Section 2 · April–May
Bud Break
The weeks when one night can take the crop.
Once the buds swell there is nothing between the shoot and the air. For three or four weeks the block is exposed to one clear, still night, and most of the defences against that night are partial at best.
What these months decide
April–May| Month | In the vineyard | What it costs to get wrong | |
|---|---|---|---|
| April | Sap moves; buds swell and show wool | Cold air pools in the low ground all night | |
| May | Bud break; frost watch on every clear night | A few hours of freezing takes the crop |
Entries in Bud Break
5 entries- One night in MayA single frost after the buds have swelled can remove the crop. What is done about it and how little of it works.
- Air drainageCold air runs downhill like water. Why the good ground is on the slope.
- Wind machines and firesTwo old answers to a frost night, and what each actually achieves.
- Late pruningDelaying the cut to delay the bud, and the trade that comes with it.
- Secondary budsThe vine's own insurance, and why it is a poor one.