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No-cover varieties are those whose cane overwinters without cover in most regions; in our catalog there are eight, rated from −25 to −30 °C. The figure in the description is a guide: real hardiness depends on the age of the vine, how well the cane ripened, crop load, disease and the planting site. A young vine is better protected in its first winters.
1What “no-cover” means
A no-cover variety is one whose cane survives the winter without cover in most regions: you do not have to take it off the trellis every autumn, lay it on the ground and bury it. That saves work and time, and also removes the typical “cover” problems: rot under plastic, rodents, broken cane.
At the same time, this label describes the typical behavior of a variety, not a guarantee for every winter and every plot. In our catalog, eight varieties are marked no-cover, rated from −25 to −30 °C. The rest are marked as cover varieties, even if in mild winters they overwinter without cover.
2Why the figure in a description is a guide, not a promise
In reference works, frost hardiness usually means the temperature at which some of the buds die in midwinter. Texas A&M AgriLife defines it as the temperature that kills 50% of primary buds. But universities do not like to give one “exact” number. The University of Minnesota, which bred Marquette, Frontenac and other cold-hardy hybrids, writes plainly that it does not want to give a precise value: overcropping or poor disease control in the previous season lowers hardiness, and snow cover and the course of autumn differ every winter.
What real winter hardiness is made of, according to Texas A&M:
- Genetics. European varieties (Vitis vinifera) are the most tender, hybrids are hardier, and varieties of American origin are usually the toughest. Approximate bud limits: for most European varieties about −15 to −22 °C, for most hybrids −23 to −26 °C, for the labrusca group (Lydia, Isabella, Concord) −26 to −29 °C, for some of the hardiest hybrids −29 to −34 °C.
- Condition of the vine. Disease, mineral deficiencies, lack of water, viruses and overcropping lower hardiness. A well-balanced vine withstands more than an exhausted one.
- Light and ripening of the cane. Shading and poor canopy management increase injury to unripe wood.
- Site. Low spots where cold air drains are more dangerous than slopes.
- Course of the weather. Gradual cooling hardens the cane, while a sharp drop in temperature or frost after a thaw can damage even a hardy variety. In spring the vine loses its hardiness faster than it gains it in autumn, so a few warm days followed by frost are especially dangerous.
The practical conclusion: compare the figure in the description not with an average winter, but with the harshest minimums in your area in recent years.
3No-cover varieties in our catalog
The data come from the variety descriptions on the site. For current prices and availability see the page “No-cover varieties”.
| Variety | Type | Color | Ripening | Frost resistance | In brief |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jupiter USA | Seedless kishmish | Blue | Early | to −25 °C | Sweet, berries do not crack, resistant to fungal diseases |
| Izyumskyi Muscat | Kishmish | Blue | Extra-early | to −26 °C | Muscat aroma; disease resistance is still being studied |
| Mars | Seedless | Blue | Mid-season | to −26 °C | Strawberry aroma; sources describe resistance as high |
| Lydia | Universal | Pink-red | Mid-season | to −27 °C | Field resistance to downy and powdery mildew |
| Isabella | Universal | Blue | Late | high | An old variety that ripens late |
| Donetskyi Arochnyi | Table | Pink-red | Early | to −27 °C | Large cluster (900–1500 g); do not skip sprays |
| Solaris | Technical | White | Early | −24…−27 °C | High resistance to downy and powdery mildew |
| Marquette | Technical | Blue | Mid-season | to −30 °C | Red wine; high resistance to downy mildew, powdery mildew and black rot |
A few clarifications to avoid disappointment:
- Mars. West Virginia University notes that Mars is susceptible to anthracnose, so “high resistance” does not cancel watching the vine and prevention.
- Donetskyi Arochnyi is a relatively new selection: its author reports that the cane has overwintered without cover since 2008, but there are few independent descriptions.
- Isabella and Lydia descend from the American species Vitis labrusca: they are frost-hardy and more resistant to many diseases, but have a characteristic strawberry “Isabella” aroma that not everyone likes. Lydia is sensitive to lime-induced chlorosis, so on very calcareous soils it will struggle.
