We got about a half inch of rain which is not enough to get us out of the drought conditions. One thing the rain does do is help the vines grow. When the shoots get too tall and lean over the row middle it can shade the fruit zone and restrict the air that flows around the berries and leaves. Air flow is the best way to keep the berries and leaves healthy through the season. The mechanical hedger uses six spinning blades to chop the top and sides of the canopy to a nice uniform “Hedge”. In the picture above you can see in front of the tractor the shoots are still untouched while the side view mirror shows the nice straight line from trimming. Depending on the season we probably will have to make another pass through the vineyard with the hedger.