Thanks Paul - I'll check this out.

It so happens that I live just up the hill from the HQ of
'groworganic.com' (Peaceful Valley Farm Supplies). I'll look through
their site for sugestions. I know they sell a spray on polymer like
stuff that supposedly prevents transpiration, thereby reducing radiant
heat loss during a frost night.

Does the covering work? I thought about coverings, but it didn't make
sense to my small brain. as best I understand it, frost is the result
of radiant heat loss into sub-freezing air, resulting in frost-bitten
new shoots. does the vine transpire enough heat that the cover can hold
in to prevent the frost freeze? Curious.

Anway, I need to put in a sprinkler system this next season. I'll
problably lose the majority of the primary shoots this year - which
means a less than 50% crop. &*^$@#&*$



On 2008-04-20 13:07:04 -0700, "Paul E. Lehmann" said:

AxisOfBeagles wrote:

Anyone have additional thoughts on reducing /
eliminating frost damage?

Our vineyard is at about 2800' here in the
Sierra Foothills. April frosts, soon afer
budbreak, are an annual anxiety. Last night was
a cold one, and we've got some notable frost
damage this morning.

Tonight looks to be another cold one, probably
worse (no wind), so we're irrigating heavy
today, trying to get the soil around the vines
as saturated as possible in an atempt to try and
change the soil heat radiation profile as much
as possible.

Anyone use any additional frost protection
strategies? Sprinklers and fans are not possible
for us jst now ($).

I live in Central Maryland. Last year I took a
big hit from spring freeze so this year I ordered
a row of covering material from:

groworganic.com
(888) 784-1722

It was a 83 inches by 500 feet and the cost was
about $167.

They claim they sell to a lot of vineyards out
there in California.

I just have a small backyard vineyard of about 110
vines. It could get expensive if you have a lot
under production.