Why don't we remove the cover weeds from the vineyard?

Weeds aren't just weeds - they protect, balance and give life to the soil. This is how they look among our vines at Universo Ferris

During a visit, one of our guests asked why there were so many non-cultivated vegetation between the vineyard rows and why I didn't plow the soil with a tractor.

I liked the question. It's something I've been asked many times.

And the answer is simple, though not always easy to understand: at Universo Ferris, the soil is a treasure and we have to take care of it.

Organic matter is essential for soil life.

It's the glue between silt, sand, nutrients and roots.

A complex structure of molecules that makes fertility and balance possible.

Without it, soil becomes compacted, cracked, lifeless. It stops being a fertile place for the vine... or for anything, really.

I could show you the typical photo of desert-cracked soil. But I won't. I'd rather tell you about it the way we live it here, in the field.

In Torrevieja, with this sun and this climate, organic matter breaks down very quickly.

The processes are intense, dynamic and the more you till the soil, the more you expose that organic matter to solar radiation, speeding up its decomposition.

It's like opening a freshly ground coffee: the aroma is intense, it surrounds you... But if you leave it open too long, it fades. Until there's almost nothing left.

I'm not a fan of plowing for the sake of it.

At Universo Ferris, we might do it two or three times a year, at most - and always very shallowly. We barely disturb the surface. we just giver a light cut to the cover vegetation to control it, without harming the soil's structure.

It's not about having a vineyard that looks like a golf course. It's about finding balance - a place where the vine can grow strong and the soil keeps its soul.

A cover crop with controlled adventitious grass is actually a form of protection.

It shields the soil from erosion, retains moisture and when it decomposes, it contributes organic matter.

Instead of competing with the vine, it helps regulate the vineyard ecosystem.

I'd rather have a soil that stays alive and fertile in the long run than one worn down by every pass of the tractor.

The soil isn't just a surface where plants grow.

It's a living organism, constantly evolving, a whole that can't be measured in a formula or a nutrient balance sheet.

All the best,

Rafa