I usually use mancozeb on my grapes which works great to prevent black rot. BUT …this year I want to use my grape leaves to make dolmas (stuffed grape leaves).
Is there anything I can do or spray to prevent black rot AND eat the leaves?
I was considering cooper but most of what Im reading says copper doesn’t work well for black rot.
Since the best time to gather leaves is late spring the mancozeb won’t be washed off by then.
Or…should I just leave a sacrificial vine just to harvest the leaves ?
Thanks everyone
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I’m interested in responses to this as well. I planted a Thompson just for the leaves as they are large and hairless.
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I remember asking this question years ago. Stuffed grape leaves were served at Summer gatherings when I was a kid, but I never bothered to learn anything about it. Kinda like stuffed cabbage in the Winter.
Maybe skip a few buds on the just emerging leaves? The spray schedule I’m following has dormant sprays, one with small early buds coming out and looking all pretty and pink, and like a month after that twice or three times. After harvest I just let them alone for the rest of the year.
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Grow Concords… I have never sprayed mine and never have rots. Once clusters form and size up… i do prune the canopy to get morning sun on the grape clusters.
If you ferment pickles… grape leaves work like bay leaves for keeping your pickles crunchy.
TNHunter
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What grape varieties are you using? Is concord an option as Tnhunter mentioned? I know nothing about cooking with grape leaves. I do know muscadines do great for me no spray as well as Concord. I do lose a few grapes on concord, but not enough to be worth spraying. Mars, on the other hand, I need to either get serious about a spray program or cull. They seem to be a total loss unsprayed. The unsprayed vine may not be all that bad off if the variety is right. I also know some varieties are black rot magnets.
I’m curious what low chemical options for spray. As I mentioned, I need to develop a treatment program or cull Mars.
Good luck!
I can’t even consider a non-Pierce’s disease resistant variety if I want the grapes but having said that I just planted 1 Thompson and 1 Thomcord. The Thompson solely with the idea of harvesting the leaves.
We’ll see how long they last in this humid, hot summer local.
I also have a Red Flame that should fruit well next year if it survives. Only 4 clusters this year.
That’s not Thompson Seedless in your picture. It looks like something with labrusca ancestry.
The label for mancozeb gives a minimum PHI of 7-14 days for various leafy crops, so maybe you can skip an application or two? Or skip spraying parts of the vines as @evilpaul suggested.
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I am growing concords
They are concords
You know…I had to think of who I got it from…guess who? TyTy!
It was my last shipment from credit with them for delivering dead trees last year.
Well it will be interesting to see what it turns out to be.
Here is my Thomcord from Double A Vineyards. I do trust them.
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It should have some disease resistance at least, unlike a pure vinifera.
Thompson has very large, shiny, light green leaves with large teeth which makes them good for stuffing. Honestly though, I have make dolmades with leaves with more fuzz and didn’t really notice a difference. Size and degree of lobing have more impact.
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Thanks Jerry. Appreciate the info.
I’ll be posting on how my Errante Noir does for those interested in the Walker PD resistant series.
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I’ve read online that Lactic Acid bacteria can be sprayed as an organic way to combat black rot. I’m still unsure if it’s possible with just like sulfur, Neem oil, and lactic acid though.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0141813024050566
The paper is fairly new, but it seems promising
That’s incredible! Thanks for this, seriously.
I have 4 vines. What I’m gonna do is spray three with mancozeb and spray one with copper until fruit set. I’ll keep spraying the copper on the one because why not.
At least I’ll know if copper actually works somewhat against it. May even throw sulfur in there as a rotation. Can’t hurt. I mean the leaves will be edible at least.
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https://www.phillyorchards.org/2022/06/15/biofungicides-for-orchards-serenade-and-regalia/
Here are other options which sound excellent to me
Ahhhh…biofungicides for BL. That’s one I haven’t heard. Thanks man