How to Protect Grapevines in the Winter

Protecting Grafted Grapevines in the Winter

• 1

  Wait until the leaves fall off the vines in autumn, but before temperatures fall below 20 degrees F.

• 2

  Cut the vines back to within a few inches of the graft union.

• 3

  Cover the trunk with a mound of soil that is at least 3 inches higher than the graft union. The vines that were grafted to the rootstock should be protruding out of the soil.

• 4

  Remove the soil mound from around the graft union in spring. If the soil isn't removed, the vine can form its own roots, which defeats the purpose of grafting it to a resistant rootstock.

• 5

  Prune off the section of the vines that was left exposed to the cold. This removes any possible crown gall (a disease that enters the roots through cuts from pruning), which can damage the vines, and allows healthy vines to renew.

Protecting Own-Rooted Grapevines in the Winter

• 6

  Allow multiple canes to grow from the roots, rather than a single trunk.

• 7

  Wait until the leaves fall off the vines in autumn, but before temperatures fall below 20 degrees F.

• 8

  Prune the vines back to within 6 to 10 inches of the ground, leaving three or four bud spurs.

• 9

  Cover the bud spurs with at least 6 inches of soil or mulch. Pine straw works well as mulch.

• 10

  Remove the soil or mulch in spring before the buds begin to renew.