Journal | April 10, 2020

Hardscrabble Journal

Freeze Watch

About 50% of the buds in our young Chardonnay vines are out and showing green leaves. There is a chance of a freeze tonight. Not a good combination as temperatures below 29˚F would kill these tender green shoots including the potential crop they carry. Like many grape growers, today we will mow.

Mowing the grass or cover crops will slightly lower the vineyard floor. Cold air is heavier than warm air, so the coldest temperatures are at the ground. It gets slightly warmer even a few feet above the ground where the susceptible shoots are located on the trellis. Lowering the “ground” by mowing could make a difference.

If it is windy, there is no air inversion, so mowing won’t help. On our slopes we should be OK regardless, as the cold air usually slips down the slopes to the hollow below. But why take the chance?

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