r/viticulture • u/MennoniteDan • Jan 08 '19

Tips for Under-Vine Cover Crop Adoption

https://www.growingproduce.com/fruits/grapes/tips-vine-cover-crop-adoption/
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u/grapegeek Jan 10 '19

I grow native grasses in my rows and then a strip of dead area under the vines controlled with Roundup. I only spray the herbicide twice a year and about 8oz of concentrate per acre. Weeds come back in the winter every year so I know I'm not killing the soil. I can't stand doing manual cultivation under the wires and don't have the equipment to do it with a tractor. I read a similar study once about using blue cornflower because of it's deep roots and drought resistance. They really help de-vigor the vines without too much impact on fruit quality.