Hardscrabble Journal

Leaf-pulling Tools

For the past few weeks most of our days have been spent hand removing unwanted leaves and shoots in the cluster zone. Grapevines are trained so that all the clusters are uniformly in a line at the same level. At Linden this would be between 30” to 40” which correlates to tabletop to countertop height.

This height is good for the grapes, but not so good for the grower’s back. Over the years we have embraced several tools to help back fatigue:

Heavy-duty knee pads. Nothing worse than an unexpected sharp rock to the knee. They also give work pants a much longer lifespan.

The garden cart. Our vines are on hills, so we take advantage of gravity by starting at the top and rolling down, usually in a controlled manner. Steeper slopes result in a higher runaway rate.

The dairy-milking pogo stick. This ridiculous looking apparel is strapped to the backside. It allows one to fall slightly backwards and end up seated on a comfy stool. At an average rate of 100 vines an hour, it is a great workout for the thighs.

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Linden Vineyards / Learn More / Latest at Linden | Journal: June 23, 2021