The overall mild winter and warm temperatures we have experienced in the last 2 weeks will certainly result in earlier bud break than previous years. This is always a concern for growers as it increases the chances of spring frost damage. Here are some strategies that can be used to delay bud break and hopefully avoid frost damage.

1. Double pruning is an effective strategy that can be used in cordon-trained vines. First prune the canes to form long spurs, typically 5 to 8 buds in length. The buds that are at the end of the long spur will initiate growth first and will inhibiting the development of basal buds that will remain dormant (Fig. 1). Once the threat of frost has subsided, proceed with a second and final pruning, where the long spurs are trimmed down to two-bud spurs. If vines are of cane-pruned vines, one strategy would be to leave long canes and then trimming them back to achieve the desired bud count after the frost risk has diminished. Another possibility is to retain additional canes as a precautionary measure, removing them at a later stage.
2. Application of Amigo oil at a 10% v/v concentration has shown to delay bud break anywhere between 2 to 20 days, depending on the cultivar, the number of applications and the coverage. Here is a link to a study using amigo oil.

This article was posted in Grapes and tagged Amaya Atucha, bud break, double pruning, Grapes, Pruning.