Grapevine Freeze Damage

[gwtx2]

The 2007 Easter weekend freeze destroyed the blooms on all of my 12 vines except one. The lucky one apparently is a late bloomer and made it through ok. Also, some of the vines suffered kill-back on the fruiting canes and one year old wood. Some canes were even killed back to about seven inches above the ground. I use the double cordon system on all my vines.

My question is should I prune the canes, which have a new leaf appearing, back to where the cordon splits or just leave it alone. I'm wondering if the cane may have suffered enough damaged to not be in good health. It may be capable of passing some water/nutrients, but perhaps not as much as it would if the freeze hadn't occurred. Thanks.

[William Rose]

European vines have compound buds. American vines may as well, check with Ag advisor. With any luck, you may have only lost part of your crop. New wood won't produce fruit, so you may as well just wait and see what happens with the year old canes.

I'm presuming that the vines were pruned while they were dormant. Pruning at this point would only put off new growth while the vine heals from the pruning.

I'm not an expert on vineyards. My relationship with grapes start when they arrive at the winery.

Ah, the life of a farmer.

Good luck,

- Bill Cloribus gustibus non disputatum (mostly)

[Alexander Miller]

|The 2007 Easter weekend freeze destroyed the blooms on all of my 12 |vines except one.

Ouch.

What grape varieties, and do you know what the temperature was? Or what's your general climate? Alexander

[gwtx2]

Nothing too fancy, seedless and seeded Concord, Catawba, Niagara, Leon Millot, an unknown blue grape from Germany. The temp dropped to about

22-23 degrees F, two nights in a row. Climate is Zone 7a, NW Alabama.