In close proximity to Lake Erie, Joe Juniper of Vermillion Valley Vineyards knows what it is like to grow vinifera in an area with very harsh winters. He’s become an expert in managing extreme temperatures and precipitation variances, including mastering innovative cold pruning practices.
Growers in northern climates typically grow cold-specific, hardy hybrids, but through some unique practices, Joe has mastered growing vinifera in a harsh winter climate. He may have some nice days to ripen vinifera during the season, but you won’t find how to survive the winters in vine training textbooks.
This blog post covers a few of his cold pruning practices.
Winter Damage
In this region, extreme cold winters pose a significant challenge for vineyards. The harsh temperatures cause extensive damage not only to buds but also to trunks and cordons. To combat this, the vineyard workers must “hill up” every year, creating mounds of soil to protect the vines. As long as the graft remains strong, the vines can be renewed and rebuilt from the ground if necessary.
When it comes to trunk growth, Vermillion Valley Vineyards follows a unique approach. Rather than sucker the vines, which is a common practice in other locations, they bring up new shoots each year. This promotes a style of “spare parts viticulture” and provides flexibility and options during winter pruning for replacing damaged trunks or cordons. The larger number of shoots may also help control high vigor and development by bringing up four, five, or ten new shoots per year.
Vineyard Layout
The layout of a vineyard plays a pivotal role in the survival and productivity of the vines. This includes vine spacing, trellis construction, and rootstock selection. Closer vine spacing can create quicker cordon filling, which is necessary when cordons are replaced every few years due to cold damage. Additionally, the use of low vigor, moisture-managing rootstocks can be beneficial in moisture-heavy environments.
Spur Pruning vs. Cane Pruning
Growers must weigh the pros and cons of spur and cane pruning, such as sunlight exposure, lignification, and bud fruitfulness. Sunlight and lignification encourage basal bud fruitfulness, which is especially important for winter-hardy varieties. Additionally, some of the Italian varieties Joe grows may benefit from spur pruning due to the hardening-off factor, leading to higher fruitfulness and cane survival in colder regions.
If you want to learn more about pruning and training vinifera for harsh winter survival, check out https://www.vineyardundergroundpodcast.com/vu036.
