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2.8.2.e What are good practices after a frost?

The response depends on the frost's intensity and timing.
In all cases, there are some basics rules to follow:

  • Wait a few days before measuring the frost's impact.
  • Do not rush to apply excessive fertilisation, as this could have the opposite effect and favour coulure on the few remaining bunches of grapes, and cause overcrowding of the foliage and therefore increased risk of disease. Foliar application of nitrogen or even iron can be considered at the 4/5 leaf stage on vines that are not very vigorous.
  • Maintain optimal phytosanitary protection until late in the season so that the vines have time to build up their reserves.
    Frost forces vines to use more energy to develop new growth, their reserves must therefore be replenished.

If branches are totally destroyed by an early frost

Nothing should be done for a few weeks. There is no point in trying to remove the destroyed shoots at the risk of damaging the secondary buds. It is therefore advisable to let the plot continue its cycle for about three weeks.
If the secondary buds develop, this may allow a little fruit to be produced during the year, as these buds are less fruitful than the primary buds. The growth of these buds will make it possible to have fruitful wood the following year.
Otherwise, the crown's buds will start to grow. Or failing this, it will be those on the old wood. In any case, it is necessary to debud to encourage the shoots to emerge for pruning the following year.

If branches are partially destroyed by a late frost

This is often a more complex case to manage as the vines tend to develop bushy growth.

Several options are possible:

The necrotic part above the highest lateral shoot can be removed and the latter kept to form future pruning branches and to have an adequate leaf area. The other lateral shoots should be removed to prevent overcrowding.

Frost affected portion of a Merlot shoot

Since the shoot is still present, secondary bud development is usually inhibited.
To encourage the emergence of secondary buds, the damaged shoot must be completely removed.
Be advised that this method is difficult to implement. Extreme care must be taken to remove the damaged shoot without damaging the secondary bud. Ideally, it is necessary to pull in the axis parallel to the secondary bud, or even to cut it. With this method, it is possible to return to a situation where frost would have destroyed the entire shoot and so encourage the emergence of secondary buds.
A combination of the two methods can be considered, depending on the position of the shoot on the branch.

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