Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Heat and more heat





So much has happened since the last post. The event center is done, the fruit is set, and now we are just trying to survive. The record heat in the area has made everything a challenge, and the grapes are definitely showing signs of stress.
We knew that the harvest would be smaller this year as the extreme cold snap last winter hurt some of the fruiting buds. But we never expected the heat and the drought this summer would be so extreme. We haven't had measurable rainfall for weeks, and day after day the temperature hits triple digits. Today it hit 110, and was still 100 at 9 pm. You just can't water enough for that.
So we think harvest will be early and we just hope there is some fruit left. Dave thinks we may need to drop some or harvest early just to protect the plants.
Pray for rain!!!