Getting to the root of healthy vineyards

Vineyard success is built from the ground up, starting with the correct planting and care of new vines.

- By Glenneis Kriel

Growing a healthy root system is essential for producing high-quality, high-yielding wine grapes. Yet many farmers still make mistakes by planting vines incorrectly or handling them poorly before planting. These errors weaken root development, creating a 'factory' that is too fragile to support the vine properly. As a result, such vines struggle to reach their full productive potential and are less resilient during floods, heatwaves and droughts. In most cases they also have a much shorter lifespan than those with well-established root systems.

While farmers are aware of this, mistakes during planting continue, even on top wine farms. During a presentation at a Vinpro regional meeting earlier this year, Marko Roux, independent viticulturist and viticulturist adviser of Hexberg Nursery in Wellington, Western Cape, said he regularly encountered such vineyards on different farms that had to be replaced within one to four years of planting, or showed early signs of non-viability.

Since farmers have little control over skyrocketing input costs, high vineyard establishment costs of up to R400 000/ha and market prices that do not keep up with these costs, he advised farmers to focus on factors they can control – in this case, giving vines a proper start by planting them correctly.

PLANTING MISTAKES

To start with, Roux said that the initial process, from collecting the vines from the nursery to transporting them to the field for plantation, should be managed meticulously to prevent vines from drying out, as failure to do so could negatively influence the success rate and the health of especially fine roots.

Some people suggest planting vines as they arrive from the nursery, but Roux advised the trimming of the roots as a simple action to prevent many potential problems that may follow.