Why Is Winter Mulching Essential for Your Vineyard, Orchard or Berry Farm?

Winter conditions can be hard on crops at vineyards, orchards and berry farms. But using a thick layer of mulch in when temperatures get cold is the perfect way to prepare your crops to flourish in the spring.   

Smart farmers know that mulching can be useful year round for a variety of reasons, but it can be a matter of life and death in the winter. Our row mulchers can help you save time and money as you look to protect your crops from whatever mother nature throws our way.   

If your business relies on having healthy crops, which most farming operations do, it’s important to make sure you’re ready for the spring. So by winter-proofing your crops with a Millcreek row mulcher, you can make sure the crops at your vineyard, orchard or berry farm make it safely to spring. 

3 Ways Winter Mulching Can Help Your Business

  • It keeps your crops healthy. When the temperature drops into the 20s, or lower, many grapevines and fruit trees need an extra layer of winter protection. And one of the best blanket layers for crops is mulch. Mulch helps to maintain moisture and keep nutrients in the soil. You should look to add about 5 to 6 inches of mulch around the base of your vines, fruit trees or plants before temperatures fall below 20 degrees. It will ensure your crops are ready to blossom when warmer temperatures return in the spring. 
  • It helps control against pests. A thick layer of mulch around the base of your vines or fruit trees can help reduce pests that would otherwise damage your crops. Many insects live in soil and can invade your crops. A layer of mulch can impede their progress, and prevent damage that could impact next year’s harvest. 
  • It helps protect against weeds. Applying mulch over the winter will help prevent new weeds from growing when the temperatures start to rise in the spring. And the less weeds there are stealing nutrients from your plants in the spring, the more they’ll be ready to grow productively. 

Ready to Learn More?
Our line of side-discharge mulching machines, or row mulchers, can support everything you need to do over the winter to help ensure your vineyard, orchard or berry farm is thriving in the spring. 

Contact us today to learn how a row mulcher can help with your winterization needs. Our knowledgeable and friendly staff are available to help you choose the right model and applications for your operation. We look forward to hearing from you!   

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About Us

At Millcreek, we manufacture high-performance, low-maintenance farm and turf equipment that will help your operation run smoothly. With multiple brands under our umbrella, our equipment delivers the results you need to stay competitive.

TEL: 800.311.1323

Millcreek Manufacturing

525 Reservoir Road
Honey Brook, PA 19344