- Solaris and Marquette are wine varieties: they are grown mainly for wine. Solaris is also eaten fresh, and Marquette, according to the university, gives wine with notes of cherry, black pepper and spice.
- Polunychnyi. According to other growers it withstands down to −26 °C, but in our catalog it does not carry the “no-cover” label: in harsh winters it is better to protect young cane.
4How to choose among no-cover varieties
- You want a seedless berry, easy care and a sweet taste: Jupiter USA, Mars or Izyumskyi Muscat.
- You need an all-purpose variety “for yourself”: to eat, to make juice, to shade an arbor: Lydia or Isabella.
- You need a large cluster for the table: Donetskyi Arochnyi.
- You want to make wine: Solaris (white) or Marquette (red).
- Snow often comes only at the end of winter while frost arrives in December: pick a variety with the largest margin: Lydia, Donetskyi Arochnyi or Marquette.
General questions of choosing a variety (color, taste, timing, purpose) are covered in the article “How to choose a grape variety”.
5When even a no-cover variety needs a safety net
These are our recommendations, not a hard rule:
- The first wintersA young vine has a weaker root system and fewer reserves than a mature one. In the first one to three winters it is better to hill soil up around the base or cover the cane, and then watch how the vine overwinters on your plot.
- A spare trunkThe University of New Hampshire advises keeping two trunks: if frost damages one, the other will save the vine.
- Snowless wintersSnow protects the lower part of the vine. If the forecast promises hard frost without snow, hill soil up around the base.
- A weak vineIf the vine was sick in summer, carried too heavy a crop or did not ripen its cane, it will overwinter worse and needs a safety net even in a “hardy” variety.
How to cover is described in detail in the article “How to cover grapes for winter”.
6How to help a no-cover variety through the winter
- Do not overcrop the vine. Texas A&M notes that both overcropped and undercropped vines are more vulnerable than balanced ones.
- Protect the leaves from disease until the end of the season. Leaves feed the cane, and disease weakens it. Take products and spray timing from the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Let the cane ripen. Do not let the vine get too dense; remove surplus shoots so the sun reaches the cane.
- Plant the vine on higher ground. Avoid low spots where cold air stagnates.
- Do not prune too early. A cane with damaged buds needs a reserve. Read about this in the articles on autumn pruning and spring pruning.
7Frequently asked questions
Can I leave a no-cover variety uncovered altogether?
In most regions mature vines of these varieties overwinter without cover, but there is no guarantee. For the first winters, very cold plots and weak vines a safety net is useful. If you are unsure, tell us your area and we will advise.
Why is the frost hardiness of the same variety different in different sources?
Measurements are made in different conditions: different years, different plots, laboratory or field, different methods. The University of Minnesota itself warns that an exact value cannot be given. That is why in descriptions we often give a range, for example “−24 to −27 °C”.
Are there table varieties with a large cluster among the no-cover ones?
Yes, Donetskyi Arochnyi produces clusters of 900–1500 g. The kishmish varieties Jupiter USA and Izyumskyi Muscat are table grapes too, but their clusters are smaller: about 400–800 g.
Do no-cover varieties need to be sprayed against disease?
It depends on the variety. Lydia, with its field resistance to downy and powdery mildew, is usually not sprayed, while for Donetskyi Arochnyi, Izyumskyi Muscat and many others preventive sprays are not skipped. Always take products and doses from the label.
Where can I see current prices and availability?
On each variety’s page and on the page “No-cover varieties”: prices and availability there are always up to date.
8Sources
- Bud cold hardiness, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension (Helwi, Scheiner, 2018): definition of bud hardiness, factors, approximate critical temperatures for groups of varieties, recovery after injury.
- University of Minnesota Grape Varieties: the university’s position on exact hardiness values, descriptions of Marquette and Frontenac.
- Pruning and Training Grapes in the Home Vineyard, University of New Hampshire Extension: two trunks as insurance against winter injury.
- Growing Grapes for Beginners, West Virginia University Extension: Mars’s susceptibility to anthracnose, groups of varieties.
- Variety descriptions in our catalog.
Fahrenheit degrees from the sources have been converted to Celsius and rounded. The frost hardiness of a particular variety in a particular place depends on many factors, so this is a guide, not a guarantee.
