In addition to the usual suspects among plant pests, three parasites have specialized in grapevines. What they are and how to fight them will no longer remain hidden from you here.

The vine cutter can cause great damage

Phylloxera (Viteus vitifoliae)

It spreads fear and terror in the vineyards when it attacks the vines in droves. It is therefore not surprising that every appearance of phylloxera is notifiable. The pest descends on the vines in different forms and sucks the life out of them. The 1 millimeter small females are ocher and winged. The wingless males are bright yellow.

The use of refined grape varieties has established itself as the most effective method against phylloxera. Phylloxera-tolerant rootstocks from America are used, which have been preventing the dreaded invasions of pests for some time. Therefore, when purchasing young plants, pay attention to the offers of noble varieties or refine the vines yourself as part of the propagation.

Grapepox mite (Colomerus vitis)

The tiny gall mites cause smallpox-like elevations on the upper side of the leaves in spring and summer. In the further course, a white felt develops, which appears brown-red in red grape varieties. Therefore, this type of damage is often confused with the fungal infection powdery mildew. The use of a control agent based on rapeseed oil is only recommended if the infestation pressure is very high. Otherwise infected leaves should be cleaned out.

Vine weevil (Byctiscus betulae)

The 5 to 7 millimeter small beetle can hardly be overlooked with its shiny metallic body in golden yellow, blue or violet. From April to September, the vine cutters prefer to attack grapevines. The females gnaw the leaves to make them wither. They then wrap their brood in it. Each female destroys up to 30 leaves, jeopardizing the supply of the grapes. How to deal with the pests:

  • Regular checks of the vines for infestation
  • consistently collect the beetles and curled leaves
  • Do not plant grapevines in the immediate vicinity of deciduous trees

Insecticides are no longer permitted for use in allotment gardens and are not advisable with regard to the wholesomeness of the grapes.

tips and tricks

The ubiquitous vine weevil does not spare the grapevine. The adult beetles damage the plants as well as their larvae. Nematode traps have proven to be an ecological control method. The ingenious construction is filled with nematodes and works for 6 weeks per 10 square meters.

GTH

Category:

Vegetable garden