# Crown gall?



## dwhill40 (Jul 2, 2014)

I found a vine with Crown Gall. Rip out the infected vine(s) or leave them and be careful about spreading until they become unproductive?


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## grapeman (Jul 2, 2014)

Since it is all around ripping it out isn't necessary. I would let a shoot that grow up from the roots or below the gall to grow (but not more than 1 or 2). Let this grow as a replacement and when it is doing well by next year, carefully cut off the infected vine just below the gall. Disinfect the saw or shears. The new shoot should not be infected and can give you a replacement.


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## dwhill40 (Jul 3, 2014)

Since I'm experimenting, I may take a knife to the burl and cover the wound with neosporin and cellulose just to see how and if it will callous over differently. What the heck nothing ventured...
Thanks for the info grapeman.


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## salcoco (Jul 5, 2014)

repairing he wound will not work. the DNA of the vine has actually been changed at the point of infection. crown gall bacteria is in all of our soil. a wound in the vine will allow the bacteria to enter the vine and alter it . the wine will die within two years at the outside. Grapeman suggestion is the best to the alternative of tearing out the vine. I had success of starting shoots by cutting the vine below the gall. since there should be a good root growth the shoots will be very vigorous.


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## dwhill40 (Jul 6, 2014)

This will be interesting to watch the progression. I have Cab growing on 101-14. It seems the gall is/was on the graft union on one side. The vine is in it's 3rd year so the calloused portion of the trunk is large and it's difficult to determine on which wood the gall is growing even after carefully shaving off the corky material. I covered the entire spot with anti-bacterial ointment and wrapped it with cloth. I was able to keep the cut above the cambium layer so I had no leakage. Hopefully a Cab shoot will sprout on the other side of the junction. Thanks for your replies.


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## dwhill40 (Jul 28, 2014)

The shaved and medicated wood wrapped in cloth is slick as a whistle. It's on the left of the photo. We'll see what eventually happens. But, what is really interesting is the 101-14 rootstock putting up a new shoot from deep in the ground like no other vine I've seen. Most sprouts, while very few, usually sprout near ground level.


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## salcoco (Jul 29, 2014)

the new shot is from the root stock not the grape varietal.


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## dwhill40 (Apr 9, 2015)

Pulled off the wrapping late around august Reapplied neosporin ans rewrapped. Removed the wrappings early winter. So far the galled wood is still gone and no new gall has appeared. We'll see what happens with the growth spurt this spring.


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## dwhill40 (Apr 28, 2015)

Jury is still out but ... The cambium layer below the gall died down a couple of inches inches but there is no sign of galling left on the vine. This is the second vine that I cut off the gall and smeared with neosporin and covered it with a cloth wrap and the gall is gone and there is no sign of corking a year later. I don't know if it will work long term or not but we shall see.


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## Dennis Griffith (Jul 19, 2019)

Well, how is the galling issue this year? I have a horse in this race (now) and am looking for solutions. One is Gallex, but I am having a hard time locating a source. So far, I have been removing galls with a razor knife, and then coating with pruning sealer. I've also read some home solutions others have created (Neosporin and paint mixture is one). I have some conclusions based on observations that I will share:

- Always clean your tools.
- Never pull weeds or dig in the dirt and then pluck off a shoot/sprout with those same hands. This just transfers the bacteria from the soil to an open wound.
- Don't 'rub' off shoots with your hand even if you think your hands are clean. Instead, pick it carefully. Rubbing across a shoot creates an open wound while at the same time grinding in any possible bacteria. If you have galling in your vineyard, then you can become contaminated unknowingly.
- When you carefully remove galls, place them in a container for disposal (burning or trash). Leaving them nearby just aids in spreading the bacteria.

If you catch the galling early, allowing replacement shoots to grow into a trunk is a good strategy, but I would like to find a solution to Agrobacterium vitis. One possible solution would be to inoculate vines on planting. There has been some success using Galltrol-A or Actinovate when soaking roots prior to planting. Even though these are meant as a biological fungicide treatment, there are reports saying this also increases the resistance to crown gall bacteria. So, now that I have opined on the subject, I'd like to hear from others about their experiences and observations.


