On Apr 21, 12:20*pm, "Paul E. Lehmann" wrote:
AxisOfBeagles wrote:
Sounds good - will chat with the folks at PV.
I've just had that hertbreak. Two consecutive
nights of frost. UNtil now, I was having a
wndeful bud break. Longest shoots were about 3",
most half of that. All now gray and withered.
There goes what I was hoping was going to be a
banner crop.

For sure I am installing a fine mist sprinkler
system this year. Like you, I've only got a
small vineyard (about 200 vines) and one or two
nights of frost can wipe out the bulk of a
season.

Interetsing - the muscat have thus far avoided
forst damage. They are on a steeper slope abov
the rest of the vineyard. I'm guessing that the
air movement down that slope is enough to give
them a degree or two more protection.

Could be. *I am on the side of a hill near a
ravine. *I think the cold air moves down and
settles before moving more down the ravine. *

My Cabernet Sauvignon came through it best last
year, BUT the Racoons got most of those. *At
first I thought it was birds but then I observed
that the grapes were being eaten in the center of
the row. *Birds usually start at the ends. I had
netting up but the racoons were too cleaver. *In
five days, I trapped 5 racoons. *I am putting out
the trap EARLY this year.

I am going to put a bottom wire in about a foot or
a foot and a half from the ground and that way I
will have something to hook the net onto under
the vines - also something to clamp the cold
protection material onto.

It is really gut wrenching to know that you have
to maintain the vines this year even though you
won't get much reward.

Good luck.

Paul





On 2008-04-21 03:23:22 -0700, "Paul E. Lehmann"
said:

AxisOfBeagles wrote:

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 don't know.

I put in on this year for two days and nights
because the temps were supposed to get down to
25
degrees. *It actually only got down to about 29
degrees one night.

I would talk to the people at groworganic.
They claim that a lot of grape growers use the
material. *There are several grades of it.

I have a set of catch wires about a foot above
my cordon wire so I just draped it over these
wires
and attached with those springy paper clasps.
I bought about 200 small ones at Staples fairly
cheap. *The two ends did not quite reach the
ground but the people I bought it from said it
would still offer protection as long as it was
close to the ground.

I had a heart breaking season last year so I
was
not going to take a chance this year. *My bud
break is excellent this year.

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.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

that is heartbreaking.
I feel for you.


I have a neighbor that got so frustruated with the little raccoons
that he ended up trading in his traps, for a .22

Sad, but it reflects his level of frustration.