Delving beneath the surface of vineyard success – Vineyard – Ed Brown

Chemical and biological components, including pH, microbial activity and the amount of “active carbon” (carbon readily available as food for microbes), are also heavily interlinked and greatly influence organic matter breakdown, natural structuring and nutrient availability.

With such an array of interdependent factors to consider, soil health can be hard to quantify. Simple indicators, such as earthworm activity, standard soil tests, identifying drainage problems or variations in crop/root growth offer a useful starting point but a detailed soil assessment adds far greater precision providing a baseline soil status to work from and measure results against.

Hutchinsons has conducted Healthy Soils audits at several vineyards, often with different business approaches, but sharing a common interest in sustainable soil management.

Two recent examples include Pattingham Vineyard, a conventional vineyard on lighter soil in Shropshire, and Hamstreet Wines in Kent, a heavier soil type, converting to organic, with a big focus on biodynamic, regenerative production.

Both want to establish a baseline of current soil health, from which future management can be planned to help optimise vineyard productivity.

Pattingham Vineyard audit

The audit at Pattingham Vineyard found that while soil was in generally good condition, the light, sandy texture inherently meant extra focus was needed on improving nutrient retention, possibly using inter-row cover crops and mulches.

This will be supported with Novacrop sap analysis through the season to check nutrient levels and address any potential deficiencies.

Hamstreet Wines audit

Conversely, the focus at Hamstreet Wines is on improving structure to aid natural drainage and ensuring nutrients held within the soil get into the crop when needed via a healthy root system.

The team at this site is already trying inter-row cover cropping with an organic herbal ley mix to build root diversity, add organic matter, suppress weeds and build mycorrhizal activity in the soil.

The team is also looking at making compost using the increasingly popular Johnson–Su Composting Bioreactor, providing a source of organic matter and beneficial bacteria and fungi.

What is the benefit of good soil health?

As US regenerative farming consultant John Kempf’s “plant health pyramid” suggests, improving the many different “layers” of soil health can ultimately boost a plant’s immunity to soil and airborne pathogens, give more resistance to insects and improve fruit quality, so should be a win-win.

When is a good time for a soil assessment?

Soils assessments are generally best done when soil is moist, not saturated, and warm enough for biology to be active, so spring is an ideal time.

Once a baseline has been established and a management strategy put in place regular monitoring is essential. That should include frequent test digs throughout the year to check what’s going on beneath the surface, as well as annual infiltration tests and worm counts, supported by more detailed soil testing every three years.