Now that spring planting of vines is complete, we have moved on to repairing the trellis. Some of our earliest vineyards were built with wooden posts. Unfortunately these older posts are collapsing under the weight of the mature vines. We have been replacing the old posts with metal orchard posts. These have a much longer lifespan and will hold up to the crushing weight of the fruitful vines. To install the metal posts we use a Skidril. This tool is like a jackhammer. It slides over the top of the 8 foot post and hammers it into the ground. One person holds the post while another stands on the tractor bucket with the drill. It is a hot and sweaty job. If only they had a cup holder on the old tractor.
