Tweet
My grapevine which is abut 6 years old was going great guns with two small bunches on it has suddenly got slightly curly leaves and the occasion small hole and the tiny grapes look as if some are fallen off leaving tiny stalks, i can only find a few small spiders on it.... Whats up with it???? I was hoping for grapes this year....
-
Last edited by clairissa; 26-06-2009, 03:53 PM. -
What location is it in Clairissa, which way does it face. The curly leaves could be uneven watering and the leaves are parching off. The spiders could be a bit of a distraction, what are they like, small and grey and sort of furry or red and very tiny or are they 'true' spiders. Doubt that the spiders are causing the holes, more likely to be a flying thing or caterpillar.
It sounds as tho you've got the dreaded June drop which means that the plant is acting to safeguard as much of the crop (its seeds) as it can so it's ditching the unviable grapes.
If you could post a little more info about location and something about the spiders, it may help with a better response.TonyF, Dordogne 24220 -
Hi Tony
its in a small north facing garden in Portsmouth. We still get a lot of sun in it tho(when there is any) I have taken some photos...only im not sure how to put them on here. The spiders are all over the place doing their web thing.... they are pale brown and I think they are just little spiders that will grow into big spiders...I had better do something about that Its not all the leaves that are curly just some of them...Comment
-
-
A bit difficult to see what it is. If it is red spider raising the humidity in the greenhouse will help but you may have to spray with something nasty to get rid if them first. Wait and see what TonyF has to say.Gardening requires a lot of water - most of it in the form of perspiration. Lou Erickson, critic and poetComment
-
its not in a green house its in the garden....Comment
-
Equally likely to be my favourite pest - the red spider mite. I lost several baby palms to them during that hot summer 3 years ago. They love hot conditions. If you are not organic then any general pest killer, particularly one containing pyrethrum, will fettle them. If you are organic then use a soft soap spray. You can get a nematode that attacks them but it is expensive.
BUT spider mites do not usually cause holes in leaves. They do suck the sap and usually cause what looks like small pustules on the top of the leaf but if there are only a few holes I wouldn't discount it. They are VERY destructive. Are there any signs of very fine webs? To see how many there are then look under, not on top of the leaves.Mites breed like the clappers but live on the underside of the leaves.
I think you will have to do a bit more detective work. If you have a magnifying glass use that. The mite is 8 legged with a one-piece body and usually has 2 red spots on its back. But if that is what it is then move quickly to nobble them before they nobble your vine.Last edited by sarraceniac; 27-06-2009, 11:07 AM.Why didn't Noah just swat those 2 greenflies?
Why are they called apartments when they are all stuck together?
>
>If flying is so safe, why do they call the airport the terminal?
Comment
-
Just found this site which is a good basic introduction to this little darling.
How to Control Red Spider MitesWhy didn't Noah just swat those 2 greenflies?
Why are they called apartments when they are all stuck together?
>
>If flying is so safe, why do they call the airport the terminal?Comment
-
I have just taken a very close look at the vine with a magnifying glass.... there are no mites, the spiders are def spiders because they are all chomping on flies... the only thing i could see is that the leaves that are a bit odd loking have a very light dusted look altho it isnt sctually dust. i can see that the grapes are still on there very small and the tiny stalk things i could see are like whats left of flowers when the petals have dropped off..... they come off if you touch them.... as you can see i am very up on technical terms..... not.Comment
-
Sounds like botrytis or a similar fungal infection. Nothing to do with mites and the few holes are just by-the-by. Make sure that air is able to circulate through the vines and spray with Bordeaux mixture regularly. You probably have a write-off this year but act now for future years. If you Google 'botrytis' you will find loads of good advice. Bordeaux mixture is available from good garden centres or on eBay, which is where I get mine.Why didn't Noah just swat those 2 greenflies?
Why are they called apartments when they are all stuck together?
>
>If flying is so safe, why do they call the airport the terminal?Comment
-
From the photos you've posted Clarissa I don't think there's much to worry about, your vine looks pretty healthy to me. I've got one growing over an arch in our back garden & it took a few years before it produced any fruit in a south facing garden. You might struggle to get any decent fruit in a north facing situation. The slight white bloom on the leaves could be powdery mildew due to poor air circulation & the need for water, I'd pick off any leaves which look very bad & give the plant some water. The puckering on the leaves could be due to aphids or similar, have a look under the leaves but the leaves can look a bit tatty & it won't do any harm if you take some off. You should also 'summer prune' the vine by taking off any growth from about 2 leaves past any bunches of fruit, this will put more energy into swelling the fruits & allow better airflow around them.Into every life a little rain must fall.Comment
Comment