Ice Sanding

Pine Island Cranberry has been steadily working on sanding via barge since the winter flood went on last month. Sanding is a fundamental component of our Pine Island Integrated Crop Management (PIICM) program, helping us manage the relationship between water, soil, weather, disease, insects, weeds, and nutrition. This procedure helps improve growth and yield by stimulating the development of new uprights (covering the base of the roots strengthens the root system and creates a more healthy vine) while also suppressing disease and reducing insects (by burying weed seed, spores, and insect eggs). It also improves soil drainage while at the same time absorbing and releasing heat so that frost danger in spring is lessened. This increases our efficiency by lowering the need for extra plant nutrition as well as saving water by cutting down frost irrigation times. This year, it’s been cold enough to attempt sanding via another method: ice sanding.

Most growers typically try ice sanding mid January through mid February, when conditions are cold enough to give them ice that can support the sanding equipment. At Pine Island, that usually means about five inches of ice. Once that happens, we’ll temporarily take the water underneath off the bog while the equipment is on the ice. The method itself is simple: an ice sander (that will spread an even half-inch layer of sand on the ice) is attached to a tractor. When the ice melts the sand will sift into the vines. Once the ice is gone, the sand sinks, covering the runners and giving the vines the benefits mentioned above.

Unfortunately, snow has been hindering this week’s efforts, and while the temperature has been cold enough to form a thick layer of ice, it’s actually been too cold to make ice sanding efficient. “You have to wait for this kind of weather,” says team member Jorge Morales. “It’s been a while since it’s been this cold. Three, four years maybe. We did ice sanding on two bogs at Weymouth and did pretty well over there.”

“We didn’t get enough wind to take the fresh powder off,” says GM Fred Torres. “At some point, you’re pushing the snow around and just spinning your wheels. You’re on the ice and there’s no traction at all. When conditions are good, the ice is covered just like you’re painting it, but with this loose powder it makes for a sloppy job.”

There are also problems with the equipment when the temperature drops into the teens, so Wednesday morning we didn’t even attempt to work outside.

Jorge says wet sand has been an issue as well. “That’s been an ongoing problem even when we were out on the water,” he says. “It’s been so cold that we’ve had problems getting sand through the screener; we’ve just had too much snow.” Fred agrees, but takes a pragmatic view of the delay: “We tried; you have to give it a shot. If the temperature had gotten into the twenties we’d have been okay. But that’s why we always make an alternate plan.”