# Oh dear



## GreginND (Mar 1, 2016)

this is bad . . .


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## ibglowin (Mar 1, 2016)

Early Spring!


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## GreginND (Mar 1, 2016)

It's way too early for 50 degrees. Early bud break will mean no crop this year as we are almost guaranteed to have frost until April 30.


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## grapeman (Mar 1, 2016)

We have a winter storm warning for tonight and tomorrow of mostly ice and it will get colder. The warm weather won't get to us for about a week but then is a week around 50. I don't worry too much about it because it goes down to about freezing at night. That will keep them pretty dormant.


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## ibglowin (Mar 1, 2016)

Wanna trade?

This is why I am about ready to give up on Marquette. Only get a decent crop about every ~3 years it seems. We almost always have killing frost in mid May. By then Marquette has been out for a week or two while the Corot Noir and Noiret are just beginning to push and still safe.

Guess I had better get busy and prune this weekend!





GreginND said:


> It's way too early for 50 degrees. Early bud break will mean no crop this year as we are almost guaranteed to have frost until April 30.


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## ceeaton (Mar 1, 2016)

grapeman said:


> We have a winter storm warning for tonight and tomorrow of mostly ice and it will get colder. The warm weather won't get to us for about a week but then is a week around 50. I don't worry too much about it because it goes down to about freezing at night. That will keep them pretty dormant.



Where do you get a detailed forecast like that so far into the future? Do you have to sign up for a service?


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## grapeman (Mar 1, 2016)

It is Accuweather (which isn't always so accurate) That is the month forecast.


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## Pat57 (Mar 1, 2016)

GreginND said:


> this is bad . . .



I'm assuming you have no snow on the ground? Even here in central Upper Michigan we are supposed to get into the mid 40's next week, but we still have about 15" of snow on the ground. My vines and my apple trees are still 6 weeks away, at least, before they begin to wake up...and that's fine with me.

Hope your vines stay asleep?

Pat


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## Floandgary (Mar 1, 2016)

May be silly, but would it be worth trying to cover???? Some do it to keep birds at bay. Just wondering


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## GreginND (Mar 1, 2016)

No snow - we've had several 50 degree days sporadically in the last few weeks and it's been a very light winter.


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## Natrix (Mar 1, 2016)

Here 14 and 12" of snow for this night !


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## Johnd (Mar 1, 2016)

Spring has sprung in the South, lows in the low 50's and highs in the 70's for the next 10 days.


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## Pat57 (Mar 1, 2016)

GreginND said:


> No snow - we've had several 50 degree days sporadically in the last few weeks and it's been a very light winter.



Unfortunately, you will probably start to see them push in 2-3 weeks with weather like that.

pat


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## RedSun (Mar 1, 2016)

What kind of night temperature can kill the new buds? Anything below 32F? My night lows for most of March are all in high 20s, like 28 or so.


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## grapeman (Mar 2, 2016)

Buds that are still relatively tight can take quite cold temps. Once the leaves unfold they become more tender and can freeze nearer freezing temp of 32.


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## Pat57 (Mar 2, 2016)

If this new spring forecast for the Upper Midwest is accurate, it could spell doom for not only grapes, but apples, cherries and perhaps other early blooming fruits?


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## RedSun (Mar 2, 2016)

The question is that, what is the April weather like??


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## bchilders (Mar 2, 2016)

I found this article interesting on the topic from Wines and Vines


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## Pat57 (Mar 2, 2016)

RedSun said:


> The question is that, what is the April weather like??



April and May look exactly the same. So, unfortunately, if it does get warm early and buds break and flowers bloom, there is probably a 100% chance that a few cold fronts will drop in and deliver some hard frosts before mid- May. I've never had my apple trees get hit with a late frost, it just doesn't get that warm here that early, but it looks like it just might this year? 

Pat


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## Boatboy24 (Mar 3, 2016)

Pat57 said:


> If this new spring forecast for the Upper Midwest is accurate, it could spell doom for not only grapes, but apples, cherries and perhaps other early blooming fruits?



Oh, poor Florida...


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## grapeman (Mar 3, 2016)

Yesterday we had a half inch of ice coating everything and the wind blew about 40 mph. It then got so cold it did not melt so it is still coated today. The main roads have melted, but the secondary roads are still covered with chunky ice. In the sun today it got up to about 15 but the wind chill was well below zero. Hard to believe in a few days it will be back to 50.


