Wondering if anyone can help with my grapevine issue. This is a Flame grape planted in January 2014. It’s always been vigorous and healthy. I cane pruned the vine in January and it broke dormancy over a month ago. After the buds break they crisp up and turn brown. The couple of branches that pushed have wilted and are turning brown. All my other 11 vines are thriving and healthy it’s just this one that is struggling. Is there any hope for this one or should I remove and replant? My window to plant is closing soon since I’m in AZ and I’d need to plant well before the heat sets in. Thanks for any help!
Well after reading through old posts, I think my vine has Eutypa dieback. So now I believe I need to remove the vine. I hope there are no issues with my other vines being affected. Would it be safe to plant in or near the same area or would the new vine become infected? Thank you.
I believe that disease infects the plant thru pruning cuts. Unless it’s a soil borne infection I’d replant while you have the chance. Maybe you can get a flame for cheap this late into planting season.
Thank you! After reading some of your old comments Fruitnut, I think I’m going to go with a Crimson Sweet since a nursery near me happens to have them in stock.
Do you know how to prevent an infection like this again? I don’t usually cover pruning cuts but maybe I should be?
Thanks for the link Fruitnut, that was good stuff. Seems as if I’ve read to try and avoid pruning grapes in rainy or damp conditions too. I waited 'til bud swell this year but they sure leak for a while like that. Of course now the rain and cold have returned so who knows. S’pose it’s worth mentioning to disinfect pruners between individual plants especially in a backyard setting where time isn’t so critical as in a commercial setting.
Tom
I’m so glad I disinfected my tools well this year, Vinegaroon or who knows how many vines I could have lost. Sometimes I’m in a hurry and it seems easier to skip that but it’s worth the time. Were there any issues with your late prune? I pruned mid-January but am going to try to wait later next year as the article discussed. It’s hard in AZ because the temps get warm so quick.
http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/r302101211.html
Sarah this is another UCD publication you ought to look at. As for my grapes, we had 70’s for most of the first 2 weeks of March followed by 2 weeks of rain with highs in the 50’s and a few frosts so the grapes have slown way down, just have to wait and see. In the link they reference growing resistant varieties. One that I have planted is Victoria Red, it is a seeded hybrid that supposedly sugars up nicely and has a nice neutral vinifera flavor. It hasn’t cropped for me yet but it grows well in an orderly vinifera style not sprawling like many hybrids and in at least one Texas vineyard it appears impervious to Pierce’sDisease. I don’t know of any seedless varieties with resistance/ immunity but I like crunchy grape seeds so I haven’t really looked though there may be one.
I’m growing victoria red here in east central AL where I suspect there is serious pierce’s disease pressure. My vines are in second leaf and have a really nice crop. I did not spray them with anything and I’d say about 1/3 of the clusters are suffering from bad splitting due to mildew on the surface. The ones without the mildew look perfect but I don’t expect to continue to have decent crops without sprays in future years. Last year I saw a little bit of Pierce’s disease symptoms, but nothing this year. The plans are very vigorous and healthy. The grapes taste great. They taste very similar to red grocery store grapes but have a small seed or two that is not very noticeable. I usually just end up chewing them up kind of like a pomegranate. I’ve got them growing spur pruned on a low cordon with vertical shoots.
Barry, thanks for the report. I’m glad to hear that it is a tasty grape for you. The challenges of growing clean fruit in the Southeast seem enormous, but I guess we all just play the hand we’re dealt. Here in Salt Lake, Victoria Red seems pretty happy but it seemed singularly affected by late frosts. I planted 5 different hybrids last year and of all of them the VR took this year’s late frosts the worst. With 6 VR planted 4 died back to the ground. They have rallied and are all growing at least as well as the neighboring hybrids but if that proves to be an annual occurrence it may be a deal breaker. I’ve not read how Isabella tolerates
PD and I’ve never tasted the grape but it is reportedly still grown extensively in Brazil as a table grape because of it’s resistance to rots and molds so it might be worth trying for you. I just planted 2 vines of Isabella this year, looks good so far. Thanks again for the report. Good Luck,
Tom
