Tending Tuscany’s Vines: Simple Summer Organic Practices at Our Eco-Responsible Luxurious Sanctuary
- Our Sustainable Farm (OSF)
At One Belvedere Tuscany, we love gardening with care and purpose. Our organic vineyard is where we pour our heart into every vine, creating wines that feel special and inviting. Gardening here is not just about growing grapes; it is about connecting with nature and creating moments of joy for our guests. We share our summer organic practices from the vineyard, perfect for anyone who loves tending plants, whether in a big garden or a small backyard.
Nurturing Nature’s Finest: Organic Vineyard Care
Gardening is about helping plants grow strong and healthy. In our vineyard, summer is a busy time when we care for our grapevines by hand. This careful work shapes the grapes that become our wines. We’re an organic winery, which means we grow everything naturally, without harsh chemicals. Every choice we make shows our love for the land and our guests’ experience.
Vineyard Organic Management involves three main tasks that are easy ideas you can use in your own garden, too.
- Shoot Thinning
- Canopy Training
- Cluster Selection
Let’s explore how we do it and how you can try these tips at home.
Shoot Thinning: Keep It Simple
In early summer, grapevines grow lots of new shoots. These are like little branches that pop up full of energy. But too many shoots can tire out the vine, making weaker grapes. So, we gently remove extra shoots, keeping only the strongest ones. This helps the vine focus its energy on growing better grapes.
You can do this in your garden, too! If your tomato plants or flowers have too many stems, trim a few away. It’s like giving your plants room to breathe and grow stronger. In our vineyard, we walk through each row, checking every vine by hand. It’s a simple task that makes a big difference, and it feels good to care for each plant this way.
Canopy Training: Guide Your Plants
As summer goes on, the vines’ shoots grow long and leafy, creating a canopy. We guide these shoots by gently tying them to wires, like giving them a path to follow. This keeps the vines neat, lets air flow through to prevent disease, and helps the leaves get just enough sunlight. It also protects the grapes from getting too hot.
Think of this like helping a climbing plant in your garden, such as tying up a cucumber vine or supporting a young tree. You’re guiding the plant to grow its best without forcing it. In your garden, try using string or soft ties to shape plants like roses or beans. It’s a kind way to help them shine, just like we do at One Belvedere Tuscany.
Cluster Selection: Choose the Best
Cluster selection is when we pick the best grape bunches to keep. We look at each vine and choose the healthiest, best-placed grapes, often removing some to make the rest stronger. This isn’t about getting more grapes, it is about getting better ones with great flavor.
You can try this at home by thinning fruit on an apple tree or cutting back extra flowers on a plant. For example, if your zucchini plant has too many baby squashes, pick a few off so the others grow bigger and tastier. In our vineyard, we do this by hand, vine by vine, because we believe this care makes our wines special for our guests.
Gardening in a Changing Climate
Summers are getting warmer, which changes how we garden. In the vineyard, hotter weather makes vines grow faster, and grapes ripen sooner. We have to be extra careful to shade the grapes from too much sun and keep the vines healthy. This means adjusting how we train the canopy or water the plants.
You might notice this in your garden, too. Maybe your plants need more shade or water during hot spells. Try using shade cloth for delicate plants or watering early in the morning to keep them happy. At One Belvedere Tuscany, we stay flexible and watch our vines closely, learning from nature to keep our garden thriving.
Gardening with Soul: Connect with Nature
For us, gardening is more than work; it is a way to feel connected to the earth. Every vine we tend tells a story of care, and we share that story with our guests through our wines and vineyard visits. When you walk through our rows of vines, you can feel the love we put into each plant. It is a peaceful, grounding experience that we think everyone should try.
If you love gardening, you can join us for workshops where we share our vineyard tips, like how to prune or tie up plants. These are fun, easy sessions for beginners or experienced gardeners. You will leave feeling inspired to care for your own plants with a little extra love.
Try Vineyard Organic Practices at Home
You don’t need a vineyard to garden like we do.
Here are some simple tips to bring our vineyard care to your backyard:
Trim with care
Cut back extra stems or leaves to help your plants grow stronger, like we do with shoot thinning.
Guide gently
Use stakes or ties to support climbing plants, keeping them healthy and organized.
Choose quality
Thin out fruit or flowers to focus on the best ones, just like our cluster selection.
Stay flexible
Watch your plants and adjust to the weather, like adding shade or changing watering times.
These small steps can make your garden feel as special as our vineyard. Gardening this way is relaxing and rewarding, helping you feel closer to nature.
We’d love for you to see our vineyard and feel the joy of gardening with us. Book a stay at One Belvedere Tuscany to walk through our vines, join a gardening workshop, or taste our wines made with care.
Visit onebelvedere.com to plan your trip and explore our experiences, from vineyard tours to cozy tastings.