The Glenwood post., 1910-07-23
WATER IN VINEYARD
Irrigation Is Most Important Fac
tor in Management.
Grape Will Not Stand Excessive Wa
terins and Presence Of Free
Water In Soil ls EARLY
Indicated.
By o. B. wHIPPLE. Colorado Agri-
II cultural CnlleHel

.l cultural College)
Really the irrigation of the vineyard
is one of the most important opera
tions in its management. The injudi-
cious use of irrigation water is re-
sponsible for greater part Of the
grape growers grief The tendency
water. The excessive use of water.
although 1t may not be sufficient to
actually injure the vines, is largely
responsible for the loss from attacks
by mi1dew and. more than anything
else. for the poor shipping qualities
of Colorado-grown vinifera grapes.
One does not realize the Importance of
having the ground dry during the RI
pening season of the fruit until he
has seen the grapes ripening in the
California vineyards. Here the vines
are robbed of half their foliage by the
drought of late summer and, as a re-
suit, the flavor of the fruit is far supe-
rior to that of Colorado-grown grapes.
The drought prevailing during the
ripening season Is at least partially
responsible for the high sugar content
Of many California-grown grapes. A
grape must carry high per cent of
sugar to ship well: in other words, 1t
must be well ripened. Still the Colo
RADIO grape grower is not altogether to
blame, for If he were to allow his vine
yard to dry out to the extent that the
vines should begin to drop their TO-
liage. his ,over-solicitous neighbors
would go out of their way to advise
him that the vines would surely die.
Two points should be observed in
the use of water with reference to its
relation to the growth of mildew. In
the first place, the old system of run
ming irrigation water near the rows
and under the vines is a mistake. This
plan vets the surface 81 the ground
under the plants where 1t is slow. to
dry out and creates moist atmos-
phere conducive to the growth of
mildew. The grapes also drop down
in this furrow and are covered with
mud. which induces cracking and de-
cay. A better plan is to run one fur
row midway between the rows, make
this furrow deep and avoid flooding
the surface of the ground. When the
vineyard is watered 1t should be wa
tered we'll; then cultivate in the fur
rows. allow the surface of the ground
to dry of. and conserve the moisture
by frequent surface cultivation.
The vines should be kept growing
well during the early part of the sea-
son, but after the berries are we'll
grown, irrigation and cultivation
should cease that the ground may dry
out. The time for the last irrigation
will depend much upon the character
of the soil and upon the variety. Even
though the foliage may turn yellow
and begin to drop before the fruit is
fully ripe. there is no cause for alarm;
1t will not hurt the vineyard and the
fruit will ripen better. The cracking
of berries is often due to the applica-
tion Of water after the fruit begins to
ripen.
The grape will not stand excessive
watering and the presence OF free wa
ter in the soil is early Indicated by a
dropping of the foliage and a, shrivel-
Ing of the punches. A single heavy
watering will often scald the foliage
on some varieties. The ground should
be kept in the same condition, as re-
CARDS moisture, as soil for most other
crops. The vineyard that has been
well dried out during the ripening sea-
son will need late fall watering to
facilitate covering and to supply mois-
ture to carry the plants through the
dry winters. 1t is general impress
sion that the vineyard should not be
watered during the blooming season.