How do grapevines survive the winter? How to manage overwintering?

Grapes , a popular berry , are one of the oldest fruit trees. Temperature has a significant effect on the growth and development of grapes. As winter temperatures gradually drop, winter management of grapes becomes particularly critical. The winter climate is cold and dry, and grapes are easily damaged by frost. Let’s learn how grape vines survive the winter. How to manage overwintering?

1. Apply white lime

Quicklime (calcium oxide) turns into calcium hydroxide when it comes into contact with water. It is alkaline and can kill bacteria and disinfect. At the same time, the white color of lime can reflect sunlight during the day, reduce the heat absorbed by trees, reduce the temperature difference between day and night, and help plants adapt to the cold winter.

2. Trench filling method

After winter pruning, lay the grape branches flat on the soil, cover them with soil and a layer of straw or wheat straw to a depth of 40 cm or more. The branches can be dug out in spring to promote the rapid recovery of the grapes.

3. Surface burial

Lay the pruned branches flat on the soil surface and cover them with straw or wheat straw to save labor and provide warmth.

4. Plastic film covering

For areas where ditch filling is inconvenient, ground covering can be used. First, sort the grape branches, cover the top with straw or corn stalks, then cover with plastic film, be careful not to puncture the film, and finally cover the top of the film with a thin layer of soil to maintain a good warming effect.

Definition of buried cold protection area

Due to differences in cold resistance, microclimate and altitude of different varieties, the occurrence of grape frost damage also varies. In areas where the lowest temperature in winter reaches -17℃, anti-freeze measures must be taken by burying the soil. Grapes are usually buried in the soil to protect them from the cold after winter pruning and before the soil freezes. The main methods include:

1. Ground burial cold protection method

After pruning, pull down the branches, press them down, tie them into bundles, lay them flat on the ground, and cover them directly with soil. The width of the anti-cold soil pile is about 1 meter and the thickness is 20 to 30 centimeters.

2. Underground burial cold protection method

Dig trenches between plants or rows, place the bundled branches into the trenches, and then cover with soil.

The above are the cold protection measures for grapes in winter. When the temperature is below 10 degrees Celsius, the grapes will stop their nutrition and reproduction growth, enter a dormant stage, and their frost resistance will increase. If proper cold protection measures are not taken, grapes may suffer frost damage, resulting in reduced yields. Therefore, fruit farmers must take effective anti-cold measures to protect the grapes safely over the winter.