Grape Black Rot Disease: Symptoms, Sanitation, and Spray Programs

Q: My grapes turn black and fall off at ¼ inch diameter, second year in a row. What's wrong?

Black rot disease. First symptom: small yellow leaf spots that shed spores infecting fruit. Damage appears late—too late to stop.

Management:

• Destroy infected fruit as seen.
• Rake and remove fallen leaves in fall.
• For real harvests, start a full insect/disease spray program.

Resources: Black Rot on Grapes, Predicting Black Rot, UGA Homeowner Fruit Spray Guide.

Black rot on bunch grapes