How to cure grape leaves turning brown

[RobertGerber]

Hello everyone,

I am glad to join this forum and to learn from all of you. I live in a small flat with a balcony, where I try to grow some herbs and flowers in pots. I love the feeling of nurturing plants and watching them grow, and I enjoy the freshness and the fragrance that they bring to my home.

I have always wanted to grow my own grapes, as I love eating them and making jams and juices from them. I have read that some varieties of grapes can be grown in containers, and that they need a sunny and sheltered spot, a sturdy support, and regular pruning and feeding. I have bought a grapevine from a nursery, and I have planted it in a large pot with good drainage and compost. I have placed it on my balcony, where it gets plenty of sun and wind protection. I have also attached a trellis to the wall, where I plan to train the vine as it grows.

However, I am facing some difficulties with growing grapes at home. I have noticed that the leaves of my grapevine are turning yellow and brown, and that some of them are falling off. I have also seen some small insects on the stems and the fruits, which look like aphids or scale insects. I am worried that my grapevine is sick or infested, and that it will not produce healthy and tasty grapes.

I am looking for some advice from the experts on this forum on how to grow grapes at home.

[Westi]

Could be scale you see on the wood, I have had it on my outdoor ones. You can pick them off which is quite therapeutic but make sure you flick them into a container so none of the little guys escape. Rubbing alcohol or white spirit also gets through their scales. I recently had them on my lemon tree & I was recommended this on here. It worked but some took a 2nd application & your probably will as they will hide in the crevices of the main stem. I just dipped a cloth in the white spirit & rubbed it around each branch & leaf.

There are also hints for when you trim them down in Autumn regarding what length of stem & which stem to leave & how to tie them in. I only just found out some of the growers tricks as we have a plot on our allotment side with a new custodian who is very keen to share & grew grapes in France! Shame this bit was after I trimmed them but I have warned him I will be visiting & watching what he does!

Welcome to the forum RobertGerber & good luck!