Black Rot
Pest Control will be an important part of your grape growing program. There are several different types of pests that threaten a grapevine. Types of pests include disease, insects or even birds and deer.
Common diseases for grapevines can be mildew, black rot, phomopsis cane and leaf spot, and fungus. Symptoms will be noticeable if the vine does come down with a disease.
Common symptoms are discoloration of the vines leaves, a film covering the leaves, lesions covering the leaves, or the decay of berries.
If your grapevine does come down with a disease a fungicide can used to clear up the problem. But, a sufficient amount of research needs to be completed by the grapevine owner in order to figure out which is the best solution for the problem.
There are a ton of insects just waiting to consume your hard work, so pest control is critical for a good crop of grapes.
Grape berry moths lay their eggs directly on the surface of the grapes. The larva then hatches and bore into the berries leaving behind small holes and webbing between berries indicating a problem.
Grape Berry Moth
Grape leafhoppers are insects that feed on the undersides of the leaves ... so you have to turn the leaves over to spot them early Fortunately only extremely high populations of this insect can cause damage to the crop.
The Japanese beetle continues to expand its distribution within the United States. They can seriously reduce the productivity of the vine.
Rose chafers are a large beetle that feed directly on the clusters of grapes. On average, grapevines can withstand low to moderate levels of insect damage. Most of the time, it is only necessary to control insects when they threaten a large portion of the leaf area or the fruit itself. Insecticides can be used to control insect infestation. They can seriously reduce the productivity of the vine.
The damage that birds can inflict on a small crop of grapes can be devastating. Surprisingly, a large flock of birds is easier to scare then individual birds. One option to consider if you are finding that birds are a problem is to place a physical barrier over the crop. This netting will last about thirty months but should be taken off before winter for fear ice will form on it and damage the vine.
Bird Netting
Because grapevines grow on a trellis, using a net is realistic and easy to install. Visual repellents can also be used and very easy to install. There are cannons on the market that can be set on timers to give a loud blast at certain intervals to scare birds away during feeding times.
But, if you are a grape grower that is using their backyard as the sight to grow the grapes, loud cannon sounds can cause more problems then they solve primarily with annoyed neighbors. Visual repellents are quiet and simple such as aluminum pie plates. It can also be artificial hawks, owls, or snakes.
Deer are also a pest to grapevines particularly in early spring when shoots are just emerging and food sources for the deer are scarce. Odor repellents are extremely effective when it comes to controlling deer.
Grape growers can use the scent of human or dog hair or soap. Since coyote are natural predators to deer, using the scent of coyotes can also be highly effective.
With all of the dedication and hard work it takes to produce a grape crop, preventing pests from ruining it should be a high priority.
So plan your pest control program and stick to it .... getting into the habit or periodically looking for pests is not difficult and you'll actually enjoy watching you grapes grow and stay healthy .... so remember .... pest control works!
