Gironde region, France, July 2024
Coraline and Victor, winegrowers on the Cormeil-Figeac estate in Gironde (south-west France), want to plant 1,757 trees in their vineyards to protect the vines from the wind and effects of climate change. In a second phase, creating a joualles garden – an ancientcultivation system combining vines growing on fruit trees and several other crops on the same plot of land – will improve yields and biodiversity, thus making the farm more resilient.
A total of 1,520 trees have been planted on the family’s vineyard plots since 2022. The remaining 237 trees will be planted this winter (2024/2025), helping Coraline and Victor to reach their target of 1,757 permanent trees.
The winegrowers first planted hedges around and on the vineyard plots. They then created a Myawaki garden. The forest-garden plot was planted using the Japanese Myawaki technique, which involves planting a wide variety of species of plants very densely on a given plot. Since planting, spontaneous vegetation has grown denser and taken over the space. The principle is to induce high biomass productivity. This in turn stimulates biological activity in the soil, as well as the phenomena of evapotranspiration and condensation, to optimise the bioclimatic impact of the thickets.
In January 2024, a technical monitoring and recommendation visit was organised at Victor and Coraline’s home. The A Tree for You team was accompanied by the agroforestry technician monitoring the project. The auditors noted that the trees planted were growing well with a low mortality rate (around 6%). These trees will be replanted with those remaining to be planted, over the winter of 2024/2025.
The final part of the planting project will be to create a joualles garden. The agroforestry technician is studying the planting plan and species in 2024 and will submit them to Coraline and Victor at the end of the summer. This means that after the grape harvest, they can prepare for planting the trees with peace of mind.
Catch up soon for more news from the field!
