Hello to the group! As a new member, hopefully I’m in the right spot to ask these questions.
For context: I live in Western Iowa and only have 6 mature vines on a hillside with good drainage and the soil is a clay lomé, known regionally as the Loess Hills.
Over the last couple of years, harvest was dismal at best. Until this year, I believed it was due to draught conditions or critters (birds and raccoons) getting to ripe grapes before me. Now I believe it’s likely hat’s referred to as black rot?
The vines are growing well and look great, with no signs of disease and grapes were abundant until about August. This year, I made sure water wasn’t the issue, but the grapes started falling off, just before ripening. I did see one or two black spots on grapes and ”maybe”? 3-4 what I see referred to as mummies, but nothing extensive. It’s too late for this year, but hopefully next year with the right care, I can finally get a good harvest? I’m guessing that after the Spring pruning I need to tart spraying a fungicide(s) ??? For further information, the field behind my property has numerous junipers and I’ve fought Apple Rust on my two apple trees for years. I’ll be switching to Spectacide, Immunox next year for the Apple Rust, but if there’s a better alternative available in retail, please let me know.
Thanks for your time! Dale
For context: I live in Western Iowa and only have 6 mature vines on a hillside with good drainage and the soil is a clay lomé, known regionally as the Loess Hills.
Over the last couple of years, harvest was dismal at best. Until this year, I believed it was due to draught conditions or critters (birds and raccoons) getting to ripe grapes before me. Now I believe it’s likely hat’s referred to as black rot?
The vines are growing well and look great, with no signs of disease and grapes were abundant until about August. This year, I made sure water wasn’t the issue, but the grapes started falling off, just before ripening. I did see one or two black spots on grapes and ”maybe”? 3-4 what I see referred to as mummies, but nothing extensive. It’s too late for this year, but hopefully next year with the right care, I can finally get a good harvest? I’m guessing that after the Spring pruning I need to tart spraying a fungicide(s) ??? For further information, the field behind my property has numerous junipers and I’ve fought Apple Rust on my two apple trees for years. I’ll be switching to Spectacide, Immunox next year for the Apple Rust, but if there’s a better alternative available in retail, please let me know.
Thanks for your time! Dale
