PLANTING PROCEDURES
All information contained in this article is meant as a guide only, and variances may occur under different site conditions.
PLANTING PROCEDURE-DORMANT VINES (INC. OWN ROOTS)
Timing of Planting
Earlier establishment maximises the length of the growing season and the potential for vine development. However early establishment needs to be weighed against frost risk, weed control, water-logging and low soil temperatures. For most regions and sites the ideal time to plant is from mid-September through to mid-October. Planting should occur preferably on cool days and ideally prior to the hot and dry part of the season.
Planting
Vines should be planted as soon as possible once received.
Dormant Rootlings
Prior to planting the root system may need to be trimmed back. The severity of the trimming will depend on the planting technique:
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For machine planting cut back to approximately 5 cm
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For water jet planting cut back to approximately 12 cm
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For shovel planting a root system of greater than 12 cm can be kept so long as the roots are in a downward pointing position in the hole.
Push the dormant vine into the planting hole until it hits the base of the hole, then lift upward so the roots are orientated downwards. Approximately 20 cm of the vine trunk should be below the soil surface. Shovel some topsoil around the base of the vine and press firmly to expel all air pockets.
Biodegradeable Pots (inc. own roots)
Timing of Planting
Generally potted vines will not be available for planting until late October. Planting should occur preferably on cool days and ideally prior to the hot and dry part of the season. Vines should be planted as soon as possible once received. Potting mix dries out at a rapid rate. If the potted vines can not be planted immediately, store them in an area protected from the wind, and water as necessary.
Planting
Prepare a planting hole approximately 15cm wide by 30 cm deep. Gently place the potted vine in the planting hole and backfill with topsoil. The top of the pot needs to be covered with approximately 5cm of soil to prevent rapid evaporation of moisture from the potting mix from which the vine initially depends. Shovel some topsoil around the base of the vine and press firmly on the soil to expel all air pockets.
We strongly recommend the use of vine guards with biodegradable pots to buffer them from high UV, wind and vermin.
PRESENTATIONS
Highlights from Yalumba Nursery’s Clonal Evaluation Program - AWITC
Rootstock use for premium pinot noir production
A modern approach to new technology in the vineyard
Cabernet clones for a hot climate
Lessons from an organic vineyard
Profitability begins in the nursery
Rootstock selection and management
HISTORY
WE NEEDED VINES
We started Yalumba Nursery in 1975 when we needed to replace vines at our Oxford Landing vineyard in the Riverland. We wanted to replant with grafted vines to help combat nematode and salt problems and get yields back up to sustainable levels. Finding quality grafted vine material proved difficult, so we decided to do it ourselves. With that decision Yalumba Nursery was borne. The Yalumba Nursery was first established on the winery grounds in Angaston, moving into a purpose-built facility in 2001. Initially the nursery only supplied the Yalumba vineyards, however soon our growers were asking for our vines and by 1982 Yalumba Nursery was supplying vines commercially.
IMPORTING CLONES
It was around about this time that Yalumba Nursery began its variety and clone importation and selection programme. In the first 10 years of the programme Yalumba Nursery imported and evaluated many, many varieties and there were many, many failures (!), but there have been some obvious success stories including Viognier and the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir Bernard clones from Burgundy. It was also during the 1980s that Yalumba Nursery - with the support of the CSIRO - pioneered the hot-water treatment of grafting material and vines and as a result Australia can lay claim to having some of the world's healthiest planting material free of damaging pathogens such as Crown Gall.
VINE ACCREDITATION
By the late 1980s and early 1990s the Yalumba Nursery embarked on an industry initiative to develop a vine quality accreditation scheme. Written together with the Orlando Nursery at Jacobs Creek, the base accreditation became the fundamental document generated by the Australian Vine Improvement Association (AVIA). Interestingly most of the specifications within this document today remain the same as in our original draft.
NEW FACILITIES
During the 1990’s the Yalumba Nursery grew rapidly in-line with the Australian wine industry and it became apparent that the facilities at the Angaston winery were no longer able to support the business and so the decision was made to invest in new facilities at the current site in Nuriootpa. The aim of the project was to build a state of the art vine production facility and after 12 months of construction this was achieved with the facilities officially opened in September 2001. By 2017, the nursery had once again outgrown its capacity and at the beginning of 2018 a new expansion project was initiated with the construction of an additional processing shed, a new greenhouse system and an expansion of our cool room. The opportunity was taken to completely separate propagation from planting and processing, by enclosing the area in which grafting occurs and creating a temperature controlled, secluded environment to increase hygiene practices and decrease risk of infection. The construction of a new laboratory has also occurred and there are exciting prospects on the horizon for Yalumba Nursery.
EXCLUSIVE ENTAV-INRA® AGREEMENT
In 2002 the Yalumba Nursery and ENTAV-INRA® signed a 20 year agreement to exclusively propagate and distribute the leading varieties and clones currently available in France. ENTAV-INRA® have the largest repository of clonal material in the world. They have been consistently at the cutting edge of clonal selection and virus identification and elimination. Their focus has been on authenticity and the production of material for high quality winemaking.
BAROSSA CLONES
In 2004 Yalumba Nursery set-up a small-lot winemaking trial evaluating Shiraz clones selected from old vineyards across the Barossa and Eden Valley. This trial has led to the release of four new clone selections; two from the Barossa Valley (BVOVS5 and BVOVS10) and two from Eden Valley (EVOVS3 and EVOVS12). These clones have since been widely planted are adding complexity and diversity to modern wine styles.
TABLE GRAPES
In 2007 Yalumba Nursery moved into the table grape market with an agreement with International Fruit Genetics (IFG) to propagate premium table grape varieties for the Australian market. Exciting new varieties such as Sweet Celebration, Sweet Sapphire and Jack's Salute are now available (under contract) to tablegrape growers.
WHATS NEXT?
Yalumba Nursery is committed to providing the Australian wine industry with high quality planting material so that the we can continue to thrive in the increasingly competitive global wine market. With the new expansion and the introduction of a technical officer position, we aim to further enhance the quality of our product and invest in new ideas and development opportunities.