Assessing Grapevine Nutritional Status

The grapevines are entering veraison in our neck of the woods and the carbohydrates that were produced in the leaves are being translocated into the fruit which is an effective sink, i.e. the grapes are getting ripe.
Petiole analysis for monitoring the nutritional status of the vineyard is usually done during the spring when the vine is at full flowering or 80% cap-fall. This spring sampling is a great guide to knowing if your grapevine will be getting the proper nutrition throughout the growing season. The petiole analysis can also be done any time a nutrient deficiency is suspected.¹
When we visited Steve Mudd on Long Island, he gave us a list of people we should contact to ensure that we have the proper soil conditions for the vineyard. The pH of the soil is very important in getting the appropriate macro- and micronutrient uptake by the vine. If there is a deficiency in a nutrient, then Steve recommended that we contact Fieldworks to get a custom blend to amend the soil. After that, we will be monitoring the growing vine in the spring in order to see if the vines are getting the required nutrients. It is important to get the petiole analysis done from the same company. Here is the list of contacts that Steve gave us:

• get soil analysis done with Kinsey Agricultural Services, Inc. in Charleston, MO
• get custom blends for soil amendments from Fieldworks in Rochester, MA
• get petiole and leaf analyses from A & L Eastern Laboratories in Richmond, VA

1. Grapevine Nutrition 3: Petiole Analysis