Grape vines !

[maude]

We have 2 grape vines growing up a pergola which have thrived over the last 2 years,This year they started well,many grapes,lush leaves.now recently the leaves are drying up,the grapes are not filling and are also withering.They are growing in well drained gravel.Anyone any ideas as to the cause? Maude

[woolybanana (ex tag)]

They need a lot of watering at this time of year I reckon. They may be draining too well.

[Val_2]

We have had so much rain it has killed all the leaves off our healthy vine growing up our pergola which was also loaded with bunches and now they are all withered away. I think the lack of sun and heat this summer has had a terrible effect.

[woolybanana (ex tag)]

Val, you may be right but for the previous two years my French neighbour has puffed his way up the drive and said water water water. Mine are planted close to a wall which creates a very dry area. The land is drying out a lot now and I would suggest forgetting much of a crop now but keep the roots damp.

[Val_2]

Yes I suppose water does play a great part in swelling the fruit as does the sun to make them sweet. I just think this has been an exceptional bad year for growing just about anything you can eat or drink and the best thing is to protect the root so next year it will come back and thrive again. I would keep watering the plants if they are on draining land,you will soon see if they have too much. 

[plod]

Our grapes are a disaster this year as we probably did not spray them often enough. Dry day, wet day, hot day, cool day etc. I understand that the professionals are forecasting a poor year in 2007.

[woolybanana (ex tag)]

I noticed one of mine was looking a bit sad a few days ago, leaves getting brown and stuff, and heaved a can of water onto the roots. Lo and behold a positive burst of new leaves. But no grapes.

[Val_2]

Yes, we have lots of new g rowth sprouting up the pergola but the leaves from earlier this year going across the top are all brown and dying with new side sprouts forming. It will be interesting to see how all these fare next year.

[Chauffour]

depends where you are but we've simply had too much rain - our French neighbours who have their owwn vineyard agree that this has been the problem, as theirs are withered & diseased too.

In previous years we've never watered our vine and always had kgs of lovely eating grapes....they never need water as they root so deep they find it. So from our experience and local knowledge the weather is the problem.

good luck next year, just make sure they're pruned properly for a good yield!

 

[Gardian]

I thought that I was going to do well this year with my 2yo vine, and the fruit set nicely, then half of them shrivelled up.  I've been watering daily with a good bucket-full.

Anyway, the Nuns at the local monastery (where I buy our jam - don't ask, it's risky), say that the vendange is at least 2 wks ahead this year. 

As an aside, the lavender is being cut just now - the noise of the tractors is a bit of a pain, but it's only a day or two. The waft of the cutting though is amazing.