Why Cover Crops?

Legumes, & fava beans enrich the soil

A vital component to any healthy vineyard is of course proper soil. Balanced nutrients are crucial in the support of vigorous canopy development. Effective management of the soil in our estate vineyard is imperative in ensuring the continued growth of strong vines and stunning wines. Achieving a balanced vine is an important goal of vineyard management. Controlling both the growth habits and vigor of vines will always be a moving target, with the “bulls-eye” being the complex, beautiful grapes Winemaker Tim Hardin expects from our vineyards.  An analogy of two pipes fueling a vine’s growth can be used to visualize this cycle. One pipe will feed water to the plants and the other nitrogen. When both pipes are flowing at full capacity, there can be some very serious vigor problems producing less than perfect grapes. Soil has the most significant influence in limiting this constant flow in relation to water-holding capacity and nitrogen availability in the vineyard.

Winter grass fends against erosion

Tim uses cover crops to help adjust both water and nitrogen availability through root competition. By allowing crops like fava beans, mustard and legumes to grow between the rows of vines, less water is absorbed by the vines this cover crop helps to “Stress” the vine and limit vigor. Getting a head start on improving soil quality for the next year’s season can be achieved with some simple steps taken in early spring and summer to boost the amount of available nutrients in the soil. Summer cover crops add significant amounts of organic material to the soil, yielding a variety of long term benefits. Organic matter improves the water holding capacity of the soil, increases drainage in clay soils, protects soil from erosion, and provides a wide range of beneficial nutrients and bacteria that optimize plant health. By tilling the cover crop back into the ground nitrogen is added back to the soil, replacing that which was used by the vines during bud-break and canopy development. Cover crops also reduce the need to use artificial fertilizers in the vineyard and chemical herbicides. By keeping our vineyard as natural as possible, free from human influence, the vines will thrive and show the superior qualities of the terroir in their fruit and ultimately our wines. ~ Chris