As I recently described, today we had a bulldozer come to our property to "rip" the soil. Because our land has sat unkept and uncultivated for years, the soil is hard, parched, and remains unsuitable for healthy root growth. While our personal tractor has been excellent for weed control and topsoil management, we still need heavier equipment to rip the earth more deeply.

Ripping the soil allows a young root to more easily dig deep and establish itself during a plant's early lifecycle. I have heard some nurseries refuse to sell rootstock to vineyard managers who have not ripped their soil; the young vine may perish under the difficult task of establishing its roots. By spending more time and energy building our soil now, we hope that a young vine will have every opportunity available to mature and develop over time.

J&SK