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## ColemanM (Mar 3, 2016)

Minnesota has not had a real winter this year. I feel a little slated hearing about the other states getting all our snow, but then again, I don't have to drive through it [emoji51] it is going to be in the 60's next week so I'm a bit nervous. I have 6 fruit trees and a few vines and I would really like some fruit this year. My make or break year for Marquette.


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## grapeman (Mar 7, 2016)

After watching the video from the TV station I see why you are nervous. Your buds are already really swollen and that much warm weather may force the open.

We don't have that problem here I don't think. Pruning yesterday was a constant balancing act as the vineyard floor has turned into a skating rink. Supposed to get warmer with it going into the 40's today but I am not so sure. They said flurries and rain. We have had a pretty constant snow squall being barely able to see much and the snow is stacking up. They say rain the next three days with Wed hitting the upper 50's. Now why have I got a constant cold this year??? LOL


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## RedSun (Mar 7, 2016)

This is my forecast for March. The highs are in the 70F this week.


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## marquettematt (Mar 7, 2016)

The weather patterns seem very reminiscent of 2012 with the very hot summer but if its one thing you can count on with a temperate climate, its that its never the same. Hopefully I can get well-matured Norton.


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## GreginND (Mar 7, 2016)

Things may start popping next week. That would be bad.


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## grapeman (Mar 7, 2016)

Yes that would likely be bad Greg. Where do you get the 15 day, 10 day forecast? LOL????


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## ibglowin (Mar 7, 2016)

Same place I do. LOL weather.com go to the 10 day forecast and then hit next 5 days. We are CRAZY warm as well. Our normal high for this time of year is ~45F........

Looks like we have a really good shot at some decent rain/snow that has pounded California the last few days on Tuesday. We need it.


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## mgmarty (Mar 7, 2016)

It's the same here in Utah. Supposed to be 70 on Thursday! Last year I had bud break on the first day of spring, March 21st. They froze all back two weeks later. I pruned on Sunday, and they were bleeding like crazy. Here we go again!


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## RedSun (Mar 7, 2016)

So we worry about cold April?


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## ibglowin (Mar 8, 2016)

Took the dogs out for their afternoon walk yesterday and the Apricot trees are starting to bloom, Lilacs are starting to push buds, Our average last frost date is May 7th.......


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## GreginND (Mar 8, 2016)

RedSun said:


> So we worry about cold April?



Um, yes. Our last frost date is mid May and we are virtually guaranteed to have a freeze event up until about April 30. So a March bud break would be disastrous.


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## BigH (Mar 8, 2016)

Hit 70 yesterday in central Iowa and mid 60s today. Nothing but upper 50s to mid 60s in the 8 day forecast. Buds are swelling on my Foch and La Crescent. The other varieties are quiet for now. Median frost date is last week of April. 

Seems like I am the only person at work unhappy with the current temps.


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## RedSun (Mar 20, 2016)

We had some light freeze weather, like 28F or so at night. All my grape vines are still dormant.


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## TonyR (Mar 21, 2016)

Its 23* here this morning, my grapes are still dormant with no sign of bud swelling, was trimming fruit trees and i have a pear tree ( Bartlett) that the buds are really swelling and that is almost 1 month early, the other pear, plum and apple trees still seem dormant.


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## Vinniemac (Mar 21, 2016)

Last two nights it has been 26 to 27 degrees going to 26 tonight. Grapes are not budding but my peach trees are showing color.probably won't have any peaches this year.


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## BlueStimulator (Mar 21, 2016)

We too can get cold fronts moving in for many weeks our average last frost is in the middle of May yikes. I hope being up on a hill and all the rock wall and rock mulch will help


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## grapeman (Mar 22, 2016)

We haven't had to worry about the vines breaking dormancy here yet. It has been fairly warm on and off, but nights get pretty cool and even some days. It is 18 here this AM and has been around 10 to 12 all week. It is lucky if it gets to 35 to 40 during the day. No snow but not warm. The syrup producers love it. Even though the snows have left the combination of cold nights and cool days makes the sap flow. Last weekend was the annual maple weekend and there were all sorts of maple treats to be had. Breakfasts to maple creamies.


