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      • Agricultural Burning
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      • Climate Video Series
      • Modern vs. Fossil CO2
      • Reduce Climate Impact
    • Wildfires
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NVG Best Practices

​At NVG, we are committed to promoting viticultural best practices throughout the growing season. Explore our expert recommendations by selecting categories from the menu below on the right. 

How to Responsibly Idle Your Vineyard: Best Practices for Tough Market Years

6/30/2025

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​For many Napa County grape growers, the decision to idle or “mothball” a vineyard is not taken lightly. Yet, with persistent market uncertainty, overproduction concerns, and rising farming costs, temporarily pausing vineyard operations has become a necessary tool to weather lean years while safeguarding the long-term viability of your land. When done thoughtfully, idling allows growers to significantly reduce expenses without sacrificing the future productivity or health of their vineyard.

​Pruning and Canopy Management: Start with the Basics
Even in an idled vineyard, vine structure matters. Most growers recommend a simplified winter prune to manage vine shape, reduce excess canopy growth, and maintain airflow. This is especially important in blocks with vigorous sucker growth or disease history. While some growers choose to delay pruning to suppress early-season growth, others opt for a single reduced-labor suckering pass later in the season.
Pruning cuts should always be made during dry weather to reduce the risk of disease. If trunk disease is present or the vines are showing significant age, removing cordons may help preserve long-term vine health—though this comes with higher labor costs and should be weighed carefully. Regardless of your approach, idled vineyards should still be scouted during dormancy for cankers, dieback, or disease symptoms to avoid compounding management challenges in future years.
​Water Management: Keep Vines Alive, Not Thriving
The goal of irrigation during idling is simple: keep vines alive without promoting excessive growth. Most vineyards can tolerate moderate water stress, but irrigation plans must be tailored to your specific site conditions—considering vine age, soil type, and historical block performance.
Strategic watering may be necessary during heat spikes to prevent permanent vine damage, particularly in younger vineyards or shallow-rooted blocks. If your vineyard sits in a frost-prone area, limited frost protection such as wind machines may still be warranted to protect primary buds, but these interventions should be minimized to control costs.
For vineyards expected to remain idle for multiple seasons, some growers opt for “survival irrigation only,” especially if replanting is under consideration. Keep in mind that irrigation needs—and associated costs—will likely vary year to year based on weather and vine condition.

Nutrient and Soil Health: Minimal Inputs, Maximum Stewardship
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Fertilizing an idled vineyard may seem counterintuitive—and in most cases, it is. Nitrogen applications, in particular, should be avoided unless confirmed as necessary through soil testing, as excess nutrients can stimulate unwanted canopy growth.
However, maintaining soil health remains critical. Compost and organic matter additions can help preserve soil structure and microbial activity, supporting long-term vineyard viability. Cover cropping is another useful tool to prevent soil erosion and suppress weeds, but species selection requires care. Certain cover crops can attract vectors for Pierce’s Disease or Red Blotch—so consult with an expert before seeding.
In some cases, allowing natural vegetation to grow can reduce both costs and soil disturbance, but this approach demands vigilant weed control to prevent invasive species from taking over.
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Weed Management: Don’t Let Weeds Take the Vineyard
Neglecting weed control is one of the most costly mistakes growers can make during idling. Aggressive species like bindweed, yellow starthistle, and poison hemlock can quickly spread, outcompeting vines, creating fire hazards, and making eventual reactivation significantly more expensive.
At a minimum, growers should maintain a weed-free strip around vine trunks to reduce rodent habitat and minimize herbicide drift. Targeted herbicide applications, mowing, or even grazing can be effective tools for keeping problem areas in check. Routine scouting and mapping of weed pressure allow growers to stay ahead of infestations and avoid expensive reclamation efforts later.

Pest and Disease Management: A Quiet Vineyard is Still a Target
Idled vineyards remain vulnerable to insect pests and diseases, both of which can jeopardize your vines and neighboring properties. Insect vectors such as sharpshooters, leafhoppers, and vine mealybug pose serious threats if left unmanaged.
Basic Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices—trapping, visual scouting, and targeted hot spot treatments—should continue, even with reduced inputs. Failing to address pest pressure during idling can result in outbreaks that are far more expensive and time-consuming to resolve down the line.
For vineyards with vine mealybug or fruit left on the vine, the risk is especially high. In these situations, fruit removal is strongly recommended to prevent pest harboring and future infestations. In other cases, leaving fruit on the vine may actually help balance vine energy and suppress overly vigorous regrowth—but this decision should be made on a case-by-case basis in consultation with your PCA or viticultural advisor.

Vertebrate Pests: Out of Sight, But Not Gone
Gophers, ground squirrels, deer, and feral pigs can wreak havoc in an idled vineyard—damaging irrigation systems, girdling trunks, and destroying trellising. Regular monitoring is essential, even in dormant vineyards.
Tools like trapping, bait stations, raptor perches, and fencing can help keep vertebrate pest populations in check. Routine infrastructure inspections allow you to catch and repair damage early, preventing small problems from turning into expensive headaches when the time comes to reactivate the vineyard.

Operational Efficiency: Do Less, But Do It Well
The most effective idling strategies minimize farming passes without sacrificing critical care. For many growers, this means:
  • One mowing pass to control weeds and reduce fire risk
  • A single reduced-labor suckering pass if needed
  • Minimal, targeted pesticide applications
  • Irrigation only as necessary for vine survival
Where possible, mechanization can significantly reduce labor costs for tasks like pruning, mowing, or fruit removal.
Recordkeeping is essential throughout the idling period. Documenting interventions, irrigation schedules, pest observations, and maintenance tasks ensures a smoother, more cost-effective vineyard reactivation when market conditions improve.

Related Consideration: Avoiding Vineyard Neglect
Idling a vineyard can be a responsible short-term strategy, but neglecting a site poses serious risks to neighboring vineyards and Napa Valley’s agricultural health.
Unmanaged vineyards become hotspots for pests, disease, erosion, and fire hazards. Failing infrastructure and overgrown vegetation only worsen the problem. State and county regulations also prohibit abandonment, with possible fines and required remediation for non-compliant properties.
The difference is active stewardship. Even when idled, a vineyard must be maintained through weed control, pest monitoring, and erosion prevention to protect both the land and the surrounding community.

Learn more about vineyard neglect and state regulations here »

Final Thoughts: Balance Short-Term Savings with Long-Term Stewardship
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While vineyard idling offers much-needed financial relief, skipping essential practices often leads to higher long-term costs. Neglecting suckering, weed control, or disease scouting today can result in expensive, time-consuming reentry work tomorrow.
Before choosing an aggressive idling strategy, growers should carefully evaluate vine age, trellis condition, site history, and market timing to determine the most responsible approach.
By maintaining minimal yet strategic interventions, Napa growers can ensure their vineyards remain healthy, resilient, and ready for reactivation when the time is right. Responsible idling isn't just a business decision—it's a commitment to protecting your vines, your soil, and the future of Napa Valley agriculture.
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