Grapevines are a beloved backyard staple across many parts of the country. Their dense foliage provides dappled shade on arbors and trellises, while their sweet grapes are a tasty late-summer treat. However, grapevines do shed their leaves and go dormant in winter. It’s normal to wonder – is my grape vine dead or just sleeping?
Identifying whether grapevines are truly dead or simply resting requires some careful observation and detective work. With the right care, you can often revive vines that appear lifeless. In this article, we’ll explore how to tell if grapevines are dead or dormant, common causes of dieback, and tips to rejuvenate vines and get your grapes thriving again.
Dormancy vs Death
Grapevines are deciduous plants, meaning they drop their leaves each fall and go dormant through the winter months. It’s perfectly normal for them to appear barren and lifeless during their winter dormancy. Don’t assume vines are dead without investigating further.
Here are some signs that a grapevine is dormant rather than dead
- Bark is intact, not brittle or peeling off
- Buds are plump, not withered and shriveled
- Scratching the bark reveals green cambium underneath
- Roots feel firm when dug up, not soft or hollow
- Trellis structure is intact with no broken supports
- No signs of disease or dead leaves around the base
As long as the vines and root system remain healthy, the grapevines should leaf out again when warmer temps arrive in spring Prune away any dead wood and give them time to wake up
Common Causes of Dieback
If inspection does confirm your grapevines are truly dead, there are a few usual culprits to blame. Identifying the cause will help guide the rehabilitation process. Common reasons for grapevine dieback include:
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Winter Injury: Extreme cold weather can damage buds and injure vascular tissues. Protect vines from harsh weather.
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Poor Drainage: Excess moisture around the roots causes rot and fungal issues. Improve drainage and reduce watering.
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Pests: Borers, phylloxera, and diseases like black rot can kill vines if not managed. Inspect and treat diseased wood.
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Neglect: Lack of pruning, water, nutrients, and pest control stresses vines over time. Restore proper care.
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Freeze Damage: A spring frost after early budbreak kills new growth. Delay pruning until after frost risk passes.
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Diseases: Fungal infections like black rot and viruses like grapevine leafroll spread by pests can kill vines. Remove and replace dead vines.
Reviving Neglected Vines
Grapevines are remarkably resilient plants. In many cases, recovery is possible through some corrective pruning and care. Here are some tips for reviving neglected grapevines:
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Check vine roots. Remove completely dead vines. Healthy white roots mean it can be rehabbed.
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Renew any broken trellis supports to train new growth.
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Prune out all dead, brittle canes back to healthy white pith. Sterilize pruners between cuts.
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Apply balanced fertilizer to nutrient-deficient soil early spring. Compost also helps.
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Improve drainage with French drains or planting on berms if soil is too wet.
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Inspect for signs of borers or disease. Treat any infected areas. Disinfect tools after pruning diseased vines.
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Protect new growth with row covers if late frost threatens. Prevent dieback of tender shoots.
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Train new stems along trellis supports and remove unwanted suckers as needed.
With attentive care focused on disease prevention, moisture management, and proper pruning, vines should fruit again in 1-2 growing seasons in most cases.
When to Give Up Hope
Despite your best efforts, some grapevines may be too far gone to save. If vines exhibit these signs, it’s time to remove and replace them:
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Dead, brittle roots that snap when bent rather than bending
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No healthy green or white wood visible under bark
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Shriveled, darkened buds rather than plump, greenish buds
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Severe borer damage and winding tunnels throughout
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Widespread dead, shriveled brown vine canes
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Repeated severe defoliation for multiple seasons
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Prevalent untreatable grapevine diseases like Pierce’s disease, crown gall, etc.
For grapevines in such poor condition, the healthiest option is to pull them completely, including all roots. Start over with disease-resistant varieties suitable for your growing conditions.
Prevention is the Best Medicine
While reviving neglected vines is sometimes possible, prevention is always preferable. Here are some proactive grape vine care tips:
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Water 1-2 inches per week from bloom through harvest season
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Prune annually to remove dead wood and shape vines
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Apply balanced fertilizer or compost in early spring
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Monitor for pests like borers and treat quickly if found
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Clean up fallen leaves and fruits around vines to prevent disease
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Cover vines prior to severe freezes if possible
With attentive care focused on adequate water, pruning, nutrients, and pest prevention, grapevines will thrive for decades. Don’t give up too soon on lackluster vines. Evaluate the situation carefully to determine if they are dead or just dormant. In many cases, a little TLC can revive vines and have them fruiting again in no time. With time and persistence, you can enjoy home-grown grapes from revived vines for years to come.
