EMERGENT AND EARLY ACTIVE SEASON — March, April, and May

• First Buds — Early March
• First Foot-Long Vine Sprouts — Mid March
• Two and Three-Foot Long "Spikes" in the Air — Mid April
• New Vine Sprouts Still Appearing — Mid May
• Sprouting Crowns Easy to See Because There is Not Much Foliage

VIGOROUS GROWTH AND FULL CANOPY SEASON — June and Early July

• Vine Sprouts Begin Appearing from Underground Crowns (3" to 6" Deep) — Mid June
• Much of the Stored Carbohydrate Reserves is Expended on Vine Growth (50%, Wechsler 1977)
• A High, Full Canopy is Achieved — Mid June
• Time of Greatest Need for Vine Redirection Defense
• Overlying Biomass Must be Removed Before Attacking Crowns Surgically

FLOWERING, FRUITING, AND ROOTING SEASON — Late July and August

• First Blooms — Mid July
• New Vines Begin Putting Out Roots — Mid August
• Less Daylight or Drop in Temperature Triggers Flowering, Fruiting, and Preparation for Dormancy (Dr. Gill Newberry)

BACK-FLOW SEASON — September

• Energy Flows Back to Roots for Storage and Next Year's Growth
• Best Time to Spray Herbicides
• Disrupt This Process by "Gapping" Vines on Trees

TRANSITION TO DORMANCY SEASON — October and November

• Vine Growth Slows — Mid October
• First Frost Kills Top Foliage (Mostly Horizontal Leaves) — Late October
• Heavy Frosts Kill All Foliage (Except for Low Vertical Leaves) — Early November
• Warm Spells at About 70° Causes New Vine Sprouts — Late November
• Vines Rest; Efforts at Defense Becomes Unnecessary

DORMANT SEASON — December, January, and February

• Killing Frosts at About 20° Kills All Foliage — Early December
• Roots Send Out Hair Roots
• Viable Vines are Easy to Spot Due to Foliage Die-Off
• A Good Season for Locating Crowns by Following-Back Viable Vines, and Carry Out Surgical Removal
• A Good Season for "Gapping" Trees, Both to Save Them and Remove Next Season's Scaffolding