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## dwhill40 (Dec 13, 2020)

The vines with galls I "fixed" in 2014 are still thriving.


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## Dennis Griffith (Dec 21, 2020)

This is good to know. I have some Cab Franc vines on 101-14 root stock that had some galling also show up on the graft union. I also had one die, but the root stock sent up a shoot and I let it grow last year and have plans of grafting a cutting from one of the other vines to it this spring. But back on topic, I have tried your technique for the last couple of years and it seems to work better on some varieties (mostly own rooted ones) than others. I have one variety that seems to be more prone to galling than the others (Buffalo). But this technique seems to work best on the America variety that I grow. The next couple of years will tell me more. I also have some vines that I let second and third canes to grow while cutting out the infected one. The basic goal for me is to save the established root structure.


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## mgmarty (Dec 21, 2020)

I am about to replace 36 Baco vines due to crown gall. I tried to start new shoots, but they all came up stunted and with a lot of leaf curl. Im tired of fighting it. Discussion with Triple A led me to believe Baco suffers to much frost damage each spring here in Utah and the reason for crown gal. I have no problem with the 36 seyval planted right along side it. Im leaning to replace with Cab Franc.


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## Dennis Griffith (Dec 21, 2020)

Just as a note, I thought that Cab Franc would be ok here in Zone 6a, but I lost some to a late freeze (May 12-13 @ 22 degrees 2 nights) this year. Not sure what your weather cycles are like, but the Cab Franc seems to be a 'quick out of the chute' type of vine, and that early freeze caught mine and killed the canes back. These where 2 year old vines and may have been a little tender due to their age. Had to start new canes and it was slow to recover. Will be able to tell more this next year, and I hope we have no more late freezes as this lasr one wiped out all my fruit this year (even the pears).


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## Dennis Griffith (Dec 28, 2020)

One other note: I planted about 18 bare root vines last year that I pre-treated with Actinovate (via root soak). This product is an anti-fungal inoculant, but I've read some research that says it may help decrease the chances of galling due to increasing the competition in the soil for other bacteria. This product is a bacterial agent and, according to the product literature, colonizes the soil, thus dampening the growth of other soil borne diseases (ie, fungi). The company does not advertise it for use against galling, but other research says it may help for galling. You can also treat the spoil by using a soil drench method, which I may do this year. I figured what do I have to lose, it's useful in fighting fungal problems, and if it knocks out most of the galling, then it's a win win situation. I'll post more when it seems to have made an improvement in the galling situation.


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## VinesnBines (Dec 28, 2020)

Where did you buy the Actinovate and how much did you use?


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## Dennis Griffith (Dec 28, 2020)

Bought it thru Amazon for about $118 (Actinovate Fungicide -18 oz). Just looked and the price has come down to about $112. The mixing instruction are on the bag for both soil drench and root soak methods. The 18 oz bag goes a long way and should last a while, unless you are doing several acres. It only takes a little. Attached is the label.


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## VinesnBines (Dec 29, 2020)

Thanks Dennis. I had crown gall on two second year vines. Oddly one was Cab Franc. The galls were on the graft union so I opted to kill the vines rather then let it go and try to salvage. 
Please keep us posted on the effectiveness.


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## Dennis Griffith (Dec 29, 2020)

The galling I had on Cab Franc was on the graft union as well. I did not opt to cut it off like I did on other vines. It is only on a couple and I want to see what happens this year. I think I'm going to contact the company that makes Gallex and Galltrol-A and see if it's cleared for my state yet. It is specifically designed to crown galling. One is a topical application (after shaving/removing the galling) and the other is a soil treatment.


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## dwhill40 (Dec 29, 2020)

If I think a new "solution" is risky or questionable I will experiment first. With that word of caution I'll share a crown gall solution I heard from a grower in North Georgia. He matter of factly said, "diesel fuel and a steel brush will kill it". He grows twenty acres of grapes so I'm sure economy is his primary concern. I haven't tried it myself.


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## Dennis Griffith (Dec 29, 2020)

Interesting. I have thought about trying bleach water or hydrogen peroxide just to see if it works.


