Early ripening

With the warm, dry winter of 2013-2014 leading into a warm, dry spring and summer, veraison is well underway in the North Coast.  These shots from late July show Devoto Garden in Sonoma's cool Green Valley over 50%, about 10-12 days ahead of 2013, which was also a warm, dry growing season.  Am expecting to pick shortly after Labor Day.  In 2011, we picked this fruit on October 4th!

Nets went up last week against this guy and his smaller, air-born brethren, all very interested in the ripening fruit...