[Madman]

One of these years I am going to make vino. I have a grape vine of concord grapes. It is 24 years old. Each year it produces grapes. But I can count

on one hand the number of years it has produced edible grapes. Most of those years were many moons ago. The last several years, the grapes shrivel

before they ripen. This year, I have been keeping the vines pruned back. Not letting too much vine grow, especially after the last bunch of grapes

on it. Today I noticed black spots on the stems. I'm not sure that this is a problem. Then again, I'm not sure it isn't. I don't want to use

chemicals on the vines. Is anyone familiar with growing grapes?

 

[Steamnutt]

Dan,
Are the spots near where you made your cuts, or somewhere else on the vines. Last year in our area (we are both on the East coast) we had a drought situation. Have you by chance changed anything in the landscape that would affect water flow to or around the grapes from past years? Grapes don't like to be in soggy soil, and you can actually cause a fungus (or death to the plant) if they are not allowed to dry out.

 

[altterrain]

Sounds like it is probably a fungal disease like cane rot - http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/fruitpathology/organic/PDF/OSU-Organic-Grape-Diseases.pdf.
Organic Bordeaux sprays (sulfur/copper) can be very effective.

-Brian

 

[Madman]

Thanks for the input. I was able to figure out my new computer's photo resizing, etc, etc. So I have these pictures of the vine.

 

[trainman707]

Don't know about the spots....but sure like the use of the vines over the railroad. I should be so lucky!

 

[Torby]

I'll never remember to take your photos to the botanic and ask the gardners Thursday.

 

[engine 72]

Dan,

I belevie what you have is a fungus because of too much water? I will be at the winery on friday Aug 1 and will ask Daniel Alcorso the winemaker and Jason the Vineyard manager at Crown Valley Winery what you got and what you can do.

Todd Siddle

 

[Madman]

Posted By engine 72 on 07/28/2008 1:09 PM
Dan,
I belevie what you have is a fungus because of too much water? I will be at the winery on friday Aug 1 and will ask Daniel Alcorso the winemaker and Jason the Vineyard manager at Crown Valley Winery what you got and what you can do.
Todd Siddle







I believe you are correct. A local garden center had the same diagnosis. I planted it in 1984, when the arborvitaes were alot smaller ( not even as tall as the grape vine ). I think the shade doesn't help either. It gets sun until 1:00 or 2:00 PM, depending on the time of summer it is. Since the tress are not mine to cut, and I wouldn't want to as they protect the house from winter winds, I should plant a new vine in another location that gets sun all day.

 

[Kovacjr]

I had a huge load of grapes last year but after cutting it back in the fall we got nothing this year? Is there a special pruning that needs to be done.

 

[Madman]

I cut mine back early in Spring this year, and we have more grapes then when I cut in the fall. I too cut way back. There are websites about grape

growing and pruning. There not hard to find. Your best bet may be to contact your state or county extension service.

 

[engine 72]

Ok I talked to Daniel today and he said your Clusters are getting to much sun and that is why the are getting brown spotts that he saw in your pictures. you can get some organic oils to spray on your grapes from a lowes or garden center. this will help protect themuntil it is time to harvest.

As for lots of vine and no grapes might just be an off year try pruning your vines in late winter to early spring next season.

 

[Madman]

That may be, about the sun that is. Is Daniel talking about too much direct sunlight on the bunches of grapes, or the amount of hours of sun they get?

 

[engine 72]

Dan,
They are getting to much sunlight. Your canopy of grape leafs should be full so that it protects the grapes from the sunlight. Try the oils and then also a light sheet over it to help keep the sunlight off.

Todd

 

[jamarti]

Let me get this straight. The grape vines get too little sun. Therefore the leaf canopy is not dense. Without a dense canapy the grapes get too much sun. There is no way to win on this one.

 

[engine 72]

If you let the direct sunlight hit a grape it will start to cook inside and will turn to rasins. But with a thick canopy atop the grapes vines will get the sunlight needed to help the grapes grow. That is why most harvesting of grapes is done early morning and night time. Other wise the grapes will cook to rasins before they are crushed. In fact with all the rain and we have had around here we are starting to havest are grapes already.

Todd

 

[Madman]

Most grape vines I've seen are grown on what amounts to a fence. I'm trying to visualize the vines that were on the farm in Italy, when I was there three years ago. They were all out in fields of direct sunlight, but I thinks the leaves must have been shading the grapes, even though the vines are trained to the fencelike structure. Over there that year the grapes were harvested while we were there, which was in September. For a day or two all tractors pulling wagons full of grapes were on their way to the wineries. Since we were living in farm country, the roads were narrow and windy. And if you got stuck behind a grape wagon, that's where you stayed until you had a chance to pass, which was seldom on those mountain roads.

 

[Torby]

I've tried 3 times now to take your photo to the botanic to ask the experts. Unsuccessfully.

 

[Madman]

Are you saying that you can't get there, or are the horticulturists unable to diagnose the phtos?

 

[engine 72]

We grow ours on a wire strung between 2 posts. The vine grows from the ground to the wire about 3 - 4 feet tall and then spreds along the wire in each direction. By the time the vines are in full bloom the only grapes we see are the red ones white grapes just blend into the foilage.

 

[Madman]

How long is the wire?