Marquette and Petite Pearlc old hardiness

[Pat57]

I was wondering if anyone who grows these 2 varieties had any damage from last winter? I have 6 vines of each that were in their 2nd year. The Marquette had reached the top wire but the Petite Pearl were not there yet. All of my Marquette were damaged to about the snow line except 1 that is just now pushing a bud about 3' up the vine. They are all sending up new shoots, some almost 3' high already.

The Petite Pearl have not pushed a single bud above the snow line and are also sending up lots of new growth from the base of the vines.

I had a low of -31F here one night last February. All the info I can find is that both these varieties should be able to handle below -30 without any winter damage. That's why I chose them, because very few varieties can survive our winters here.

There really is no point in trying to grow wine grapes if the cordons of even these varieties won't survive some winters. I'm very disappointed with both of them. ALL of the table grapes I tried were also killed to the ground. I have Somerset, Himrod, and sovereign coronation. I'll probably just give up on them.

Pat

 

[grapeman]

Like you say both those varieties are good to -30F, but you got colder than that so yes they will be damaged at least somewhat. Also that early growth of the vine is never as hardy as they will be as they get a bit older. Have faith in them and hang in there. That is just too cold for almost all seedless without protection.

 

[GreginND]

Nearly all of my marquette and petite pearl (and frontenac blanc and brianna) died to the ground last winter. They are starting their third year and they seem to be starting really slow this year.

Historical context -

Planted May 2013. They flooded in June but then grew well throughout the year.

Winter of 2013/2014 was brutal. I cut the vines down to the ground for their second year. Growth was great - some vines reached the top wire and I thought I had some cordons.

Winter of 2014/2015 - Early November -20 freeze followed by a winter of nearly zero snow. No precipitation until May of this year. We also had a rather late spring freeze in May but my buds were gone by then.

I see my problems stemming from young vines, not fully hardening before the fall, desiccation due to the dry conditions over the winter/spring, and lack of any snow protection.

 

[TonyR]

My Petite Pearl made it thru last winter fine but we only got down to -23. They are 4 year old vines. Did lose all growth with the freeze we had The end of May.

 

[CCGrapes]

Don't give up on your Petite Pearl. In Grand Forks, ND, I planted six of them in 2011 and would have had a crop last summer but for the Polar Vortex of '13-'14 which killed them to the ground. I retrained them last year after they regrew. This spring there was almost no dieback and now have great looking blossoms on all of them. Also planted more Petite Pearl in 2012 and would have had fruit last year but that group also died to the ground after the '13 - '14 winter; I retrained them also last year. This spring they had very little dieback and should produce for me next year. My Marquette vines have not been doing very well. Of 8 planted in 2009, they all produced in 2012 and '13, then all died back from the winter of '13 - '14. I currently have only three of the original eight Marquette alive. The Sabrevois, Frontenac, and Frontenac Gris are all doing very well. Steve

 

[Pat57]

Thanks for the input guys, appreciate it. I think Grapeman might be correct in that the smaller vines just didn't make it through. The one Marquette that is budding out about 3' above the ground was the biggest vine of the six, so perhaps they just need to get to a bigger trunk to withstand -30F weather. Even -30F is rare for here, but -25 happens just about every winter at least once or twice.

They are sending up some nice big shoots now that should have no problem making it to the top wire. I just hope next winter is a bit milder. I even lost 2 apple trees last winter, never had that happen before.

Pat

 

[RedSun]

The weather varied so much. Here in NJ, our winter is so wet, both snow and rain, a lot of precipitation. A lot of my garlic rot to the ground. And I did lose some of my bare root fruit trees planted in the fall.

Anyhow, someone in our area lost most of his Chardonnay, I believe died. So it is better to plant more hardy grape vines.