Winter Vineyard Chores Checklist

The dormant season is a great time to take care of a number of vineyard chores. Check out a few of these below.

• Trellis system: Inspect vineyard for broken posts or wires that need to be repaired or replaced. Do this before bud break.
• Attend winter meetings, conferences, and workshops: 2021 Virtual Winter Vineyard Manager Workshop is scheduled for March 11, 2021, 9 a.m.–noon. For more information or to register
• Evaluate cold injury in vine tissue: Double pruning is a good strategy to retain several buds before needing to make final pruning decisions. Using a razor blade to cut a transect across buds will allow visual inspection of primary, secondary, and tertiary bud damage. Please review this fact sheet for information on how to assess cold damage in grapevines. Guide to Assess Freeze Damage of Grapevines in Early_Summer
• Dormant Pruning: Dormant pruning is the annual removal of wood during the vine’s dormant period and is one of the most important tasks a vineyard manager will perform routinely. There are two pruning methods commonly used in Southeastern U.S. vineyards: Spur or Cane pruning. Please review this fact sheet for an in-depth overview of the two pruning techniques: Dormant Spur and Cane Pruning Grapes

Dormant Grape Vine Prior to Spur Pruning

Dormant Grape Vine After Spur Pruning