The 2024 crop year

[Greg Corey]

My 32.5 degree temp this morning (ice on my metal roof and cars) made me think of this thread and wonder why I wasn't at all concerned (and if I should be) which triggered this post. The dew point must have been 32.5 since the temp was steadily down all night then stopped at 32.5 and stayed there a few hours till the sun started to come up.

I use this reference when pondering cold. https://wine.wsu.edu/extension/cold-hardiness/#:~:text=Every variety responds differently to,occurred at 23°F.

The WSU site says damage on most grapes post budbreak starts at 29.8 f (-1.2c). I was looking through my notes and saw I had a note that in 2021 that I had a 27f night (-2.8c) 3 days after budbreak (4/9/21 budbreak). I don't have any other notes for that year indicating damage but the way my vines are maintained damage would not be obvious.

Anyway just some more data to ponder and maybe help some of us worry less.

Same here in Murray. At my house it was 32.0 at the low this evening (and a little ice on the windshield this morning) but no signs of issue with Apple blossoms or grape buds. I have green tips on my buds but they are healthy as can be it seems. I love that you found that WSU study. It's so so nice to have hard data like that available.

The worst winter damage I've seen was after mildew attacked the canes. The winter damage on the canes themselves was drastic but after pruning away the damage, they produced just fine the following season.

 

[mgmarty]

30 degrees at my place this morning, (Utah), Foch has pushed buds but not opened yet.
Fingers crossed.

 

[GSMChris]

Well, it was in the 70s today in the vineyard- and headed to the 80s this weekend.

My Grenache primary buds along with a few Syrah primary buds are toast. In better news, the secondary buds are all pushing so I should get a crop anyway - just won’t have to thin as much!!!

Everything else has had Bud break and is moving along towards having nice little clusters of leaves.

Cover crop has responded to the hair cut and I need to mow again. So things are busy - almost as busy as harvest season. But it’s a good busy and a lot of fun.

 

[scarapx]

I’ll chime in, since I usually just watch these posts from a distance…lol.
Here in southwest burbs of Chicago, we had a warmer than normal Feb and early March, then we came back to reality mid to late March, which was when I pruned my Frontenac hybrid in my backyard garden. Had heavy bleeding about a week or so after that. I did take 8 chutes and am trying to propagate into more as my neighbor gave me the green light to extend into their backyard that they never use, just maintain with local landscape company. They might regret their decision …. Anyway, bud break on the Frontenac in many spots earlier this week, as it took some time to bust thru, but the propagated chutes indoors have had no trouble breaking thru and are doing well, so I am encouraged by that. I love this forum and have learned so much from all of you, so thank you!!!

 

[Nebbiolo020]

It’s pretty crazy how far along some of my vines are not a single other local winery has as much growth as my grapes I am seeing flowers already and fruit set is beginning as of this week on some grapes.

 

[Rice_Guy]

Flowering noted last week which on the calendar is normal. By this time two years ago I had sprayed Mancozeb twice, for bud break and inflorescence BUT rain this afternoon and yesterday and Friday and three times last week. The Midwest seems to be above normal rain.

Talking with a brother in Tulsa they should have four inches in May and are up to nine. ,,, Feels like a year for lots of black rot. Hope I can spray tomorrow, and check the second story rain gutter that was overflowing.

 

[tjmeyer]

Flowering noted last week which on the calendar is normal. By this time two years ago I had sprayed Mancozeb twice, for bud break and inflorescence BUT rain this afternoon and yesterday and Friday and three times last week. The Midwest seems to be above normal rain.

Talking with a brother in Tulsa they should have four inches in May and are up to nine. ,,, Feels like a year for lots of black rot. Hope I can spray tomorrow, and check the second story rain gutter that was overflowing.

Yup, flowering here also. A few of my Malbec are starting fruitset.
So far this year has been ideal. No critters. We never have fungal issues. A good wind storm has me nervous but everything came out just fine. I haven't seen a need for any pesticides or really anything extra at all this year, so far. Hope I didn't just jinx it.

 

[wood1954]

here the flowers are stilling growing but not open yet. after getting 4 inches of rain yesterday i was able to spray mancozeb and tebuconazole today. Very little signs of any fungus or mildew so far.

 

[Nebbiolo020]

Yup, flowering here also. A few of my Malbec are starting fruitset.
So far this year has been ideal. No critters. We never have fungal issues. A good wind storm has me nervous but everything came out just fine. I haven't seen a need for any pesticides or really anything extra at all this year, so far. Hope I didn't just jinx it.

You definitely jinxed it lol

 

[Nebbiolo020]

here the flowers are stilling growing but not open yet. after getting 4 inches of rain yesterday i was able to spray mancozeb and tebuconazole today. Very little signs of any fungus or mildew so far.

Tebucanazole is a good systemic fungicide, it along with mancozeb and Azoxystrobin is used for garlic rust as well strong stuff will knock out any fungus.

