Low temperatures – Krems area: Frost causes damage

Just a few days into summer, April finally brought the volatile weather that agriculture had feared. Winemaker Franz Josef Gretsch recorded lows of around four degrees below zero in the Spitzer Graben. Like many of his colleagues, he battled the cold for three nights using paraffin candles. It is necessary to use between 300 and 400 cuttings per hectare to raise the temperature in the vineyard by about two degrees. “We have been able to control the frost problem well in the city. However, there is severe damage as the current brings more cold and no candles have been used,” says Grech.

When using paraffin candles, wine growers are increasingly faced with the issue of cost as cold nights become more frequent. Between 5,000 and 6,000 euros had to be invested in planting one hectare of vineyards, according to Gretsch, who has been on his feet with his family members and employees since about 3 a.m. during cold nights.

From the point of view of apricot growers, it is still too early to make a final damage assessment, says Franz Reisinger, president of the Wachauer Apricot Association. However, he expects a completely different picture at the regional level. Robert Herbst, president of the Langenlois Winegrowing Society, reported “sometimes significant losses.” He is now hoping to put an end to the fickle weather and, despite smaller quantities, hope for good new wine.

The secretary of the region's Chamber of Farmers, Joseph Wimmer, also expressed this wish: “If more does not come from now, we will get away with it. The damage varies from one region to another.” According to the weather forecast for the coming days, morning temperatures around zero can be expected until Saturday. at least.