Do you know what it means to "shape the vineyard"?

Hello! In this week’s article I ask you this question: Do you know what it means to “shape the vineyard”?

This work, which is carried out in the Montilla area, is very similar to the despampano, since in both tasks, what is done is clearing shoots. This work is done from the beginning of October and continues until the pruning begins. The purpose is that the shoots that will serve as thumbs for next year develop much better.

Nowadays it is no longer done as much as in the past due to the reduction in expenses, so this work is no longer seen as much being carried out.

How is it done and what does it consist of?

The person selects the shoots for disposal and then cuts them. He also cuts off the parts of the thumb from the previous year that were above the bud and that dry out because they do not pass the sap. Finally, he only leaves those that will serve as thumbs for the following year.

This work consists, as I said before, of eliminating all the shoots that will not serve as thumbs for the following year. The work is done with the same tool that is used to prune the vineyard, this is “the pruning shears”.

Advantages and disadvantages

The advantage of this work is that it favors, as I said at the beginning of the article, the development of the thumbs of the following year. From my point of view, it is a highly recommended task, because since the vine has many fewer shoots, those that are left mature much better, since all the strength that the vine has available is invested in these shoots.

Another advantage is that it saves a lot of time when pruning the vine, since only the shoots that were selected as thumbs for the following year will have to be cut to the appropriate height.

The great disadvantage of this task is the one that almost all old tasks have and is the cost. I can say without fear of being wrong that this work is unfeasible today, because it has a very high labor cost, since although it saves time when pruning, the time invested in the “esfejo” does not compensate for the time. which is saved in pruning, so in the end the result, which in this case would be pruning, becomes more expensive.

Is this work recommended?

If we think about the strain, I say yes, of course, but if we analyze and take into account the final result, I say no.

Now you will think that I am contradicting myself, since I have said previously that with the esfejo we are causing the shoots to be more vigorous, so it is assumed that they will produce more bunches of grapes and consequently the vine will be more productive.

I tell you that this is not like that, it is true that this work promotes the optimal ripening of the thumbs but, the difference in grapes that a sheafed vine produces, from an unsheifed one, does not pay the difference in price (and I say this as proof staff).

I hope you find this week’s article useful and do you think this work is productive?

By Rafael Espejo.