The key to managing productive vineyards in Washington’s variable climate is to make management decisions based on the vines’ phenology, not the calendar, according to speakers on the “Farming by Phenology” panel at the Washington Winegrowers annual meeting in Kennewick. Understanding phenology — nature’s calendar — and predicting it based on weather forecasts can improve disease and pest control and improve fruit quality. And in Eastern Washington, the difference between a warm growing season and a cool one can mean major shifts in the timing of bloom, harvest and all the vineyard labor in between. “Your spring temperatures will determine […]