FROST PROTECTION, PRUNING, INFILLING - ESSENTIAL WINTER VINEYARD JOBS
Winter brings a valuable opportunity for vineyard managers to prepare for the season ahead. Far from being a quiet time, these months are crucial for maintenance, planning, and ensuring the vineyard enters spring in the best possible condition.
Post-Harvest Care and Early Winter Work
Once harvest is complete, the focus shifts to recovery and readiness. Vines continue photosynthesising into late autumn, building up starch reserves in trunks and roots. These reserves are vital for winter survival and early spring growth. Applying post-harvest foliar nutrition and protective sprays can help strengthen vines while minimising overwintering disease.
Before frost sets in, key maintenance jobs should be completed:
- Winterise water systems - drain tanks and insulate pipes to prevent frost damage.
- Service machinery and sprayers - flush pumps with antifreeze and schedule maintenance early.
- Inspect trellises - replace broken posts, tighten wires, and repair end assemblies.
- Restock supplies - order pruning tools, wire, and ties before demand peaks.
Winter is also an ideal time for soil sampling. Conduct broad-spectrum analysis before soils become saturated, and use the results to plan nutrient applications for spring.
Frost Protection
Cold weather brings risk, but also time to prepare. Frost protection systems, like fans, burners, or sprinklers, should be serviced and tested. Training staff in their use now avoids problems later. Winter is also a good opportunity to explore newer frost management systems, such as Frolight, which uses infrared technology to protect vines from spring frosts in a reliable, automated and environmentally-friendly way.
Drainage ditches, access routes, and hedgerows should be cleared to prevent flooding and ensure smooth operations when fieldwork resumes.
Pruning
Pruning is one of the most important winter vineyard operations. Whether using a single or double pruning method, timing and technique should reflect vine vigour and local frost risk. Reviewing vineyard records, (i.e., yields, pest pressures, canopy balance), helps refine pruning and inform replacement planting.
This period is also the time to plan infilling, the process of replacing missing, dead, or underperforming vines within established rows.
Infilling
Healthy, evenly spaced vines are key to balanced yields and efficient management. Infilling typically begins at the end of the growing season, when losses are assessed and replacement orders placed with approved nurseries. Traditionally, replacements are supplied in spring as bare root vines (i.e., dormant plants with minimal soil that must be planted soon after delivery).
While bare root vines remain the standard, potted vines are now an increasingly popular and practical alternative.
The Benefits of Potted Vines
Potted vines are container-grown plants with a fully developed root system. Their main advantage is flexibility: they can be planted at almost any point in the growing season, not just spring. This allows you to schedule infilling around other essential tasks, reducing pressure during busy periods.
Potted vines also experience less transplant shock, thanks to their established root systems. They typically establish more quickly and integrate more smoothly into the existing canopy which is a real advantage in mature vineyards where uniformity is critical.
For best results, plant vines to the same depth as the top of the pot to avoid shallow roots or distortion. Dig holes twice the width of the root ball to loosen soil and encourage outward root growth. After planting, water thoroughly to remove air pockets and help roots establish contact with the surrounding soil.
With good soil preparation and watering, potted vines can quickly catch up with neighbouring plants and begin contributing to vineyard productivity within a season.
Setting the Stage for Spring
Winter is a season of good planning. From maintaining infrastructure to preparing for infilling, the work done now lays the foundation for healthy vines and a productive year ahead.
At VineWorks, we’re proud to support vineyard managers through every stage of the season ensuring their vineyards are healthy, resilient, and productive, one vine at a time.
