HMC News – December 2024
Our California table grape harvest is finished for the season. We will continue to ship seedless table grapes from California throughout this month. Due to the drought in Peru, the crop size and availability of Peruvian grapes present a lot of questions, with very few answers. We will continue to update as information becomes available. In our vineyards, we removed the vine cover from our late season varieties. Our pre-pruners have been hard at work this month, cutting back the excess growth from our vines this season. Removing this growth makes the hand pruning process mush easier, allowing individuals to focus on more precise cuts. Vine pruning will continue thought the end of January. Pruning in the trees began a few weeks ago and will continue thought this month and next month. Trees are pruned differently depending upon their age and planting style.
To plant a high-density orchard in the winter, there are several steps required to properly grow and form a tree. When the weather warms up and the trees start to grow, we prune off large diameter limbs, which directs more energy toward the single or double trunk, growing the trunk taller and more robust. The less vigorous grow this not removed; this is where next season’s fruit will be grown. In year two, we harvest the available fruit, and the same pruning process is completed until the tree has grown to its full height. By year three, we hope to have a mostly formed tree and at least 80% of a full crop. Compared to the traditional method of growing a tree, our high-density growing system allows us to reach the tree’s potential two to three years sooner.
It may seem like a slow time on our farms over winter, but in reality, there’s a lot happening behind the scenes to make the next season’s harvest successful. One very important piece of the puzzle is the number of chill hours our trees and vines get in the colder months. Chill hours are the number of hours temperatures remain below 45°F while the trees and vines are dormant. All of our trees and vines need chill hours to allow the plants to rest and recoup over the winter. The amount needed varies among different commodities and even among different varietals within a single commodity. Most varietals need a minimum of 800 chill hours. This fall and winter, we’ve recorded over 393 chill hours on our farms, so we hope to be in good shape to hit our goals!
