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normal GARY STRACHAN
A vineyard with leaves killed by early frost before harvest. Note that
leaves farther up the slope remain green, but those at the bottom of the
slope have been killed.
By Gary Strachan
D
o you remember the old Chinese curse “May you live
few years, soil can be restored by good management, but a
in interesting times”? We just came through an
frost pocket will persist indefinitely.
units and the length of frost-free season for your area. It’s a
Choose a grape variety matched to the accumulated heat
Add up the incidents: A cold winter with lots of bud
interesting season.
damage; a cool spring with a late bud break; a warm dry
risk to push the limits by growing grapes that require more
summer, with enough growth recovery to ripen some varieties
heat and a longer season than those recorded for your site.
ahead of average; an early killing frost that preceded the pick
dates for many varieties and produced premature defoliation.
weather station and compare the data with other sites. Which
If there are no weather records for your site, install a
What could be more interesting than that?
varieties have a prosperous history at sites with a similar
weather pattern?
wide variation in fruit quality, and perhaps a few handicaps
The consequences of our recent abnormal season are the
that will affect the next season. Here are some of the less-
semi-arid area such as the Okanagan, the obvious is to limit
Take steps to control vigour. There are many tools. In a
obvious things that could be lurking in the shadows of the
irrigation water after vineyard establishment. Where possible,
vineyard.
nitrogen level may be the next limiting factor. If irrigation and
nutrition aren’t enough to control growth and you still have to
bud which contains a very small version of next season’s fruit
Everyone knows that at each leaf axil there is a compound
hedge several times per season, then it’s time to accommodate
bearing cane. The compound bud has a larger primary bud
your plants instead of trying to control them. Use a divided
which develops into a healthy, fruit-bearing cane and two
canopy and/or less dense plantings.
smaller secondary buds. If the primary bud is damaged by
frost or disease, either secondary bud can take the place of the
ability to consistently ripen a high-quality crop and resist
Conversion of an existing vineyard may be difficult, but the
primary bud. The secondaries will develop with a shorter cane
freezing injury is worth the effort.
and a smaller crop.
creates several problems. If the bud renewal zone is shaded,
Use good canopy management. A dense, opaque canopy
developed canes and many smaller canes which had
I saw many vines this summer with one or two fully
the canes which will bear next year’s crop will not develop
presumably developed from secondary buds induced to grow
properly, so quality and productivity for the following season
after the primary bud was damaged by low temperature.
will be handicapped.
canes on the fruiting wire but there was strong growth of
In severe cases with trunk injury, there were only a few
first buds to develop on new canes may be stunted and bear a
A similar problem exists if there is a cold, wet spring. The
suckers at the base of the trunk. Is there a vineyard
poorer crop than those which develop further up the cane. If
management strategy to minimize the risk of freezing injury
you spur prune, the faulty buds will be retained and the better
even though it may only occur (say) once in 10 years?
formed buds of late spring and early summer will be
discarded. This is strong incentive for cane pruning, especially
Here’s how to keep your hills alive with the sounds of music
Let’s start at the very beginning (A very good place to start).
if your vineyard is in a coastal climate zone.
(singing while you pick that beautiful harvest).
fungal and insect infestations. Shaded canopies also suppress
With shaded canopies it is also more difficult to control
slope with at least five percent grade.
Choose a site with good air drainage, preferably a uniform
development of the secondary metabolites which we relate to
varietal character. It’s a lose- lose situation.
denser than warm air and will puddle in depressions. This can
There should be no depressions to trap cold air. Cold air is
be a controversial recommendation because grapes may be
into balanced growth and early dormancy. The bonus is better
Well managed, disease free vines are the easiest to induce
handicapped in the short term by soil removal and
fruit quality, better winter hardiness, and more
productivity.
consistent
28
replacement during grading to remove a frost pocket. Within a
- Gary Strachan can be reached at gestrachan@alum.mit.edu.
British Columbia FRUIT GROWER • Winter 2009-10
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