A little advice please

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BlueStimulator

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Not sure what is going on my Viognier vines are doing well, but the red grapes (Cab franc, Cab S & Petie Verdot) are all shriveled. I have pruned both of them the same and not sure what is up. The reds look as if they have given up and started putting up new shoots and new clusters a couple of feet above the cordon wire clusters. Any help or advice would be much appreciated. This is the vines fourth leafing. Last year I had a few cluster look like the shriveled ones but nothing like this year. The vines have been growing well and have need some clean up. I am at a loss and think most of my crop is lost.

Viognier vines

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Cabernet Sav and most cluster look like this, the vines have some brown and leaves look bad

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Bad case of powdery mildew.

Did you spray fungicide regularly starting pre-bloom?

I would cut off all infected clusters so the vine does not waste energy into trying to ripen them, and instead puts its energy into being healthy for next year. To help with this, spray all new growth regularly from now until fall drop off. Collect all infected clusters and burn them.

New clusters forming this time of year should be cut off routinely, even if the vine is healthy.
 
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Thanks guys, since I really haven't grown anything but grass before. I may need to look at a spraying time lines for pests and diseases in the Yakima Valley. @Johny99 I may need to become your Padawan learner.
 
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I may need to look at a spraying time lines for pests and diseases in the Yakima Valley.

Most important time to spray is just before bloom, than three to four weeks post bloom. And indeed local conditions are very important, such as weather or what other pests are present, and the chemicals used, may cause the spray season to be extended even further into the growing season.

This may help get you started with some "light" reading material for Washington state:

https://research.libraries.wsu.edu/...e/2376/6488/EB0762.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

The local University extension is a great resource in every state
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And local experience and advice I heartily say is indeed a good idea. One can get a lot from pamphlets and books, but nothing compares to someone with local experience who has been through the ringer (and that is why I knew immediately what you had on the grapes -- been there, had that, learn from my mistakes ;)).
 
Sorry for the loss this year Jason. I don't have the moisture levels to deal with here but this was the first year that I sprayed for mildew, picked base leafs and then actually netted to keep the wildlife from harvesting for me. I tested this weekend and am at about 18.5 brix. I'm guessing you'll have those vines under control next year.
Mike

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I know where you live........ You might need a critter cam! LOL

Those look fantastic!

Sorry for the loss this year Jason. I don't have the moisture levels to deal with here but this was the first year that I sprayed for mildew, picked base leafs and then actually netted to keep the wildlife from harvesting for me. I tested this weekend and am at about 18.5 brix. I'm guessing you'll have those vines under control next year.
Mike
 
Sorry for the loss this year Jason. I don't have the moisture levels to deal with here but this was the first year that I sprayed for mildew, picked base leafs and then actually netted to keep the wildlife from harvesting for me. I tested this weekend and am at about 18.5 brix. I'm guessing you'll have those vines under control next year.
Mike


WOW just WOW

Those grapes look great, I think the moisture comes from my Lawn sprinklers at night when I water, otherwise I live in a desert.
 
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Hi Jason, sorry to be late to the party, but I agree with mildew. I haven't had a problem with it, yet fingers crossed. However I'm situated where I get lots of wind. A friend with a commercial winery was hit hard about 7 years ago, lost a year basically. He sits in the Wenatchee valley and is more humid than I am. He is religious about spraying every two weeks as long as WSU says we have mildew pressure. I know he uses Pristine in the rotation but I'm not sure what else.

OK the upside is, since my wife is sick, there is no way I can use everything I'm growing this year. If you want to make the drive up and help pick, you can take home plenty. Just let me know.
 
Those grapes look great, I think the moisture comes from my Lawn sprinklers at night when I water, otherwise I live in a desert.

That could quite possibly be your problem. When you say 'at night', what do you mean? Even your grass ideally shouldn't be watered in the evening. Moisture on the blades doesn't dry off and can cause fungus issues. Just before dawn is best.
 
You might have missed the part of about the desert. No problem watering (grass) at night on the East side of the mountains in WA or for me in the desert southwest. My sprinklers come on at 2AM and run until about 5AM. Grapes obviously are a different set of issues.

Oddly my front row of grapes in the "wine garden" do get hit by the sprinkler system every other day in the Summer months and I have never had an issue with powdery mildew or bunch rot. No disease pressure at all but then I am growing cold hardy hybrids and not vinifera. By design they are well more hardy!

I do have a few grape leaf skeletonizers that magically appear about now but only a few and I just pick them off by hand and squeeze. No need to spray.

That could quite possibly be your problem. When you say 'at night', what do you mean? Even your grass ideally shouldn't be watered in the evening. Moisture on the blades doesn't dry off and can cause fungus issues. Just before dawn is best.
 

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