In our last Regenerative Viticulture Series, we spoke to biodynamic practitioner and viticulturist Robin Snowdon from Limeburn Hill vineyard. Robin shared with us some of the tinctures and treatments they use on their vineyard throughout the year, including their anti-microbial pruning paste recipe.
As a treat, Robin has sent us this exact recipe, with details of ingredients, instructions on how to make the paste, and why it is beneficial for the vines.
Ingredients
– Clay (we use powdered clay, as local as possible, but you could use clay from the land if you have any)
– Fresh cow manure (ideally biodynamic, definitely organic to avoid chemicals)
– Dried Horsetail (400g)
– Spring or rain water (8L)
Process
- Start by making some horsetail tea. This can be done by boiling dried horsetail in rain or spring water for an hour. We use approximately 400g in 8 litres of water, boiling it in a large pan.
- Leave overnight to cool and macerate. In the morning, filter out the horsetail with a large sieve.
- Now, combine equal volumes of powdered clay and fresh cow manure in a bucket and mix thoroughly.
- Add small amounts of the horsetail tea into the manure/clay mix and stir until combined.
- Keep adding the tea until you get a thick slurry that you can apply to the pruning wounds with a brush.
- We carry a bottle of the paste (made from a plastic milk carton) tied around the waist as we prune, and apply with a small paint brush. Alternatively one person can prune, a second can dab the paste.
Why is the paste good for the vines?
- The paste prevents the entry of disease microbes (viral and bacterial) to the wound on the vine, before the sap has begun to rise.
- The fresh organic manure is full of healthy microbes which initially colonise and cover the wound.
- The horsetail tea is high in Silica, which helps to dry the wound and strengthen the paste.
- The clay dries out and turns from liquid to solid to form a long lasting barrier to the wound, allowing it to heal naturally over time. We find that the pruning paste is usually visible the following year when we begin pruning again.
If you liked this recipe, try listening to our episode of the Regenerative Viticulture Series with Robin Snowdon for more insights into Robin’s biodynamic practices.
Additionally, if you are currently starting to use regenerative techniques, are you using data to track how your vines are responding to your experimentation? It might be worth using a vineyard tracking software, such as Sectormentor, to track the long-term efficacy of changes you are making on the vineyard.
If you’d like to know more about Sectormentor, contact us on info@vidacycle.com.
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