Rejuvenating Grapevines Following Severe Winter Damage
If a vine is dead to the ground but has several healthy suckers growing from the base of the trunk, leave roughly five suckers on the vine and select one to train up to become a replacement trunk. If the vine has more than about five suckers, trim the rest off; or if you have less than five, leave as many as you can. Choose a healthy, strong sucker to be your new trunk, but avoid selecting a bull cane (a bull cane is more than pinky-finger diameter, with wide bud spacing). The reason to leave extra suckers is to distribute some of the excess energy that is in the vines root system and reduce the risk of the vine developing bull canes. Once you have chosen your new “trunk” shoot, use tapener tape or other fasteners to secure it vertically upward onto a fresh bamboo pole or rebar.
In order to spray herbicides, treat these as you would new vines; apply grow tubes so that you can safely spray herbicide around the vines without injuring the suckers. Try to maneuver the suckers into the grow tube. If the suckers are running along the ground and are very thick, it may be too late to get them all into the grow tube without breaking some. At that point, you may consider leaving the weeds, weed-whacking around the vines instead of spraying, or removing the shoots that are causing problems. Leaving the weeds may take away excess vigor from the vines, if that is an issue on the particular site. Therefore, these decisions depend on the needs and goals of the particular vineyard to some extent.
Remove the grow tubes no later than October, or whenever you are done with your last herbicide spray of the season. Leaving them on past mid-fall could lead to poor winter acclimation and further winter damage the next year. During winter pruning, prune off the excess suckers and consider training up one of them as a second “insurance” trunk.
When to remove the dead trunk
You can remove the dead trunk now (June) if it is not producing anything, using loppers or a saw. If the trunk is partially alive and producing a few clusters, it is acceptable to leave it there for the season and cut it down during winter pruning. The fruit may not be high quality if the vine is unhealthy, but it will help distribute some of the excess energy in the roots.
Are The Muscadines DEAD?
FAQ
How to tell if a grape vine is still alive?
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Bud Break:In early spring, living grapevines will show tiny buds swelling, and eventually, they’ll produce green leaves.
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Sap:If you prune a living vine in spring, you’ll likely see sap dripping copiously from the cut.
Will dead grape vines come back?
Yeah they aren’t dead. Don’t listen to this comment, wild grapes will grow back from a small stump as long as the roots weren’t damaged or removed.
How do you bring a grape vine back to life?
Last year’s canes that bore fruit are cut off, and two of the biggest new shoots at the top of the T are tied to the wire to replace them. The rest of the new shoots at the top are removed. (The fruit grows on side shoots that sprout from the two main canes; fruit forms only on new growth, never on old wood.)
What temperature kills grape vines?
| Cold hardiness class | Range of critical temperatures | Species |
|---|---|---|
| Tender | 0 to -8°F | Most Vitis vinifera |
| Moderately tender | -5 to -15°F | Some Vitis vinifera and some hybrids |
| Moderately hardy | -10 to -15°F | Most hybrids |
| Hardy | -15 to -20°F | Most Vitis labrusca |
Are grapevines dead?
Don’t assume vines are dead without investigating further. Here are signs vines are dormant, not dead: As long as the vines and roots remain healthy, grapevines will leaf out once spring arrives again. Prune back dead wood and give them time. If grapevines do turn out to be dead, there are a few common culprits to blame.
What happens if a grape vine dies?
If vines have brittle, dead roots, no healthy wood, shriveled buds, severe borer damage, defoliation, or incurable diseases like Pierce’s. How can I prevent problems with my grape vines?
How do you know if a grape is dead?
It may be difficult to tell if your grape is dead in the winter or fall. Canes that have been dead for a while often appear somewhat “wrinkled” and will be dry and brittle; however, dormant vines that have died very recently or are dying over the winter may look healthy. Living buds usually begin to swell in early spring.
Are grape vines dead or dormant?
Grapevines are deciduous, meaning they drop their leaves in fall and go dormant through winter. It’s normal for vines to appear lifeless during dormancy. Don’t assume vines are dead without investigating further. Here are signs vines are dormant, not dead:
Is a grape vine still alive?
If there are signs of new growth, healthy bark, vibrant leaves, and active root growth, then the grape vine is likely still alive. On the other hand, if there are signs of disease or damage, then it may be time to take action to save the grape vine.
Can a grape vine survive winter injury?
A grape vine can suffer from winter injury beginning at 28 degrees fahrenheit. While it can be challenging to prevent, there are steps you can take to help a grape vine survive the winter. Some signs of winter injury include