Weed suppression around new grape vines

[DragonTail]

Just put down a string of 8 concord grapes. Wondering what to place around them. I want to landscape around them and planned to add some landscape timbers with a weed barrier. The question is what to cover with. Stone, mulch? I read mulch is bad because it keeps the ground cooler. What about a black mulch? Assume that might be more heat absorbent? How about river stone. Would that hold heat and be beneficial?

Thanks in advance.

 

[ChuckD]

What do the commercial vineyards by you have? In the Midwest I see mulch or turf grass. I’m keeping a relatively weed free strip under my wires by hoeing… they are new vines. Long term, I’m thinking of going to mulch

 

[tjmeyer]

Some food for thought!

Do your native weeds have deep roots or are they mostly grasses? Superficial weeds (crab grass, fiddlenecks, etc) are generally meaningless and potentially beneficial to vines in hot regions (SoCal, for one).

If aesthetics are very important, I've seen everything from river rock to regular ground churning for bug control. It all comes down to your vineyard's unique ecology!

In my case, I have naturally growing clover and crab grass in a hot region, so I just mow/trim 3-4x / year and all my vines are dandy. I started off thinking I need to invest in a lot of fancy stuff like river rock, but as time went on I realized that what was naturally taking root around my vines were not the same plants that naturally take root outside the vineyard. Due to the regular watering, beneficial, nitrogen-rich plants began crowding out thorns and more obnoxious weeds without doing anything but giving it time and a good mowing.

 

[Rice_Guy]

A Midwest evolution;
1) cardboard boxes when they were planted
2) weed block fabric with a few stones to keep the mower from pulling it up, weeds grew through it
3) solid plastic with a few stones to keep the mower from pulling it up, creeping charlie grows in from the side
4) protect the trunk of each plant and mostly run a weed eater under the rows

 

[tjmeyer]

A Midwest evolution;
1) cardboard boxes when they were planted
2) weed block fabric with a few stones to keep the mower from pulling it up, weeds grew through it
3) solid plastic with a few stones to keep the mower from pulling it up, creeping charlie grows in from the side
4) protect the trunk of each plant and mostly run a weed eater under the rows

Cardboard boxes work great! It looks trashy, but it's cheap and easy

 

[Christopher Anderson]

I use cardboard boxes (all those prime boxes!!) that I have cut holes in about 12-15" wide and down the rows. that holds the weeds and grass down. then mulch over it to hold the cardboard sown. the cardboard will breakdown in a year or so and by then the vines are up!

 

[Snafflebit]

In my case, I have naturally growing clover and crab grass in a hot region, so I just mow/trim 3-4x / year and all my vines are dandy. I started off thinking I need to invest in a lot of fancy stuff like river rock, but as time went on I realized that what was naturally taking root around my vines were not the same plants that naturally take root outside the vineyard. Due to the regular watering, beneficial, nitrogen-rich plants began crowding out thorns and more obnoxious weeds without doing anything but giving it time and a good mowing.

Do you have nice clover, or that burr clover with the yellow flowers? I hate it. I have been pulling the crabgrass, but maybe I will leave it now. Anything to break up the clay soil

 

[tjmeyer]

Do you have nice clover, or that burr clover with the yellow flowers? I hate it. I have been pulling the crabgrass, but maybe I will leave it now. Anything to break up the clay soil

I have so many weeds out there I bet there's dozens of clover species the only thing I pull out nowadays are the goat heads. The fiddlenecks used to bother me as they stick to socks, but it turns out that they just die off with regular mowing since they propagate by seed only.
I see the most of these very large, soft covers with red flowers. Could make a rather nice lawn with it if you wanted I suppose.

 

[Hazelemere]

grass clippings under the rows

 

[wood1954]

I generate a lot of sawdust in my shop so I use that around the vines and hand pull vegetation around the vines, I only have about 70 vines so it doesn’t take too long.