Rookie Question: Buud Swell/Break

We are entering year two in Baltimore County, Maryland. I see some bud break in a few Chardonnay vines, but no change in Barbera, Cab Franc or Vidal from dormancy. I'm wondering if we have suffered severe losses over the winter. Is anyone else in Maryland seeing growth? Is it just early?

Thanks!

bud break will vary for each variety. just be patient.

salcoco said:

bud break will vary for each variety. just be patient.

Click to expand...

And, with location as well.

It's been a crazy winter/spring in so many different areas of the country - it's difficult when you are first starting because, in time, you may become one of the most knowledgeable of what goes on in your area. Keep good notes! I'm sweating a first-week-in-May freeze that has happened every year since I started this (10 years) and I'm (even yet) hesitant to mention it even though we have 70s/80s forecast.

So, this year is even more difficult for someone to offer advice since there is no pat answer for any of this, this year! But that does not mean you should not ask questions. Please continue to do so because it will help us all better understand. As above... patience - and take good notes!

I have to agree with OilnH2O. I am only one year ahead of you this is my third leafing and my Viognier, Cab Franc, Petite Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon are all at different points. I guess it is a watch/learn
experience. This is quite hard for me with my OCD tendencies

Copy that! Thanks everyone for your replies. I appreciate it very much.

And don't forget to report back! Now our interest is piqued!

It's been a few weeks and it appears that I have some from both columns. A few vines have put out buds since my last message, and quite a few have not. I plan to wait another two weeks before seeing if anyone has stock to replace losses. So far, I've seen no growth at all in the Barbera line.

At some point you will have to do a radical check to see if the vines still have life (Maybe start to cut them back to see if you have any green centers). In my first year ("Missoula Vineyard") I realized after awhile I was watering and tenderly caring for... sticks! Then, after losing (to a late fall frost) almost 20 Pinot Noir vines - I replanted some with Foch and Leon Millot and left a half dozen PN that, the following year, surprised me with emerging leaves/canes that came from the roots. I realized that, while the frosts had killed the PN, it didn't kill the roots of them all - but I still lost at least a year on the ones that lived.

(BTW, I'm trying to grow a varietal - Pinot Noir - only because there is some limited success in milder parts of Montana but certainly it is a fool's errand! And... just sayin' - but you'll get more responses if you can upload a couple pictures of what you're seeing.)