Suitable for All: Pruning Strategy and Practical Training (South West)

Join viticulturists Dr Glen Creasy and  Joel Jorgensen to explore grapevine pruning strategies. Learn how to develop goals for your vineyard’s performance and how to prune to help achieve them. From objective setting and strategy to practical implementation this course will teach you the skills needed to adopt a confident and informed pruning program. Content includes:

• Defining realistic goals for your vineyard’s performance.
• Using pruning to help with short and long-term objectives.
• Balancing crop loads with vegetative growth and the sustainability of your business.
• Trunk disease considerations.
• Remedial techniques for poorly pruned vines.
• How can spending on pruning save you money in the long run?
• A practical pruning workshop for both beginners/intermediate and intermediate/advanced practitioners. A trainer will lead each group in the afternoon.

ALL LEVELS WELCOME:
Beginner to Intermediate /  Intermediate to advanced. This course is designed for ALL, with pruning strategy in the morning and suitable practical sessions in the afternoon. Note: The course uses  mature vines for the practical however the courses will cover vineyard establishment (years 1 to 3). 

Joel Jorgensen

Vinescapes Director and Viticulturist, grew up in the Cape Winelands of South Africa and viticulture has been a life-long passion of Joel’s. He gained a BSc in Viticulture and Pomology from Stellenbosch University before being drawn to the UK’s flourishing and rapidly expanding wine industry.

After managing a large organic and biodynamic vineyard in Hampshire, Joel spent several years as Operations Manager of a very successful vineyard contracting business. Joel is a self-proclaimed ‘vine nerd with muddy hands’ with a passion for sustainability in all senses of the word; from improving soil health, creating biodiversity, increasing vineyard longevity, improving efficiencies and creating the perfect ecosystem within the vineyard. Joel strives to create the perfectly balanced vineyard and a healthy natural system that will deliver a quality crop every year and provide a sustainable return on investment.

Dr Glen Creasy

Originally from New York State, Glen Creasy earned his undergraduate degree at Cornell University, which then segued into a Masters and PhD in viticulture at Oregon State University. This was followed by two years as a post-doc with the NSW Department of Agriculture in Australia. He took a position at Lincoln University in New Zealand in 1998, where he was a lecturer, researcher and consultant before moving to southern France in early 2018.

Glen has authored numerous industry articles and book chapters, contributed entries in the Oxford Companion to Wine and with his Dad, Leroy, co-authored two editions of the book “Grapes,” published by CAB International. Glen has segued into commercial production in France with the part ownership of a vineyard and winery, Terre des 2 Sources.

PROGRAMME FOR THE DAY (timings are approximate and subject to change)

PLEASE BRING:
– Pruning secateurs
– Suitable outdoor clothing and footwear for the practical session and inclement weather

VENUE: Aldwick Estate, Redhill, BRISTOL, BS40 5AL. Further directions will be provided with the joining instructions which will be sent ~1 week before the course.