Be Grape Wise with Hydra-Hume

With today’s special Grape Wise report from Helena Agri-Enterprises, I’m Corryn La Rue with California Ag Today. We are joined by Paul Crout, Helena Agronomist for the Western Division.

Paul, we’re starting to see early varieties of table grapes getting harvested in the San Joaquin Valley, what should growers be thinking about as they finish harvesting?

“Great question Corryn, growers are so busy during harvest that they often overlook one of the most important fertilizer applications of the season, the post-harvest application.”

“Key is providing the vines with post-harvest fertilizer allows them to take up and store essential nutrients prior to dormancy.”

What do you look for in an effective post-harvest fertilizer application?

“Timing and formulation. Key timing for the application is soon after the vines get harvested.”

“Second is the fertilizer formulation. Your Grape Wise consultant will formulate the ideal blend for the vineyard based on soil and tissue samples taken during the season. Key nutrients in a post-harvest fertilizer blend are nitrogen and potassium, though other nutrients may be added depending on observed deficiencies. Another key component in any post-harvest fertilizer formulation is humic acid which provides a wide range of benefits to fertilizer blends. This includes increasing the uptake efficiency of the application, complexing nutrients for greater plant availability, and mitigating the salt effect from the fertilizer itself. Hydra-Hume from Helena is a high-quality, liquid humic acid that is incorporated in our Grape Wise fertilizer blends to maximize every pound of nutrient we apply to the vines.”

Paul, before we go, where can our listeners go to learn more?

“You can visit helenaagri.com for more information and to find your local Helena retailer to develop a custom Grape Wise program for your vineyards.”