With the cold weather sticking around, there are concerns about what lingering low temperatures mean for area crops.
One orchard owner said his pear and peach trees are doing just fine. However, at various vineyards in our area there is some worry that buds may have been damaged in this cold weather.
Over at Roxy Ann Winery in east Medford, snow sticks to the ground and the grape vines five days after a snow storm rolled through the area.
But the cold temperatures that came with the snow has some vintners a bit worried.
“Could still potentially have some slight bud damage,” said John Quinones, a winemaker at Roxy Ann Winery.
The buds are important because they form shoots, which eventually become grapes.
If buds are exposed to single digits for too long it could damage next year’s yield.
“So those buds are exposed on the plant right now. They are dormant, but the buds can freeze and we can get winter damage and potentially lower crops for the following year,” Quinones said.
Fortunately for Roxy Ann Winery, temperatures haven’t dropped low enough to kick concerns into high gear.
“The coldest we’ve seen here on our property is nine degrees so we’re just above that level where we would really start to expect seeing damage.”
The buds have dodged a bullet this go-around.
“If there was any fruit on these or any green growth, it would be devastating,” said Quinones.
Even so, Quinones won’t really know the extent of the potential damage until the snow thaws out.
According to Quinones, buds renew every year, so damage isn’t permanent. However, if it gets cold enough, it’s possible that trunks could be permanently damaged. That hasn’t happened.
Quinones said it’s possible other wineries might be suffering more during the cold snap, especially if temperatures at those vineyards have stayed in the single digits.
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