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brumer0

Help: Grape leaves turning yellow?

brumer0
11 years ago

Hello everybody!

This is my second year growing grapes and am hoping to get an actual harvest this year (3yr old vines). I live in NC and have a drip system on my grapes, so there isnt a bunch of water getting on the leaves/fruit. I also spray every 2 weeks with Sevin and this other anti-mold/fungus stuff.

Below are 2 links to the pictures of some grape leaves I have (one is the top and the other picture is the bottom). Can you help me identify whats wrong? Am I over/under watering, soil deficiency, or disease? I dont see any mold or fungi, but I honestly might not be able to recognize such things bc I am a newb. Or, is it just time for these leaves to die. Id say 5-10% of the leaves are turning this color.

Thank you!!!

http://www.rumeria.com/grapes1.jpg

http://www.rumeria.com/grapes2.jpg

Comments (10)

  • luis_pr
    11 years ago

    I would check for Magnesium deficiency, Potassium excess and soil pH problems. You will need to make a soil test for Mg deficiency though. There are some cheap soil test kit that will check for Pottasium and soil pH levels. There could also be pests involved as well as growing the vine close to a black walnut tree (the juglone in the roots is toxic to many plants).

  • jean001a
    11 years ago

    Could be water related.

    What's the output of your drip system for the grape?
    How long do you run the system.
    How often do you water?

    Please post an image of the vine overall.

  • tshia6br
    11 years ago

    That's funny I just planted one from one of the big box stores 3 weeks ago at the end of the first week that's how my leaves looked, I just kept on watering on a normal routine of any newly planted plant checking the soil for moisture the leaves never wilted or fell off, now they are almost completely greened back up.

  • brumer0
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks everybody for your continued help.

    luis_pr: Thanks for the mg idea. I did a lot of research and noticed that mg deficiency makes the area between the leaf veins turn yellow first. It appears that the veins in my leaves are turning yellow first (opposite). Not sure it it actually matters. Ill keep the mg as a possibility.

    jean001a: I have one dripper per vine, doing 2 gallons per hour, and watering 1 hour every morning. If anything, I feel that this is too little water. Am I wrong? I have about 12 inches of sand on top of the soil, followed by probably 60% clay under that. Prior to planting last year I rented a trencher and dug 36" deep over the planting rows, which mixed stuff up a bit.

  • fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX
    11 years ago

    brumer:

    Watering every day on soil with 60% clay could be your issue. In NC with decent soil you shouldn't need to water a grape except during long dry spells. If you do find a need to water no more than once a week.

  • Scott F Smith
    11 years ago

    I would put overwatering as your #1 potential problem, mineral deficiency as #2, and Pierce's Disease as #3. Your damage looks something like Pierces Disease but seems to symmetrical.

    12" of sand is something I never heard of on grapes, that could also be an issue. Where are the roots if you have 12" of sand on top? 100% sand is a really bad growing medium if the roots are in the sand layer. In general you seem to be over-thinking the whole thing here, unless there is some significant problem with your location that you have not mentioned. I just take my grapes and stick them in the ground. They get fertilizer, mulch, and compost once per year.

    Scott

  • brumer0
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks!!

  • Annie Levy
    8 years ago

    Hi everyone,

    I have a concern too with my new grapevine plant. It's a Crimson vine, and I just bought it early this year from a nursery without leaves. The nursery guy explained to me that it's in dormant period and it will eventually sprout new leaves, so I said: Oh, okay. So, I bought it and left it in the same container for a while-as the nursery guy told me to, until the vines would sprout new leaves, and yes it did! She was so happy and looked very healthy! and sprouting a lot of new vines too!

    So then, and planted it right under the Plum tree, with really good soil from the store. I water it everyday, besides the soaker tube water system around the existing Plum tree, which is scheduled for 3x a week for California mandatory due to our DROUGHT PROBLEM here.

    About 2 to 3 weeks after I planted it, it seems like it has stopped growing and looks like very sad. Leaves are about to turn yellow, and it is just looking very sickly!

    I used to live in Chandler, AZ for 10 years and had a green grapevine out there, which was growing really healthy and had lots of fruits in a sunny weather Arizona!

    Now, I live in San Diego, CA, and thought that grapes would grow well here, since it's a cooler place! But my grapevine is NOT doing well, and I don't know why! I hope you guys can give me some ideas and thank you so much in advance!

    God Bless you all,

    Annie

  • fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX
    8 years ago

    Right under a plum tree is a bad spot for a grape. Grapes need as much sun as possible so it might not do well. If it does well it will smother the plum. Plus under the plum it has to compete with the established tree for water and nutrients.

    Watering a grape every day is too much water. That alone can cause yellow leaves. Frequent water might be needed until it roots in then once a week to once a month deep watering would be better.

    Lastly Crimson is a very late grape. Good for Chandler or central CA but probably won't sweeten up in cool coastal CA.

  • Suzi AKA DesertDance So CA Zone 9b
    8 years ago

    If you ever visit our wine countries here in California you will note that most have hot dry days and cooler (not foggy or wet) nights. Close to you is Ramona wine country, Temecula Wine country. Wine grapes are no different than eating grapes. Same requirements. Full Sun. Good luck to you!