe in the 10th issue of Wisconsin Fruit News on August 25. If you missed any of my previous chats with Philippe, you can find them here.
This article series is NOT intended to be prescriptive for other vineyards. It is simply an opportunity for our readership to hear from other growers about their experiences growing fruit crops in Wisconsin.
Growing the same crop does not always justify the same practices. Management decisions at your farm should be tailored to your operation and take into consideration location, regional climate, disease and pest history of your vineyard, and your varieties.
The mention of a product is NOT an endorsement. Always follow the instructions on product labels and consult weather stations (ex. NEWA) in your area for current weather forecast and disease and pest prediction models.
This article was posted in Notes from the Field and tagged Leslie Holland, Notes from the Field, Philippe Coquard.