Backyard Vines Bonus Questions

What’s the best way to cure black rot? Jake in Eastern Kentucky     I wish I could tell you that there’s a cure for black rot, but the best we can do is provide you with some control strategies. Grape black rot is caused by the fungus Guignardia bidwellii. Black rot survives the winter in cane and tendril lesions and fruit mummies, which are the leftover stems and skins of the grapes destroyed in previous years. In wet spring weather, the pycnidia on infected tissues absorb water and conidia are squeezed out. Conidia are moved by splashing raindrops and can infect any young tissue in less than 12 hours at temperatures between 60–90 °F (16–32 °C). Here are some common sense practices for control: • Once a cluster has been infected, cut it off the vine and remove it from the vineyard area. Start with a clean vineyard with minimal spores from last year. • Plant your grapes in open, sunny areas that have good airflow. Manage your canopy to allow as much sun and wind flow as the clusters