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## Pat57 (Mar 27, 2016)

This doesn't look good at all, but my vines are still sound asleep....


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## RedSun (Apr 2, 2016)

Most of my Marquette buds are swollen. On next Tuesday and Friday, the night temperatures are forecasted to be about 25 or 27F. Not sure what to expect.

My table grape vines are still dormant.


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## TonyR (Apr 2, 2016)

What I do if buds are ready to open and a freeze is coming. I take my small hand sprayer (1 1/2 gal) mix 1 qt (of the cheapest vegtable oil you can buy at the grocery store) and water to fill the sprayer. Spray your vines or fruit trees good while shaking the sprayer so the oil and water do not seperate. This will hold up bud break for about 2 weeks. Sprayed my pear and plum trees 2 days ago.


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## GreginND (Apr 6, 2016)

It's spitting snow now and it looks like we have a week or so of low temps in the freezing range. Most of the vines are still dormant but the sap was running when I pruned last week. I do see a bit of swelling on my Marquette and Petite Pearl buds. Hopefully they will be ok. Looks like warmer temperatures coming next week - just in time for our tasting room to open for the season.


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## RedSun (Apr 7, 2016)

I think the buds on my Marquette have some damages. They feel soft. But since they are just the 2nd year vines and I left quite a few buds, I think some buds will come up. So no worry.


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## grapeman (Apr 7, 2016)

Yesterday I was out pruning again as usual this time of year. It wasn't beautiful at around 32-35 with a good stiff wind again so I pruned in the sheltered vineyard. As I was getting frozen I quit to go warm up. I noticed flurries flying. By the time I got in the house it was snowing right along. Look at these two pictures contrasting it. The first one I took yesterday in the morning, the next one I took this morning.................Notice the temperature right at 32.


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## grapeman (Apr 11, 2016)

Enough already. I'm trying to prune here and the snow is getting annoying and freezing my feet. Will be in the 60's in a few days.


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## dwhill40 (Apr 11, 2016)

Damn... I'm already spraying fungicide In North Alabama. Threatened low 30's last week but we're off to the races now. Low 80's next week. I don't have my bud-break timing down to a science just yet but I think it's around two weeks earlier this year. Good luck!


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## olusteebus (Apr 12, 2016)

best of luck to all of you guys.


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## GreginND (Apr 12, 2016)

It was 17 degrees yesterday, but it looks like things are going to turn around rather quickly.


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## NorCal (Apr 12, 2016)

Suckering here in NorCal.


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## ibglowin (Apr 12, 2016)

Some of the Marquette looks like it might be starting to swell. Corot Noir and Noiret are still asleep. Looks like Spring to me. Just still have to worry about that mid May last cold front of the year where you wake up and its 22 degrees outside............


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## ibglowin (Apr 12, 2016)

Looks like head trained Zin to me!



NorCal said:


> Suckering here in NorCal.


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## RedSun (Apr 12, 2016)

I believe we got to 19F last week. That killed most of the Marquette buds. Just hope some survived. Or waiting for the new buds. No worry with my new vines.


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## NorCal (Apr 12, 2016)

ibglowin said:


> Looks like head trained Zin to me!


Head trained Cab Franc


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## OilnH2O (Apr 13, 2016)

I'm following all this... but not sayin' nuttin....


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## RedSun (Apr 13, 2016)

OilnH2O said:


> I'm following all this... but not sayin' nuttin....



Smart. Good luck!


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## spaniel (Apr 13, 2016)

Checked mine for the first time today. Foch and Cayuga starting to bud, not much yet on the Oberlin Noir.

So I'm concerned based on everyone's comments for my Marquette. They are either safe and not budding yet or they've already been nuked.


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## TonyR (Apr 14, 2016)

Good luck all, my Petite Pearl have not even started to swell. For all of you who are growing Marquette because of your cold winters were you can't get anything else to grow and make wine with. COME TO THE DARK SIDE, pull out what you have and replace with Petite Pearl. Makes a very nice dark red dry wine and my Ta after pressing was 7.2


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## dwhill40 (Apr 18, 2016)

Second fungicide spray this weekend. Off to the races.


