MAY

The butterflies are dancing in the sun, the bees are untirablely gathering nectar from the blossoming apple-trees, and the whole nature is active and is looking for the light of the summer that is approaching.
For the winegrower the month of May means the beginning of a great battle. He has to fight the invading weed, especially the bindweed that climes the stock and winds maliciously around the fragile sprouts of the vine. As soon as the soil gets warmer, he has to plant the young vines, paying attention to putting soft topsoil around the roots.
One should not plant too deeply in the compact soil, because the young plants might suffocate. It is also the moment to nip the buds, i.e. to leave on the vine-stock only the well-placed buds that have grapes or that ensure the perpetuity. The other sprouts, which are called 'false wood' or 'sucker', have to be removed as they would weaken the plant and take way unnecessary space.
The grapes have to be removed from young and old vines because a surcharge would hurt the quality and compromise the future of the stock.
From the beginning of the vegetation, the winegrower has to protect the vines against disease and all kind of insects, from the very small red and yellow spiders to the big brown caterpillars that hide in the ground during the day and come out at night to eat the heart of the young shoots.
Of course, we have to use poison, but it is difficult to spare the beasts of prey on the one hand and avoid the mites to multiply on the other. Before each treatment, the difficulty is to know what exactly has to be eliminated. At times it is a question of conscience, especially if you know that a single ladybird alone can during its development theoretically eat more than 3000 cochineals or plant louses. The ideal situation would be to have just enough parasites to provide sufficient food for those others eating them. However, whenever favourable conditions exist for the development of parasites, then they multiply at such a rate that it becomes necessary to eliminate them.
Nevertheless, we have to admit that science, researchers and methodical observation allow to better control the problem. More and more we have at our disposal specialised products for specific problems that help to protect the environment by avoiding generalised and systematic treatments.
My son who followed the viticultural school at Changins asked me one evening returning home which was the most important tool for the winegrower. I was tempted to reply the tasting glass, but after some reflection I replied that it were the scissors because they stand for judgment and action. He however told me that it was the magnifying glass. I had to laugh and told him that if he was thinking of treating the vines and earn a living with a magnifying glass, he was wrong. Nonetheless, after several discussions and a certain time span I had to admit that the magnifying glass allowed to discover an invasion of mites or the first signs of decease before you could see it with bare eyes. With these observation means and control we now treat only when it is really necessary. This is called the integrated fight. Since this discussion, I always carry with me in the spring a leather case with a magnifying glass, a gift that I received from my son.