We have ‘enjoyed’ another reasonably moisture-laden rainy season this year (though in our area it was more spread out over the season in contrast to all the flooding in Southern California). This moisture is good for the health of perennial plants, including grapevines. When rainfall is spread out, more of it has a chance to soak into the soil as opposed to simply running off toward the ocean making headlines along the way. With the forecast of La Nina conditions developing over the Pacific Ocean over the next part of the year, we are being told to expect lower than normal rainfall in the near future. Either way, I’m going to continue relishing the more generous rainfall years and tolerating the less generous ones, dealing with the ebb and flow of moisture as it comes. From a historical perspective, until super dry seasons begin stringing together for more than 2 years in a row, it is nothing different than what our area has seen for at least 170 years.
Read the complete newsletter here: Ebb and Flow