Stages of Dormancy in Grapes
Main physiological stages exist related to dormancy and cold hardiness in grapes.
1. The first stage in the dormancy process is acclimation, which is the ability to adjust to climate change. Dormancy begins after the grapevine has ripened its final crop and no more shoot growth will occur. This will take place during the fall months; October and November.
2. The second stage, mid-winter hardiness, is the ability to survive particular climatic adversities, especially freezing temperatures during dormancy. This occurs December through February. There is a limit as to how cold hardy a particular cultivar can be based on its genetic background. When grapevines are exposed to temperatures 20 °F or below max hardness occurs.
The answer you all are waiting for is NO…. the grapevines were not affected by the freezing temperatures we saw in California last night. The cold temps actually helped the grapevine progress further into its dormancy period, where the vines will be through the winter months.
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