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Problem with Grapes on the Vine

Damian.gunn2Damian.gunn2 Posts: 3
in Fruit & veg
Hi,
anyone know what is causing the grapes on our vine to split? We have also had some of the leaves go brown. This happened last year and spoiled the grapes. The vine is a well established plant  
thanks
Damian
l 

Posts

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Leicestershire, UKPosts: 11,336
    It's almost certainly related to water stress of some kind, possibly caused or exacerbated by a pest or disease.  I think I can see signs of leaf mottling and some webbing when I zoom-in to the 2nd photo, which could indicate spider mite, but you'll need a hand lens to see them:
    If you find it is, then you can purchase live spider mite predators which will clear them up, although they aren't cheap.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • Damian.gunn2Damian.gunn2 Posts: 3
    Bob,
    thanks very much for your quick response. I have seen some bright red little spider type creatures running around. Are they the same thing? 
    We have Grape erineum mite on some of the other leaves but I believe they do not affect the grapes. Where should I look for spider mites?
    thanks
    damian
  • Sabina13Sabina13 Posts: 113
    Red little spider type creatures sounds about right for spider mites. They love to hang out on the undersides of leaves... plotting and planning world domination I'm sure! 
  • Joy*Joy* Posts: 571
    Do you know the variety? Is it outside or in a greenhouse? Is it a black grape? If it is a black dessert grape, grown indoors, the grapes on each bunch needs to be thinned to allow air to circulate around the fruit. It is neck breaking, my dad had vines and I earned pocket money as a young teenager doing the thinning! The split grapes do look odd and it isn't something I've seen before but I do know that grapes need a lot of water and it needs to be consistent. It was a twice daily task. 
  • Damian.gunn2Damian.gunn2 Posts: 3
    Hi everyone,
    thanks so much for your replies. The grapes are outside and are a black variety. I don't know what variety they are as the vine came with the property some 5 years ago now. We had a good crop of grapes for three of those years, so much that we didn't what to do with them. The last two years we've had this problem and perhaps it's because we haven't watered them so much. I didn't appreciate that they needed that much water, lesson learned for me. I'll try that and see if it makes a difference
    Thank you
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