Oh dear

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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.
 
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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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.
 
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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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.

Snowagain 006.jpg

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

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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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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.
 
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.
 
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:fsh
 
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:fsh

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. :ft
 
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