Frost

LEGO® Grower’s worried. There was an early season frost last night and he’s not sure whether the delicate chardonnay buds are OK.  

The early buds and shoots are very sensitive to frost damage.  A damaged bud might not grow into a shoot or produce fruit, but do you know what’s even worse? A damaged bud means less fruit this year but also less fruit for the next 2 or 3 years. And on top of that, fruit quality is also reduced.  Spring frost is a real worry.  Spring frost season is stress season.

For those weeks when the buds and shoots are very delicate, LEGO Grower’s on frost fighting duty.  It’s constant. If there’s a frost threat, it means hourly weather checks, getting up at all hours of the night to check the wind machines are running, and sometimes, organising and supervising helicopters.  It’s a tiring and stressful time, and in Marlborough, that’s for about 3 months until the shoots are tough enough to cope.  

Good news to report – no damage to the buds!  Onto the next frost event and another sleepless night.