What is frost protection about?
Spring frosts are one of the greatest enemies of any winegrower. Young grapevine shoots can freeze at temperatures as high as -0.5 C! VineyardElf helps you protect your vineyard against frost.
How does it work?
1. The system monitors temperature
VineyardElf tracks the temperature from your weather station and checks forecasts. When it detects a threat, you get an alert.
2. You receive a warning
24 hours before a forecasted frost, you receive the first alert. That gives you time to prepare your equipment.
2-3 hours before, you receive a second warning with the updated forecast.
3. Automatic protection (optional)
If you have an OpenSprinkler controller connected, the system can turn on sprinkling automatically when the temperature drops below the threshold. As the water freezes on the shoots it releases heat, protecting them from deeper freezing.
How to set up protection
Step 1: Set temperature thresholds
Go to Settings > Frost protection and set:
- Warning threshold - e.g. 2 C (you get an alert)
- Critical threshold - e.g. 0 C (automation kicks in)
Step 2: Configure alerts
In Settings > Alerts add:
- Phone number for SMS
- Email address
- The hours during which you want to receive alerts
Step 3: Connect irrigation (optional)
If you want automatic sprinkling:
- Go to Settings > Integrations > OpenSprinkler
- Enter the controller’s IP address and password
- Assign zones to vineyard blocks
- Enable the “Automatic frost protection” option
IMPORTANT: Make sure your pump has enough capacity! The system needs about 3-4 mm/h of water over the protected area.
What you see on the dashboard
The frost protection widget shows:
- Current temperature from the sensor
- Forecast minimum for the coming night
- System status - ready / alarm / protection active
- History of recent events
Tips
- Place the temperature sensor at shoot height (about 50-80 cm), not near the ground
- Test the system before the season - run sprinkling manually
- Check the forecast in the evening - the system will send an alert, but it pays to stay vigilant