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nafex - Re: [NAFEX] Grape Vines and Japanese Beetles

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  • From: "road's end farm" <organic101@linkny.com>
  • To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Grape Vines and Japanese Beetles
  • Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2003 09:37:30 -0400

On Wednesday, June 11, 2003, at 12:42 PM, Scott Williamson wrote:

I just planted three grape vines this spring and have read that Japanese Beetles take a liking to them. I was wondering if anyone knew if I should be real concerned about them or not. I have only lived at my current location about a year and didn't notice a large number of them last year, but it could have been an off season for them. I am trying to go organic with my property and would like to avoid spraying if possible. I'm assuming that once the vines get larger they can handle minor problems, but I don't really want the find them defoliated the first year I've had them planted. Any suggestions and/or info would be much appreciated.

Scott Williamson
central Indiana
zone 5


You may not have any problem; it might depend on pressure on your particular property, and/or on the variety of grape, but grapes grown organically here (Finger Lakes NY zone 5) often are fine without any insecticide.

Surround sounds as if it might be a good idea, if the pressure is heavy; as these are new vines and should not be bearing yet, the problem with removing it from the fruit won't be an issue.

I know they were there because there were some weeds they REALLY liked that were completely defoliated when I would come across, but I never saw lots of them.

It's possible that these weeds are more attractive to them than the grapes are, in which case you may have little problem. I would keep that particular weed well cleaned out right around the grapes; and maybe leave a patch of it some distance away to attract the beetles away from the grapes.

-- Rivka




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