Our pruning is fini

The news are so fresh, that I don't even have a photo to share yet. But here goes: Our employee has finished the pruning of both plots. Come on, spring, we're ready. Almost.

Two tasks are still pending: Cleaning and binding. The first one Alain will deal with this weekend - as much as time will let him - the last job now goes to the young man this time with a friend. The binding takes less time than the pruning, we suppose that he really wants to do it, and wants to finish it too, since he has suggested to do it with a friend.

Generally speaking most workers, that we see working in the vines, now are binding branches too. Both where we live - in the Montagne de Reims - and where we work - in the Côte des Blancs. Other big areas like the Vallée de la Marne and Aube we rarely or never pass.

God lives in the detail
The cleaning is Alains choice. But as in many other fields: God is in the detail, and it is worth it to remove branches completely rather than leaving little pieces here and there. You just don't leave any unnecessary wood whatsoever. Full stop.

He is a careful person and work in a thorough way, but Alain is also the person who will end up with more work later in the year, if he does not do a good job now. So I find it reasonable to add another parameter in the comparison between the results of the two opposite sexes, mentioned a while ago (here) and that is owning or long-term renting the plot.

My experience and verious hear-say tell me, that most women prefer to attach, and most men prefer to prune. My theory: Men prefer to stay clear of the fiddling of the binding, and women are cold, when they prune, they find it hard and they definitely dislike to smell the oil they must use to burn the firewood in the wheel barrows.

Personally I am so butter-fingered when attaching that I prefer to prune any time. But this year the winter has been very mild and gentle, so I have had no need to warm myself at the fire. This weekend I have my chance to fight against the lieuse, the little tool used to attach. Time will count my thumbs. The weather channel says sunshine.

På dansk

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