Getting Ahead of Spring Frost in your Vineyard
Spring frost is one of those risks that never quite goes away in UK vineyards. We have been fortunate in recent years to avoid widespread frost damage, but that good run can easily lull us into a false sense of security. Climate patterns are becoming less predictable, and the cost of being unprepared is simply too high. A single cold night at the wrong moment can wipe out a large part of your crop.
The message is simple: being prepared for spring frost is not optional, it’s part of good vineyard management. There are plenty of options available, and no single solution suits every vineyard. Deciding what is right for your site depends on many factors: layout, location, vine varieties, labour, budget and appetite for risk. What matters most is not letting your guard down.
Why spring frost is a problem
When vines are dormant, they can cope with low temperatures surprisingly well. The trouble starts once buds begin to swell and shoots appear. At that stage, the tissue is soft and easily damaged. A light frost can be enough to kill young growth, setting the vine back and,seriously reducing yield for both the current and subsequent season.
Because frost often settles in specific places - low spots, sheltered corners, or along hedgerows - damage is rarely even across a vineyard. Keeping notes from past seasons and using simple temperature sensors can quickly show you where the problem areas are. Knowing where your cold areas are is the first step in protecting them. Implementing a preventative pruning method can mitigate damage. and good soil and ground management can also help (i.e., short vegetation and firm, exposed soil absorbs more heat during the day and releases it at night). Together, these small details can make the difference on marginal frost nights.
Pruning to reduce frost risk
One of the most effective and low-cost ways to manage frost risk is how and when you prune. The aim is simple: delay the growth that matters most until the worst of the frost risk has passed.
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Double pruning: In winter, make a rough cut, leaving canes longer than you actually need. This will delay budburst. When the risk of frost has passed, go back and finish the job, selecting the final buds.
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Sacrificial canes: Select and tie down your main fruiting canes as normal, but also leave some extra upright canes. These tend to grow first and take the hit if frost strikes. Once the danger period is over, they can be cut back or removed.
Frost protection systems
Where frost is a regular or severe threat, many growers also look at investing in protection systems such as fans, sprinklers, candles, or newer technologies such as Frolight that uses infrared heating. When choosing a frost protection system, it’s worth looking beyond the upfront price and thinking about how it will work day-to-day and year-to-year. Candles, for example, can seem like a simple and affordable option, but they are labour-intensive, need a team on standby for frost watch, create waste, and have ongoing running costs. Worse still, you may have a stock of candles to support six frost days, only to face seven days of frost that year - rendering the entire investment futile. Other options, such as infrared systems like Frolight, may cost more at the start, but they are modular, quick for one or two people to install, switch on automatically when temperatures drop, and can be removed, stored and reused for many seasons with far less waste. Plotting the real costs over a three- to five-year period – including labour, reliability and environmental impact – is often the best way to decide what makes sense for your vineyard.
Stay ready
Frost may be unavoidable, but serious crop loss is not. While no one wants to spend money unnecessarily, a single errant frost can devastate yield, making inaction the greater risk. Investing in an active protection system that genuinely suits your vineyard’s needs, rather than crossing your fingers and hoping for a mild spring, is often the difference between resilience and regret. That’s why at VineWorks, we provide practical, site-specific solutions that protect yield and long-term viability one vine at a time.
