Subject: Roundup on grape vines?

From: michael@helium (Michael Courtney)
Date: 13 May 1996 11:29:13 GMT

While mowing my 200-vine vineyard (Niagra and Concord) this weekend,
I thought about the "roundup on apple trees" thread and was wondering
whether roundup was safe for controlling weeds (mostly grass) around
grape vines.  The moisture in the vineyard causes several problems and
we like to keep the base of the vines clear of grass and weeds so things
dry faster.  However, hand weeding or weed-eating 200 grape vines every
week or two is a large task.  Does anyone have experience using roundup
in a vineyard? 

--
Michael Courtney, Ph. D. 
[email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (Scott Arighi)
Date: Mon, 13 May 1996 23:57:50 GMT

>week or two is a large task.  Does anyone have experience using roundup

Back again Michael.   I use Roundup routinely in my commercial
vineyard.  Two *very* important precautions are necessary.  First,
remove  grape suckers at the base of the vines *before*  using
Roundup.  Second, if you have any young vines in the vineyard, Protect
them from overspray by, eg., using a shield of some sort between the
spray nozzle and the trunk.  For small plants, a bottomless half
gallon milk carton stapled to a stick and placed over the vine is
quick, dirty and effective as a shield.  Best,
--
Scott Arighi

Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it.

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From: [email-masked](Sue & David Fletcher)
Date: 13 May 1996 20:18:37 GMT

For some reason our 8 grape vines (more than one variety) look dead
this year after three years of healthy production. We planted them in
San Jose using cuttings from another location.  Of course, the original
vines at the other location are doing fine.

Does anyone know what could be happening?

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From: [email-masked] (Jonathan Bishop)
Date: Tue, 14 May 1996 01:41:37 GMT

>week or two is a large task.  Does anyone have experience using roundup

Michael, I used it several years ago when we had grapes on our farm. I
believe it is labelled for use on grapes. Be very careful not to get
any Round-up on the foliage. If you have young vines shield them.
Don't let the wetted grass contact the leaves. Pick off any leaves or
shoots which accidently get sprayed to prevent the Round-up from being
translocated to the root system.

A safer (for the plant) option might be Gramoxone(paraquat). But while
paraquat will only cause burning of the foliage it comes in contact
with, and is inactivated by contact with the soil, it is extremely
toxic to humans. It is a restricted use material available only to
licensed applicators. 

Whatever you do, don't apply 2, 4-D containing compounds anywhere near
your vineyard.

Good Luck, 
Jonathan
¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿

Jonathan Bishop                       Bishop's Orchards
B.W. Bishop & Sons, Inc.              Growers of Fine Fruit
Guilford, Connecticut                 since 1871
E-Mail:[email-masked]

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From: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 14 May 1996 14:59:43 GMT

Don't do it. You may not see damage right away. If you dont want to use
barriers and/or mulches, get the grapes up higher like in a curtain system
and you will find no mold or mildew either, cutting back on fungicide
sprays as well... my mother insists on growing mold ridden phlox under some
of my grapes and I never had a problem since I have been using the curtain
system... Ingrid

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From: [email-masked] (Mike Rauh)
Date: Thu, 16 May 1996 17:05:57 GMT

Hey Mike.  I have an orchard and grapes are a part of it.  I use
roundup around the grapes, much for the same reasons.  Roundup will
damage the plant if it gets misted however.

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From: [email-masked] (Craig A. Ferguson)
Date: Thu, 16 May 1996 22:54:30 GMT

[email-masked] wrote:

>... the original was on pest resistant rootstock (American). The cuttings
>were most likely not pest resistant (European) vines and rootstock... I am
>not sure, but French vineyards were nearly wiped out by some disease and
>only saved when grafted onto American rootstock.. Ingrid

Phyloxera brought-over from the USA devistated most of the wine grape
vineyards in Northern Europe in the 1880s.  That's why there are few
vintage wines available from the 1890s. Only the vineyards from the
Iberian peninsula were unaffected.  Phyloxera is prevelent through-out
the USA including CA and is a constant concern to grape growers.

Conventional resistant rootstock grafting is becomming less effective
against phyloxera due to the rootstocks losing their genetic
variability.  Research for new strains of resistant rootstocks has
been restricted because of lack of funds.

Craig A. Ferguson                      Internet: [email-masked]
USDA-ARS Yakima Ag. Research Lab
Wapato, WA  98951

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From: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 16 May 1996 16:42:33 GMT