BBB

[kirragc]

Its Bud Burst in Bendigo.

That is all

[pstarr]

We had sap rise starting last week at Murrumbateman. The pruning just got done in time. Still training to get through in the young tempranillo and albarino, as well as planting replacement vines.

[kirragc]

Yeah I only pruned my Chardonnay 2 weeks ago and the sap was up then.

[pstevens]

In Mudgee yesterday very few buds had burst but give it another day or so

[griff]

Budburst started in a couple of vineyards three weeks ago in Margaret River.

[Grey Ghost]

Bud burst in DJN 115 and 667 on the 20th August here in Marlborough. Chardonnay just showing pink tip; sauvignon about ten days away - just getting its lime sulphur.

Trialled (properly for a change) applying Biocover/Stylet oil at 25mm growth last season - followed up with another at 100mm growth. Though a bad season for powdery and erineum in the control, none to speak of in the treated blocks.

This might be of interest for you kirragc, as temps here just post burst are rarely over 15 to 17 degrees - with not much activity from sulphur (other than lime sulphur of course). I have used the oils previously, but one client gave permission for a control block. Substantially better results. Went back to S after the second spray (14 day withholding between oil and S) when things had warmed up in late October.

GG

[Santa]

Its Bud Burst in Bendigo.

That is all

Isn't it a great time!

Maria

[pstarr]

I have a feeling this could be another strange year. We pruned the shiraz late, partly for frost management (voodoo) reasons I didn't quite agree with. We've ended up with the pinot noir clones and the shiraz coming out at the same time (getting into it when I was out there yesterday). The young vine tempranillo are coming through, but the sauvignon blanc is lagging the shiraz, which is strange. I didn't check the albarino. It's going to be a tricky year for local growers if we get frosts in October and November, especially as there have been next to no winter rains.

[kirragc]

Im kind of sceptical about the late prune holding off bud burst, I did it this year and it seemed to work by about 4-5 days. There wasnt a frost in that time so it didnt matter either way.

Hey GG, whats with the oil base sulphur being more active, how does the mechanism work?
I must admit, we spray so little here that sulphur efficacy isnt really a problem, Im looking for ways to cut sprays altogether

[Grey Ghost]

Late pruning - 5 to 7 days is the normal delay - but only if the pruning is delayed until the upper buds on the shoots show green. Late pruning in itself doesn't seem to create the same delay that waiting until after bud burst.
Then, of course, the tying down of the canes is a pain as you don't want to rub of the already softening buds!

kirragc - it was oils AND sulphur as separate items - indeed they do not mix and need to be timed no closer than ten and preferably fourteen days apart.

As our UK and EU customers are voting with their wallets for "sustainably produced" wines I have attempted to move clients towards these softer sprays. Yes, spray more often (as we used to do 30 years ago before the systemics came along), but this is the cost we have to bear to sell into these markets.

As noted the oils worked well here - I thought to report that here and hope the info' is of use to fellow growers.

GG