2024 grape growing progress

[Snafflebit]

Here are some updates on the vines. Merlot looks fantastic in 2024. I expect a huge crop and I feel that it will ripen early. This looks like lag phase for the grapes already in June. Lots of water in the soil after several drought years and the vines are finding it. Temps are predicted to hit 100F next week.


The Cab Sauv is not looking as full but this is better than what I have had in the past and it always sizes up.


Cab in the higher vineyard is looking better but has a little powdery mildew. Sulfur is not quite enough I think and I need to research some systemic fungicides


Here is a rather homely friend I met while leaf pulling!

 

[wood1954]

Grapes look great. I have good luck with generic tebuconazole as a systemic.

 

[Snafflebit]

Grapes look great. I have good luck with generic tebuconazole as a systemic.

Thank you for the suggestion. I can almost do all my growing with sulfur spray. Maybe occasional tebuconazole with sulfur but I need to research

 

[Charles DeVier]

Our Concord grapes in Missouri also look good. But it has been an odd year. There was a heavy frost on April 27, when grapes and many fruit trees were in full bloom. The grape leaves and berries in the top half of the plants were killed, as were the peach, plum, apricot and cherry blooms. However, the grapes sprouted new leaves, bloomed again, and now the plants have bunches of grapes of two sizes. The origional "unfrozen" grapes are getting large as marbles while the regrowth grape bunches are still the size of grape seeds. Overall, the plants and grapes look like another good year.
Meanwhile, we only have one peach on our 5 peach trees, half a dozen sweet cherries on two trees, no apricots and a few plums.

 

[Snafflebit]

I think that I have crowded canopies in the vineyard with the powdery mildew. That vineyard is VSP and the spots with the most powdery mildew are also the spots with the most vigorous growth. I will remove a few spurs next year from those cordons.

 

[wood1954]

I think that I have crowded canopies in the vineyard with the powdery mildew. That vineyard is VSP and the spots with the most powdery mildew are also the spots with the most vigorous growth. I will remove a few spurs next year from those cordons.

Is it too hot to use sulfur?

 

[Snafflebit]

Lately, yes it has been in the high 90's and probably hotter where the sun directly hits the vines. So I have to be careful about sulfur application. I got a good dose of sulfur on the vines before the heatwave. I am noticing that the powdery mildew is in certain areas of the vineyard, which leads me to probably I should manage the canopy better in areas for airflow. But I will eventually try some tebuconazole.