I'm confused

I thought the grape growers who own the vineyards out back had stopped using herbicides to control weeds among the vines. They've been mowing and plowing for a few years. So why are the vineyard parcels back to shades of orange and brown? Maybe there's a new herbicide that is considered "organic" or at least not harmful to the environment? Maybe the other methods cost too much? Whatever it is, there's been a lot of spraying out there this spring.

Most of the vines in these parcels are relatively young, planted since we've lived here.

Winter pruning is done and the pliage, bending the single cane left after pruning to the horizontal and attaching it to a guide wire, is under way. The vines are producing leaves. A frost in the coming weeks could do a lot of damage. It's the same fear every year. I hope our local growers don't have to deal with that.

Meanwhile, the big parcel that was dug up a year or so ago is being prepared to receive new vines. The ground was smoothed over a few weeks ago (a process called terrassement) and now they're spreading manure on it. The workers are also preparing another large plot for replacement. The wires and posts are gone; soon the vine trunks will be ripped out. That plot will likely lay fallow for a year or two before replanting.