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## barbiek (Apr 21, 2016)

TonyR said:


> Good luck all, my Petite Pearl have not even started to swell. For all of you who are growing Marquette because of your cold winters were you can't get anything else to grow and make wine with. COME TO THE DARK SIDE, pull out what you have and replace with Petite Pearl. Makes a very nice dark red dry wine and my Ta after pressing was 7.2



TonyR are the petite Pearl grafted vines? I assume they are? I'm coming to the dark side! Not tearing all my marquet out not yet anyway just made it to third year, had to cut them back though.


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## TonyR (Apr 22, 2016)

No they are NOT grafted


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## barbiek (Apr 22, 2016)

TonyR said:


> No they are NOT grafted



Thank you TonyR!


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## grapeman (Apr 25, 2016)

Will it ever end this year? Snow that is. The forecast for tonight is an inch of snow overnight with one to three inches tomorrow. At least with the coolish weather we have had the buds aren't pushing yet. Some varieties are swelling but budbreak is a ways out yet. I may be able to finish pruning before the buds break. I have about two weeks of pruning every day left at this point.


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## ibglowin (Apr 25, 2016)

Its an unsettled week again here. Front pushing through tonight and Tuesday with a chance of a freeze Tuesday morning, then one nice day, then back to back to back pacific fronts moving through with rain/snow in the higher elevations. Last week we got ~0.5" of rain and up in Lost Almost they got 10" of heavy wet snow. Moisture is always welcome here. My Marquette is pushing and is days away from bud break on the one by the patio which is on the south side of the house so warmer area. Fingers crossed the cool/wet weather this week keeps things shut down for the most part.


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## GreginND (Apr 25, 2016)

We may be past frost danger at this point. Hoping for no late frosts. My Brianna and Marquette are starting to swell.


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## RedSun (Apr 25, 2016)

Marquette. Others are coming up too.


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## mgmarty (Apr 25, 2016)

Here in Utah, we are having a very wet and mild spring. Vines are leafing out, and it's looking like I might not have to fight any frosts!


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## grapeman (Apr 25, 2016)

mgmarty said:


> Here in Utah, we are having a very wet and mild spring. Vines are leafing out, and it's looking like I might not have to fight any frosts! View attachment 28755


 

Uh Oh. Never say something like that. Now it is sure to be an arctic blast and blizzard settling in there in Utah!


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## barbiek (Apr 26, 2016)

It's calling for some showers tonight my marguerite are starting to bud and my table grapes are leafing out! And I just took a round yesterday and not much activity was happening! What a difference a day makes in the grape growing world! I decided to take a round today cuz I spotted some green happening that wasn't there yesterday! Oh the anticipation!! Hope everyone has a healthy and bountiful harvest this year!


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## GreginND (May 12, 2016)

Oh dear. Our worst case scenario is coming true. Last week 90 temps encouraged buds to leaf out. Now this.


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## ColemanM (May 12, 2016)

Good luck!!


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## grapeman (May 12, 2016)

Hopefully the wind will keep up. That could keep frost from settling in and often will save the crop. Good luck.


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## NorCal (May 12, 2016)

GreginND said:


> Oh dear. Our worst case scenario is coming true. Last week 90 temps encouraged buds to leaf out. Now this.
> 
> View attachment 29064




Holy Smoly, that's a crazy swing in temps.


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## GreginND (May 14, 2016)

So it dipped down to 29 degrees for several hours last night. It looks like anything with unfurled leaves were damaged. That would be about 20% of my frontenac and Frontenac blanc vines. Buds where there were leaves but not yet unfurled may be ok but I can't tell yet until they grow a little more. That's about another 30% of my primary buds. It looks like all the other buds that were swollen but not broken out are fine. But a few days will tell me more. So much for an ideal winter and spring.













I found one that seems to have escaped.


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## ColemanM (May 14, 2016)

That is just heartbreaking to look at.


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## sour_grapes (May 14, 2016)

Sorry to hear it, Greg. Hope as much pulls through as botanically possible!


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## grapeman (May 14, 2016)

I think most of us growing grapes in cold regions have experienced this at some point, sometimes worse than others. They will grow back and hopefully you can't even recognize the damage in a few weeks.


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## havlikn (May 14, 2016)

Wisconsin is getting hit tonight with the same cold. Many growers are trying to protect their vines. In the Milwaukee area we are looking at record lows. One saving grace may be the wind has kept up


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## mattyc (May 14, 2016)

Sorry about that Greg. I was out from 5-8 this morning with a hose spraying down my 30 vines in the twin cities. Lost most of the tomato plants in the garden, but the vines appear to have made it. Tonight looks to be 2 or 3 degrees warmer than last night... Yeah!


