Monitoring the Micro-climate in a Micro Vineyard
Thinking of growing grapes for wine-making? Rick is a home wine-making enthusiast and creator of Smartwinemaking.com. He started his own 'high-tech micro vineyard' at his home and chose HOBO Data Loggers to get a better grip on the local climate and seasonal extremes.
He is using a HOBO MX2202 temperature/light level logger for light intensity and a HOBO MX2302 temperature and relative humidity data logger together with an RS3-B Solar Radiation Shield.
The data loggers are set to take a reading once every 10 minutes. The data is accessed with his smartphone via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and the free HOBOmobile® app. Rick says he has found this handy on rainy days and in the winter when he doesn’t have to venture out into the freezing cold!
Some of the benefits from installing HOBO data loggers in his backyard vineyard include:
- Microclimate data (Extreme Highs, Extreme Lows, Averages, Days of Full Sun vs Shade vs Rain)
- Better timing of fungicide sprays, less total over the season
- Growing Season Data (Growing Degree Days, Frost-Free Days, Light Intensity)
- Better selection of vines for each specific plot (GDD Requirements, Fungal Sensitivity, Frost-Free Days)
- Having years of data to share could improve resale value of vineyard.
Rick says that his vineyard monitoring with the HOBO data loggers is going great:
“We had one night with temps dipping to -4°F according to the logger a couple weeks ago. The vines should have survived okay, but it was good to see. What I want to do is some comparisons to other areas near me to see how my microclimate compares to areas near me.”
For the full story about how Rick is using his loggers in his backyard vineyard, check out Part 2 of his Starting a Backyard Vineyard blog post or the video on his Home Winemaking YouTube channel.
Want Some Advice on Monitoring Your Grapes' Growing Conditions?
Our friendly team will be happy to discuss your vineyard monitoring requirements and recommend the ideal solution for you. Call 01243 558280, or alternatively fill out our contact form and we’ll get back to you shortly.
Are you a commercial grower looking for a solution to monitor the micro-climate in your vineyard? Check out the new HOBOnet System.
