Journal | December 30, 2021
Warm Winter Worries
No snow. The grass is still green. No ice on the pond. No winter this year?
Our ice skates and cross-country skis remain stored in the basement, but the vines are OK for now. They are still in a deep sleep, oblivious to the weather.
In November, once vine leaves fall, their dormancy is unencumbered by environmental triggers. But by February that will change as vines can then be aroused by a warm snap. While we wouldn’t see any visual clues, the sap can start to flow and buds can begin to lose their hardiness.
A balmy week followed by a cold snap in February or March can be problematic. This late winter “False Spring” could set the stage for significant damage, which is what happened in 2014 with the Polar Vortex. Young vines (less than eight years old) are most susceptible to late winter temperature fluctuations. In 2014 we lost about half of our young vines.
So for now the vines are just fine and we aren’t too worried. However with climate change temperature fluctuations this is now uncharted territory. Farmers don’t like surprises.
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Linden Vineyards / Learn More / Latest at Linden | Journal: December 30, 2021