Cooper-Garrod Vineyard Test

 
**Notice in the two above pictures, there is a serious
potassium deficiency.
Note the die back of the leaves. Very little surface area of either
leave can contribute to the ripening of the fruit.


**This is a comparison picture to show you the
original sickly condition of this Cabernet Franc field.
Our 'test row' is in the background. Notice our 'test row' is full and
healthy, while the rest of the field is sickly and producing poorly.
The untreated vines had half the crop 'dropped' or cut from the vines
so the remaining fruit could ripen.

The treated vines did not have fruit 'dropped' and were 2.5 brix
higher.... and had more than double the amount of grapes.


**This picture was taken on a sunny afternoon
during the growing season.
Notice that the grapes are all identical in size, so they will
ripen uniformly. Also the bunches are more loosely formed
so there is better air circulation. And, of course you can
see the over all healthy condition of the grapes and the vines.

This is a picture of our test row at harvest time.
We doubled the grape production, had no sign of
potassium deficiency or leaf roll virus
brought the sugar up earlier, had a perfect pH,
and had no mildew problems.

** A word from the Garrod consultant, Rick Berg
As the consultant for Garrod Vineyards, I would recommend
Foliar Feeding with VF-11 as a treatment for virused grapevines.
And it would be to great advantage, as a treatment for 'post harvest'
stress. VF-11 is a 'constant feed' type fertilizer. For optimum results
I would recommend a 'once a week' application from March
through June. Then twice a month for the remainder of the season.

The mix for the test was: One ounce VF-11 to one gallon water.
or one gallon VF-11 to 100 gallons of water
which will fertilize approximately one acre.
Healthy winegrapes require a 6 to 1 Potassium to Magnesium ratio
Below is a graph listing treated tissue samples. Treated samples
reached 5.73 to 1 Potassium level...almost perfect !!
Untreated samples are 2.8 to 1...this is deficient. These untreated
samples were taken from the row right next to the treated one.
Amazing results, in so short a time!!

**Testimonial of vintner

To: Whomever it may concern

My name is Michael Walters, I am assistant winemaker as Roudon-Smith winery in Santa Cruz, and I am processing a small batch of grapes - treated as part of an experiment with Eleanor's VF-11 Plant Food - into wine for Eleanor. The fruit was remarkable in several ways.

In the experiment, one small row (about 12 vines) was foliar fed with VF-11, so that the fruit could be compared with the untreated portion of the vineyard.

The treated vines matured and ripened several weeks earlier than the rest of the vineyard and yielded approximately twice as much fruit per plant.

The Grapes themselves were small numerous, with dark, thick skins- prime characteristics for red wine grapes, promising good color and intense fruit.

The most surprising quality of the fruit, however, was the acid balance.

When a vineyard's production has been dramatically increased, it is usually due to overwatering or over cropping, either of which produces a larger crop, but flavorless - low - acid, un-intense fruit which yields poor wine.

The fruit from the treated vines at Garrod vineyard were not that sort at all. They were tastably tarter then the less-sweet, untreated grapes, and when we crushed them at 24 brix sugar, they had a titratable - acidity of .47. This is within the desired range for wine-grapes, and no additional acid was added prior to fermentation.

This is particularly impressive in light of the fact that grape acid levels were fairly low state-wide this year, and particularly so in the Santa Cruz mountains.

In light of these results, Roudon-Smith Vineyards will begin it's own experiments with this product next year.

Sincerely,

Michael Walters

**Letter from Eleanor

Jan Garrod, owner of Garrod Vineyards, in Saratoga, continues to use VF-11
on his entire Cabernet Franc acreage. He has no signs of potassium deficiency.
And his entire field is lush and green and healthy, and producing well.

Mt. George Vineyard, in Napa, Foliar Fed his vineyard during the serious
El Niño year, when mildew was the most serious. He had no mildew!!
We find that VF-11 changes the pH and creates a condition where mildew
actually can not grow!!

Imagine all the mildicide spraying we can eliminate from our atmosphere
by Foliar Feeding vineyards with our very gentle, non-toxic VF-11 nutrients.

And we can increase crop production, eliminate viruses, and bring sugars
up faster!! Is it any wonder that we call VF-11 "The Champagne of Plant Foods?"

Home Page