Chemical Dependency

When last I wrote of my Corot Noir vines in October, it was to report that my entire miniscule crop had been lost to black rot prior to harvest.  This year, in my third growing season, I have vowed to produce my first wine from my owns grapes, which means it’s time for me to learn about fungicides. 

My new best friend.



A little online research turned up a gem of an article providing a detailed spray program for wines grapes in Maryland.  Only problem was that it was for commercial applications, meaning that if I followed it to the T, I would be spending the better part of my Spring and Summer spraying a series of chemicals that may or may not cause cancer to the children playing in the backyard around them.  Since I really like my niece and nephew, and their mom is one of my more loyal readers, I decided to continue my research.  Ultimately, I came across the Home Fruit Production Guide published by the Maryland Cooperative Extension with instructions specific for home applications.  There are a couple of mild chemicals (Captan and Immunox) I can alternately spray every 1 to 2 weeks from bud break to post bloom, a period I expect to cover April through July, which in theory should protect my vines from rot and mildew.  And if that doesn’t work I see my self investing in child-sized gas masks for next year.