VASCM: Frost protection ideas

[Jonathan Goodling]

Hi All,

A very doable way to provide frost protection is to light little bonfires
in strategic places around the vineyard. In low spots, in front of hedges
or anywhere where cold air could pool up.
Stack up some pallets stuffed with some cardboard straw or other kindling.
That way you can super quickly light the pile if the temperature drops (but
don’t forget to pick up the nails the next morning or they’ll end up in
your tires) . Bales of straw also make good quick fires. Or make little
stacks of firewood and have them them ready to light.
Another way is to use metal buckets, paint cans or big food cans and fill
them with vegetable oil or wax and make a big wick out of cardboard or old
rags. Those don’t move the air like the bonfires but give off just enough
heat to protect the buds. But hence you need a lot of those makeshift
smudge pots. Be prepared to refill them at some point in the middle of the
night if they burn for a long time.
Tons of the little votive candles sold in many Hispanic supermarkets make
good little heaters as well, but you need a TON!

Other strategies are mowing the vegetation in the rows really short or even
better till it under. The ground warms up during in the day and radiates
heat back during the night but if there is a thick cover crop the heat
doesn’t reach the vines.
If you can irrigate it helps too. Wet soil stores more heat than dry soil.
Keeping the air moving in critical spots with an air blast sprayer can just
provide enough air mixing to prevent damage if the frost isn’t too severe.
Spraying copper based fungicides will reduce the number of ice-nucleating
bacteria (pseudomonas) on the buds and thus damage may not occur at 32F but
maybe a couple degrees below that giving them that extra edge of
protection.
There are other techniques available but they are either not available
quickly like sprinklers or they are very expensive like mobile windmills,
or they are illegal like frost smoking.

Best frost protection is site selection and late pruning. Applications of
horticultural oils on the dormant buds can also delay bud break. If you can
me prune wait with the tying until after the frost. If the canes stick up
straight in the air they often avoid the colder air closer too the ground.

Keep in mind that all these strategies are for situations where the air is
still and the sky is clear. Typically during an inversion event.
If cold arctic air blows in and it’s windy none of these strategies will
help.

Good luck to everyone and stay warm,

Jonathan






On Sun, Feb 20, 2022 at 16:05 David Goldfarb <davidmgoldfarb at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Hi Megan,
>
> For future vintages, you want to consider delayed pruning and micro
> sprinklers.
>
> For this vintage, we have some old smudge pots laying around—free for you
> to use if you like.
>
> Thanks,
> David
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Feb 20, 2022, at 1:49 PM, Megan Bell <megan at marginswine.com> wrote:
>
> 
>
> Hi folks,
>
> Just reaching out to see what, if anything, growers in the SCM do for
> frost protection. We have ~3 in shoots out already in some of the Pinot,
> and the forecast for Tues-Thurs night does not look promising. Any ideas?
> We don't have overhead sprinklers. And of course we don't have smudge pots
> or wind machines.
>
> Thanks,
> Megan
>
> --
>
> Megan Bell
> Margins Wine
> www.marginswine.com
> (925) 413-2654
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-- 

Jonathan M Goodling M.S.

Vineyard Manager

650 304 6978







                800.975.7191

www.HouseFamilyVineyards.com <http://www.housefamilywinery.com/>
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