Every winter, we typically plant cover crop – the soil with organic matter, humus, nitrogen and other nutrients, which improves soil structure and root growth in symbiosis with beneficial soil bacteria, fungi and earthworms.

Cover Crops also provide a habitat for beneficial insects (ladybugs, spiders) and birds (bluebirds, owls), which eat the vineyard pests. While beautifying and diversifying the vineyard, Cover Crops are the premiere investment for any soil or crop.

Purple Vetch (Vicia atropurpurea) legume
Vetches have been grown to create a habitat for beneficial insects as well as being a great nitrogen fixer for the soil.

Crimson Clover
(Trifolium Incarnatum) legume
Planting a cover crop like crimson clover along the avenues of the vineyard gives us a beautiful bloom to walk through which also attracts beneficial insects. But more importantly, the roots of this crop (using marvelous fellows called rhizobium bacteria) are working to fix nitrogen in the soil.

Austrian Winter Pea
(Pisum Arvense) legume
This ground-hugging pea acts as a habitat for beneficial insects. It is also great nitrogen fixer for the soil. We love to pick the peas and add them to our spring salads!

Oats (Avena sativa) grain
Oats act as a great soil builder and also provide a structure on which the vetch can climb. Oats, too, impart organic matter to the soil when turned in.

Birdboxes
With respect to the birdhouse, commercial farmers think the only good bird is a dead bird but, in fact many birds, such as the bluebirds who live in this house, feed on leaf hoppers and aphids that can harm grapevines.

Owls
In the vineyards, we place bird houses and housing for owls and hawks who feast on the gophers who can destroy the grapes vines -- check out these chicks!

Sunflowers
The challenge in organic growing is building bio-diversity into our farming system in an area where monoculture is the rule. Sunflowers are helpful in attracting beneficial insects. They build life into the farm as well as into the gardens.

Mustard (Brassia spp)
This non-legume voluntarily arrives in the Napa Valley in late January through February. Having a tremendous root system, it opens up the soil to receive nutrients and water.