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Grapevine pruning advice

#1 · 11th September 2022, 8:04 pm

Hello Everyone,

I have a mature grapevine in my garden, I moved here last October so no idea how old it is. After watching lots of videos I pruned it during winter but I didn’t realise it needed pruning in spring and summer so it did become a bit of a jungle! Some of the leaves in spring had like a dust on them and it affected the leaves, they looked almost blistered. It doesn’t seem to have harmed it as there were lots of grapes on it this summer.

I wondered if anyone had any idea what it might be and how/why it got there and would the grapes been usable with this? Also I haven’t used the grapes this year at all. Should I take them off or leave them?
Many thanks in advance!

Christie

#2 · 12th September 2022, 8:39 am

Hi Christie,

Good to hear from you. Grapevines can prove tricky customers when it comes to pruning and also disease/pest management.

It sounds like your grapevine has gall mite.

What is grapevine gallmite?

Grapevine gall mite is a tiny sap-sucking mite that can then cause abnormalities and lesions on grape vines. Tiny little white grubs infest the leaves. So small you'd need a microscope to see them. The telltale sign is the blistering of the leaves which is the aftermath of the mites sucking the sap.

Usually, in late spring you see the leaves start to blister or crinkle.

Can I get rid of grape vine blister mite?

Grape vine blister mites overwinter on the grape vine. They do this by retreating and hiding away beneath bud scales - the parts of the vine that will then come into leaf next year when growth starts. The mites emerge in spring and begin feeding on the new foliage and this repeats each year. Several generations of mite can develop on the underside of the leaves during the summer making them hard if not impossible to quickly eradicate.

Do grapevine gall mites affect fruit?

The good news is other than them looking a bit ugly they won't affect the fruit or really impact the production of grapes. As grapevines are so vigorous you should be fine. Keep pruning your grape each year in the summer to keep it healthy and that may help combat the gall mite.

Hope that helps.

Lee