brought to a more neutral pH by adding sulfur. In each case, deep ripping of the site to at least a metre will loosen compaction or


mineralization layers and allow better root penetration into the new vineyard. The history of previous crops can have localized effects on the site. There may be localized areas of nutrient depletion or infestation. If the site can be prepared and left fallow for a season before planting, the areas of strong and weak growth can be identified by weed patterns of growth. Weak areas can be sampled and remedial fertilization applied before planting the new vineyard.


In some cases there may be veins of sand or clay that can cause irregular growth. This can be partially compensated for by auguring a hole and backfilling with an appropriate soil mixture at the time of planting. The new plant will be better able to compensate for soil problems if it is growing strongly before the roots spread into the surrounding soil. Plants often grow stronger at the bottom of a hill, simply because they receive more irrigation water or because nutrient is washed downhill. Pressure-compensated drip emitters can assist, but on a long slope the plants at the end of the slope continue to receive water after the irrigation is turned off and the lines are draining. There are various ways to compensate, such as having a dump valve at the end of the drip line or irrigating more deeply and less often.


Veins of sand can usually require more irrigation than more humic or clay soils. If these local areas are identified, extra emitters can be installed to compensate. The reverse of this can also be employed by blocking or removing emitters in areas of high water holding capacity such as high humus or high clay content soils. In an existing vineyard, it’s difficult to demonstrate localized differences within a vineyard by soil sampling. A more reliable method is to flag weak and strong areas and do petiole analyses at bloom. Remedial fertilization or revised irrigation can then be applied to the weak areas . . . or alternatively areas that are too vigorous can be selectively managed to cope with vigour.


But that’s another story... 22


Fruit-laden rail cars wait at one of two wharves on the Kelowna waterfront.


KMS PHOTO NO. 3076


Looking Back By Wayne Wilson


O


ne of the challenges facing the development of a viable and commercial scale tree fruit industry in the Okanagan Valley was transportation. When all is said and done, tree fruits are a relatively high bulk, low value commodity that requires smooth and reliable transportation to get it to distant markets. In this sense, the tree fruit industry simply could not have grown without the advent of a railway system. Canada’s national rail link was completed in the mid 1880s, and a spur line was built south from Sicamous to Okanagan Landing in the early 1890s. From that point, sternwheelers took on the role of extending the transportation reach further into the Okanagan Valley. It is in that decade that the valley sees the first commercial scale orchard being planted and we see 'extensive agriculture' (ie. cattle ranching and grain growing) being replaced by 'intensive agriculture' (ie. tree fruits). This transportation part of the


equation took on new dimensions when barges began to haul rail cars from the various


communities up and down


Okanagan Lake north for transfer to the mainline and onto market. In Kelowna, that rail barge traffic began prior to World War I and this wonderful photo by GHE Hudson shows something of the dimensions of that enterprise. Ultimately, two large rail wharves were built along the Kelowna foreshore — the CN rail slip to the north and the CP rail slip more to the south near where the Grand Okanagan Resort now stands. Over the years these wharves saw thousands of rail cars leave for market, and the last of them was shipped in the late 1970s. — Wayne Wilson is the former executive-director of the BC Orchard Industry Museum and the BC Wine Museum.


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