The next time a major freeze damages wine grape vineyards in Washington State, growers would be better off to save labor costs and not prune at all, says a university scientist. Studies of cold-injured vines found no difference in the vine’s recovery regardless of the number of buds left after pruning. Eastern Washington vineyards are prone to cold injury from arctic temperatures in winter as well as sudden freezes in the fall that occur before grapevines have acquired cold hardiness. In 2002, temperatures dropped to about 11°F on Halloween, and caused extensive trunk injury in some Washington vineyards. A similar, […]