What in the wild wild world of vineyards is going on here?

[David Engel]

Good Day Everyone,

We're getting 3 days of cloudy and rain here in Western Washington. I went out this morning to visit the vines and this is what I found.


Have you ever seen this... throwing new baby clusters 3/4 the way through the growing season?

Dave

 

[Hazelemere]

herbicide?

 

[David Engel]

No herbicides. What would herbicides have to do with new growth?

 

[ChuckD]

Many herbicides are growth regulators. At low rates ( like herbicide drift) they can stimulate new growth. The new growth is often deformed.

 

[ibglowin]

Another member in Northern CA is seeing similar growth on some of his vines. Definitely weird.

https://www.winemakingtalk.com/threads/im-alive-grape-growing-2023-begins.77665/post-874112

 

[Obbnw]

Every year I see that. I thought it was normal...

If we don't get a freeze in October some even ripen.

I also see minor herbicide damage each year...

 

[Hazelemere]

No herbicides. What would herbicides have to do with new growth?

herbicides stunt leaf shape. I had a neighbour that sprayed killex along his fence i.e. 2,4D herbicide which trashed the leaf shape in my 200 vine vineyard due to wind drift

 

[Neb Farmer]

I get a few vines doing the same thing, trying to grow an occasional new cluster up high. I attribute it to going through our recent dry spell and then cooling off with plenty of rain. I believe that made the vines think it's time to grow again. I only have a few vines that are doing it...riesling and one or two sangiovese. I just pluck them off so the vines can focus on riping the primary clusters.
I am pretty certain I do not have any herbicide drift causing it. It is just nature making things grow.

 

[balatonwine]

Temperature and photo period (number of light hours in a day) are similar enough between spring and late summer that plants will react similarly by starting to flower in the late summer as if it were spring. Even now, some of my tomatoes and peppers are starting to flower again.

It is not abnormal. But it can vary between years if it happens at all, a little or a lot.

In fact, I often start many vegetables in August, as they will grow through the light and temperatures periods of Autumn as if they were entering summer. The yields are lower than a summer crop, but I still get quite a lot of food from this late summer sowing.

In any case, you should cut them off so the plant can concentrate on ripening its existing fruit. Be they grapes, tomatoes or peppers.