The major task for the summer is watering, judging what is sufficient to maintain adequate growth, and survival, given this last winter’s rain.  This task means initially checking all the lines for
leaks and water delivery to the trees and bushes, which means mostly repairing and replacing broken or clogged drippers.  Then I usually get an estimate of how much water each line delivers in an hour, by reading the meter, and monitoring that all summer to ensure no major leaks develop.

Keeping the weeds down, maintaining an inviting property, is the other major “ground maintenance” task.  Once the soil starts to dry out and the weeds die, keeping up with the mowing and weed whacking is much less demanding.

With respect to the crops, grapes and olives need weekly attention, specifically powdery mildew spraying and pruning with the grapes, and olive fly traps for the olive trees.

Summer is also a food time to think about and get into major maintenance projects, or new development, construction. This year for example there area few things I am working on including new valves on some irrigation lines, painting the house and sheds, pruning the north fence line, and building an outdoor fireplace.

Some past projects, those which I can remember off hand anyway, once the property was cleared of hundreds of eucalyptus trees (mostly 4-6inch diameter, 10-20’ tall) and the large stumps of their fore-bearers (probably 40-50 that needed backhoe digging, ranging from 12-15” to 4-5’ in diameter).

These projects included:
   fencing the property
   enlarging the driveway, putting in a walkway around the house, a patio, retaining walls
   landscape planting of trees and bushes, at first to hide the fence
   planting the vineyards
   putting in irrigation lines
   putting in raised beds
   building the storage/wine shed
   planting fruit trees, olive trees
   building the tractor shed
   taking out the two smaller vineyards
   building a second patio and bocci court
   planting the back orchard


 
 

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