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## sour_grapes (May 14, 2016)

havlikn said:


> Wisconsin is getting hit tonight with the same cold. Many growers are trying to protect their vines. In the Milwaukee area we are looking at record lows. One saving grace may be the wind has kept up



Friend of mine was sailing on Lake Michigan today. And then it started snowing. Don't you hate when that happens?


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## TonyR (May 15, 2016)

At 0600 this morning it was 34 but was raining/ snow mix. But tonight the weather guessers are calling for 33 and clear. If the wind is not a big factor i will try to cover my vines tonight. The clear sky just scaries the bejesus out of me:


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## GreginND (May 15, 2016)

Well, it looks like about 60-70% of my primary buds are toast. The rest were still closed and will be fine. Many of my vines are still recovering from the last two bad winters before this past winter and are still being trained. I wasn't going to fruit them anyway. But my frontenac vineyard was all set to produce a great crop. It will still produce, but I will get less than I expected.


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## ibglowin (May 15, 2016)

Sorry to hear that Greg. Fingers crossed the rest of the vines make it through in good shape.


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## havlikn (May 15, 2016)

In Wisconsin it sounds like areas around la crosse had temperatures in the upper 20's. I haven't had a chance to assess the damage but I think we may have avoided it as buds weren't crazy far along


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## sour_grapes (May 15, 2016)

So sorry, Greg. Yours is a tough business.


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## grapeman (May 15, 2016)

Frontenac should still crop decent. Secondary buds of it are fairly fruitful, unlike Marquette. Fingers crossed. 

By the way it was mixing sleet in as I finished the days pruning a bit ago. Supposed to be the upper 30's the next couple days for lows. Thankfully my most advanced vines have barely reached bud burst and only some here and there.


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## BlueStimulator (May 15, 2016)

Wilted leaves and cold temps. All of this makes me cringe I have been lucky this year. Good luck everyone, I will post a few pics when I get home of my warm years growth in an attempt to spread the warm night time temps we have been having.


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## RedSun (May 16, 2016)

I had some cold damages in March. Now everything looks fine. My 2nd year vines have put on 1' of top growth. No impact from last night, only got to 39F.


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## HillPeople (May 16, 2016)

I feel for ya Greg. It's tough to watch promising growth get nipped in the bud.
We've been fortunate here in the mountains of NH. Buds on all my vines are puffy and pink. They are lagging well behind all the native vegetation here, which is all leafed out. Probably a good thing. It was 34 last night with a few isolated frosts in the valleys. We are up at 1300' on a south facing slope so last frosts come a bit earlier, but it was spitting snow this morning.

Did the annual dandelion harvest yesterday in a field that is normally a sea of yellow on this date, but it was raw enough so that only about 5% were fully open. Still got a 5 gal. bucket full of compressed blossoms. Put together the 2016 batch today. Dandelion is probably our most requested wine. I guess not many make it, but many remember their grandmothers making it. It has the really weird property of tasting semi-sweet when we make it bone dry (.992 last year).

Anyway- fingers crossed for you Greg. You'll probably get enough harvest to keep you out of trouble.


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## GreginND (May 17, 2016)

One out of a thousand buds seems to have survived well. Here's one with so much promise.


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## ibglowin (May 17, 2016)

GreginND said:


> One out of a thousand buds seems to have survived well. Here's one with so much promise.


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## HillPeople (May 17, 2016)

Just happy to be alive...


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## Brian55 (May 17, 2016)

May 17th and the wife is currently stoking up the wood burning stove to keep us (mostly the dogs) comfortable, but also to keep fermentation temps within normal levels in the basement. Normally this time of year we'd have the windows open to bring in the fresh spring air...


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## NorCal (May 18, 2016)

That's wild. It was 91 degrees here and we have the whole house fan running to cool our house down, because it suppose to be hotter tomorrow.


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## dwhill40 (May 19, 2016)

Thinning shoots and pulling leaves in North Alabam. We seem to be in a dry corridor this year with rain everywhere else. I've watered three times already but at least with diligent spraying the fungii is practically gone.


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