Sunday, June 2, 2013

Shooting to the Top Wire

Hot & dry, cold & wet, hot & dry, cold & wet...the wet just ended.

The shoots have 11 to 13 open leaves, are nearing the top wire, and have, healthy sets of future flowers.

Dijon Clone 114
Dijon Clone 115



Wadenswil Clone
 
Pommard Clone
We had just under 3 inches of rain during May, about 3/4 of an inch more than normal, all in the last half of the month.  Cumulative rainfall since last October is 32.9", about 3 inches less than normal.



We had 230 Heating degree days in May, the warmest May in recent years.  The daily high temps were 15 to 20 degrees warmer than normal during the dry first half of the month, 5 to 10 degrees cooler than normal during the rainy last half of the month.  May extended the 2013 trend of higher than normal heating degree days, ending at a cumulative total of 344 heating degree days.  

The current forecast for the next 30 days shows dryer than normal conditions with temperatures slightly higher than normal.  I hesitate to say this, but if the forecast holds we may have one of the first decent bloom periods in several years...

A preview of coming attractions: