Le pliage

After the winter pruning is done, the spring task in the vineyards is le pliage, the folding, of the remaining single canes to make them horizontal. The buds on that cane will then grow vertically and will flower and, eventually, produce grapes.

The single canes are bent to the horizontal and wrapped around the guide wires.

It seems to be mostly done now, with a few parcels left to go. One of the guys that works out behind our house told me that le pliage could not be done before the last threat of a freeze. He told me that some vineyards that had been started back in mid-April had to be undone when it got cold again. He said that the grower he worked for told him not to do any pliage until after the frost threat was over.

This cane is bent in the extreme. If you look closely, you might see a staple on the left end, securing the cane to the wire.

But now we're almost out of frost season, although we're expecting some chilly mornings in the coming week. Hopefully, there will not be any frost or freezing.