Spring freeze damage can be a significant economic problem for Midwest grape growers. Widespread damage occurred in 2007, 2012 and 2017 when warm temperatures in February and March were followed by freezing temperatures. Obviously this year has been very cool so far so there is hopefully less risk of early budbreak and frost damage. But,[Read More…]
Grapes
This winter was significantly colder than normal in the northern half of Indiana. Many areas north of “I-70” experienced temperatures between -15 and -20˚F in early January. That is cold enough to cause considerable cold injury to grapes, peaches, and blackberries. See the map below for minimum winter temperatures. We have evaluated crops at the[Read More…]
Powdery and downy mildew can develop on grapes in the late season, post harvest. It is important to keep vines as healthy as possible going into winter. With the long fall we are experiencing, downy and powdery mildew are both becoming prevalent in many vineyards. Growers should consider a late season application of fungicides to[Read More…]
Crown gall is a common disease of many perennial plants. It causes fleshy tumors to develop on the plant and usually results in plant death. Grapes are among the most sensitive fruit crop to crown gall. The disease is caused by the bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens. This is the same bacterium that is used to genetically[Read More…]
There are a number of common grape pathogens that can cause fruit rots each year in the region. Black rot and Phomopsis cane and leaf spot are by far the most common fruit pathogens. We also see Botrytis gray mold on some cultivars in cooler regions and years. Another common rot is Sour rot, but[Read More…]
Grape harvest is in full swing across the state. The weather could not be more ideal. Warm sunny days and cool nights are ideal for fruit quality. Lack of major rainstorms is also a plus. This year is almost a complete opposite of 2016, when high temperatures and rain persisted through July and August, causing[Read More…]
First it was email, then the internet. That was almost 30 years ago. Today various forms of social media is used by just about everyone. Obviously Facebook and Twitter are much more commonly used than email, and more people text today than make phone calls. But, there is still a place for mail lists. Mail[Read More…]
