Management of keeping a clean under story below your vine rows has traditionally been practiced. By keeping a grass and weed free area helps reduce competition of nutrients to the vines, reduces habitat for insect at the base of the plants, improves humidity in the fruiting zone, and helps deter voles and other pest. Although it is possible to allow vegetation to grow directly beneath vines to maximize competition, difficulties in managing this vegetation generally deter most growers. If choosing a cover crop to plant, one should consider the competitive nature of the species in addition to other attributes….. But back to weed control, if you would want to lower the number of times you spray, consider doing an pre emergent. Remember, continuously spraying the same chemicals year after year introduces the possibility of resistance build up. In the guide below, there are many options for pre emergent products. Keep an eye out for pre harvest intervals. Some have 90 days. Most pre emergents will control weeds up to 7-10 weeks. Please review the IPM Guide on pages 88-91