 

[Rice_Guy]

, , , , . after getting 4 inches of rain yesterday i

I wonder? The strawberries seem flavorless this year. Red raspberry tastes normal but black raspberry seems flat. Juneberry has low fruity notes. AND an hour south of Wood we had 1.5 inch of rain last night. Seems like five days a week we are getting some rain. By the last week of June the soil normally is drying out. Humm

I wonder if this year the Midwest will produce high moisture low sugar fruits? I have added running gravity and TA to the “to do” list. Then again my wife likes sweet, I could ask her how this years fruit tastes

 

[Nebbiolo020]

I wonder? The strawberries seem flavorless this year. Red raspberry tastes normal but black raspberry seems flat. Juneberry has low fruity notes. AND an hour south of Wood we had 1.5 inch of rain last night. Seems like five days a week we are getting some rain. By the last week of June the soil normally is drying out. Humm

I wonder if this year the Midwest will produce high moisture low sugar fruits? I have added running gravity and TA to the “to do” list. Then again my wife likes sweet, I could ask her how this years fruit tastes

Probs will be low sugar tbh, as for California it’s likely to be a regular year, 2023 was amazing and it started off wet then leveled off quickly and has been hot and dry. So I’m anticipating potentially having to pick early this year as I believe we will see more raisined fruit and overly ripe grapes this year and that yield will either be normal or slightly down from last year.

 

[ovjock]

FYI, at this point, the weather in Amador has been warmer than both 2023 and 2022 in growing degree days.

If you assume 2023 was a super cold and wet year, then we are almost 8 days warmer than 2023. We are over 5 days warmer than 2022.
This is a good pattern toward an early harvest.

 

[Nebbiolo020]

FYI, at this point, the weather in Amador has been warmer than both 2023 and 2022 in growing degree days.

If you assume 2023 was a super cold and wet year, then we are almost 8 days warmer than 2023. We are over 5 days warmer than 2022.
This is a good pattern toward an early harvest.

View attachment 113558

It will be early this year but also over ripe I expect having to correct acidity this year

 

[Obbnw]

Yes, sorry. I find US-specific measurements a little weird and never use them, personally.

It's snowing now! Very odd start to a Southern CA April....

How is your vineyard doing in the heat?

I do think my vines continue to grow until it hits about 105 F or 45.5 C, probably because of the low humidity/cooling efficiency. Temp and humidity yesterday:


Did sunburn a few though



Didn't fully eradicate my powdery mildew problem this year, hoping the heat beats it back. I tried a new sulfur spray early in the year and it just clogged my spayer plus I had an adjacent plant that I wasn't spraying get totally infected before I noticed. Overall PM damage isn't as bad a last year but still visible. Last year I salvaged grapes like this (photo below) by pressing and discarding the skins and mixing with my Baco Noir. If you zoom in the damage is obvious:

This following is as visible as the PM ever got and I never actually saw it on the clusters, zoom in on the big leaf...


Otherwise everything is looking good and I'm hoping for a really good harvest.

 

[mgmarty]

My vines are doing great. Another large crop, thanks to no late frost. I installed a drip irrigation system this year, and I believe I’ve been over watering. Vines started to really yellow. Which I believe is iron deficiency. Iron Chlorosis. Now it m cutting back water in this heat.
Hey, it’s farming.

 

[tjmeyer]

How is your vineyard doing in the heat?

I do think my vines continue to grow until it hits about 105 F or 45.5 C, probably because of the low humidity/cooling efficiency. Temp and humidity yesterday:
View attachment 113964

Did sunburn a few though

View attachment 113965

Didn't fully eradicate my powdery mildew problem this year, hoping the heat beats it back. I tried a new sulfur spray early in the year and it just clogged my spayer plus I had an adjacent plant that I wasn't spraying get totally infected before I noticed. Overall PM damage isn't as bad a last year but still visible. Last year I salvaged grapes like this (photo below) by pressing and discarding the skins and mixing with my Baco Noir. If you zoom in the damage is obvious:
View attachment 113966
This following is as visible as the PM ever got and I never actually saw it on the clusters, zoom in on the big leaf...

View attachment 113967
Otherwise everything is looking good and I'm hoping for a really good harvest.

View attachment 113968

View attachment 113969

They're quite upset actually
I've increased irrigation, but the zinfandel isn't having this 110°F+ nonsense. I've never seen it this hot here for so long. We'll occasionally hit 105ish, but only for a day here and there. This is pretty weird

 

[Neb Farmer]

My little vineyrd of 45 plants has been doing great so far. They are 15 year-old vines that have pretty much 'rooted' down deep, so I haven't had to irrigate just yet. I just finished up pulling leaves on the shady side of the rows to let the canopy 'breathe' and to also let my sulphur spray penetrate the canopy a bit better. I haven't been able to spray any sulphur lately, due to the heat, but it has finally cooled enough to spray now. Powdery mildew is a real thing here in SW Washington state so spraying sulphur is kind of important. The high heat has probably kept it at bay, but we have cool mornings that just breed powdery mildew like crazy.
Weather has been 90-105 degree days, but with a nice breeze to circulate through the vineyard. Have to like that!

 

[Snafflebit]

My Zin is holding up quite well in this heat. It has been in the high 90F low 100F range for 2 weeks, but it does cool off at night which might help the vines. I have not watered at all and the tendrils are still green and long, but are beginning to pull back a little. I noticed some powdery mildew on leaves and it is too hot to spray.

I think we are blessed with a high water table in Santa Clara valley. It’s a shame this area was paved over and became suburbia. Excellent fruit growing right here.

 

[Obbnw]

They're quite upset actually
I've increased irrigation, but the zinfandel isn't having this 110°F+ nonsense. I've never seen it this hot here for so long. We'll occasionally hit 105ish, but only for a day here and there. This is pretty weird

I'm always surprised at how well the grapes do at high temps, but there is a limit, sorry you found it.

Hopefully they will suffer through it and come out the other side stronger.

We had a few days over 105 about 3 years ago, it was the only time I thought my grapes stopped growing.