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## mgmarty (Dec 30, 2020)

I really am interested in the soil drench method, and soaking the vines in Actinovate. I will do this when I plant my new vines this spring. 
One thing I noticed is that the gall started with one vine and seemed to spread to the vines next to it. I Have never had a spray program of any sort, as I have never had a mildew problem. I wonder now if spraying for mildew would help.


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## VinesnBines (Dec 30, 2020)

Crown gall can spread but it is also in the soil - everywhere. Spray won't help. Clean practices and protecting vines from damage (cold, animals, weed eaters) are the best preventive measures.


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## Dennis Griffith (Dec 30, 2020)

I guess the idea is that the Actinovate bacteria colonies in the soil will out compete the gall bacteria, at least that's what I read. And proper hygiene is a must as well. Once upon a time, I would use my dirty hands (after pulling weeds) to rub off sprouts. It dawned on me that I was carries contagion from the soil directly to the wound I was making. Not smart on my part, but wisdom doesn't come from a book, but from a strong desire to not repeat stupid things one has done.


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## Dennis Griffith (Jun 10, 2021)

I just had an revelation. While out cleaning around vines this morning, I noticed small snails around the base of several vines. So I wondered if there was a connection between them and crown gall. Some investigation shows that there may be. It seems to be a concern for blueberry growers so why not grape vines. I guess since they live in the soil, they could be carriers of the _Agrobacterium_ that causes galling. Any knowledge to share or ideas on this?


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## mgmarty (Jun 10, 2021)

Well I know I don’t have any snails in the vineyard. I have tons in my flower beds. 
I have torn out all my Baco vines. I feel they were prone to frost damage, thus the gall damage.


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## Dennis Griffith (Jun 10, 2021)

I'm having trouble keeping my Cab Franc vines alive as well. As for the snails, I noticed 2 or 3 on the base of several vines this morning. I think they are working on the bark, which may be allowing the gall bacteria in. Of course the few I found today will no longer bother me, there are probably bunches more I don't see. I'm going to get some cheap beer and set some 'snail traps' out to see what I catch. I'm just not sure about using some of the snail baits on the market, unless someone here has tried it before.


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## mgmarty (Jun 10, 2021)




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## mgmarty (Jun 10, 2021)

So whatever this is, it crumbles. It’s attached to the outside of the trunk at every nodule.


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## Dennis Griffith (Jun 11, 2021)

That's crown gall. And it will kill the vine over 2 to 3 years.


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## mgmarty (Jun 11, 2021)

Thanks for the reply.


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## Dennis Griffith (Jun 11, 2021)

I struggle with same issues. I wish I could get Gallex in this state. Currently it's unavailable in this state. It's a 'paint-on' anti-bacterial treatment designed for this issue.


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## streamkeeper (Jun 20, 2021)

Dennis, I am wondering about your Cab Franc. I am 6a also. Most of my cab franc are back to sprouting from the ground at the beginning of year three. I had canes horizontally on the trellis and was expecting a good year. I am about ready to pull mine up. Where are you with yours?


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## Dennis Griffith (Jun 21, 2021)

Out of the original 11 planted, only 4 have survived. Plus one cane that came up from the 101-14 root stock that I plan on grafting to. None of the surviving vines have done well. I believe the 101-14 root stock is resistant to galling, so I want to graft America to it as a trial. Here is what the current (sad) group of Cab Franc vines look like.

Dead.



101-14 stock to be grafted.



Only one cane this year.



This one budded up this spring, then died. This happened to many of the 11 that I planted, which makes me wonder if they are really suited for this area (Southern Ohio). We get warm days in the spring which can have a few cold nights all the way to the middle of May. 



SO, bottom line, I don't think the Cab Franc variety is a good fit for my area. If the root stock (101-14) survives, then I'll graft something else onto it and keep the established root system.


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## dwhill40 (Jun 22, 2021)

The Cab Franc issue is interesting. I just planted 8 as a test. I'll keep you posted.

*I rarely see freeze damage


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## Dennis Griffith (Jun 22, 2021)

The dead vine shown had some signs of galling. But, the others that died were killed (IMO) in a late spring freeze. These vines seemed to be ready for the season and was ready for bud break, after a May freeze (2 years in a row), all activity ceased, leading me to my conclusion. These vines where planted in 2019, and did well the first year. But then it got cold and I lost a few in 2020, and even more this year.


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