Hello, I need help with a diseased grapevine, can you help?

Question

I am currently looking after a friends garden and she has vines, which look rather suspect. The leaves are discoloured, and have started to crinkle, for want of a better word! The fruit is practically non-existent although there are a few grapes struggling to grow. It looks like it needs a good prune, but I wouldn't know where to start. It has never been terribly successful and I suspect it is due to bugs (although I haven't seen any) or disease. Can anyone offer some advice. We are in SW france, if that helps! Thanks in advance, I would love to get it sorted for my friend as she wiil be coming back in August. Thank you. x

Answer 1

hi . can only answer from a uk perspective .

You could trim back this year's growth , just a little bit , but there's not much point . sorry .

The vines need proper pruning in the winter , followed by much care and attention . Sounds like there is a bug/moth infestation (not too worrying) , but more to the point , fungal diseases are either there or on the way , and ,sorry again , but there's not much you can do .

A local viticulturist may be worth contacting .

sorry to be so negative.