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Growing Grapes in Washington State

Growing grapes can be a challenge in any environment, but especially in a state that ranges from a maritime climate with more than 30 inches of average annual precipitation to cool desert climates that only receive ~8 inches annually in precipitation.

This page helps to answer questions about viticulture production in the Pacific Northwest, and when available, specific topics in Washington State. A number of presentations are also available from previous lectures around the state. Please contact members of the WSU Extension community with questions.

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Resources for Starting a Vineyard

This document offers a compilation of books at varying levels of knowledge about starting and maintaining a productive vineyard. Included is a list of WSU faculty that have responsibilities in grape production and/or current research in topic areas.

• Viticulture Resources

Features of Washington State

• Annual Precipitation (1960-1990)

• Geologic Map

• Soil Survey

  This is an interactive site where you can choose the city and even get closer to determine the soil type in a specific vineyard using satellite imagery.

• Average Monthly Temperatures for Washington State

  This site offers the average temperature by month for many sites from 1971-2000. Check out the location nearest you with "Google Map" precision.

• Western Regional Climate Center

  This site contains historical information regarding growing degree days, temperature, precipitation, wind speed and directions for a number of locations in the Western United States.

• Normal Climate Maps for United States

  Use this site to get frost/freeze data for the past 30 years, precipitation
  data, and more through the NOAA.There is also information about the
  individual climates of Washington State in a .pdf document that is
  useful when determining potential vineyard sites.
  

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Publications

Drought

• EM 4831 - Drought Advisory for Grapes

 

Irrigation

• Irrigation Survey focusing on Berry Shrivel (2006)

• Seasonal water distribution around drip emitters in deficit irrigated wine grape vineyards (2005)

 

Grape Pests

• 2009 Grape Pest Management Guide
  Have pesticide questions? Check out the WSDA Pesticide Management Division List of Resources.

• Grapevine Leafroll Virus (2008)

• Survey Says: Great Grapes! (2007)
  

  These are the results of a 2005 IPM survey indicating that pesticide use is down in Washington grape production, and IPM is a standard practice for many growers.

• Analytical Laboratories and Consultants Serving Agriculture in the Pacific Northwest (2005)

• Starling Control (Okanogan Co.)

  • Trap 1

  • Trap 2
    

• Pest Management Strategic Plan for Grapes in Washington State (2004)
  

• Biology and Control of Major Pacific Northwest Grape Pests

• Nematodes of Grapes In Washington State NEW WEBSITE!
  

  Be sure you test your soil before planting a vineyard or a new block! It is a relatively inexpensive test and can help you to be more informed about potential nematode problems.

• EB 1828 - Grape Leafhoppers in Washington (1997)

• EB 1566 - Grape Phylloxera in Washington (1990)

• EC 1463 - Grape Phylloxera (1995)

• Grape Cutworms (2002)
  

  Chemical recommendations for California - see the Washington Grape Pest Management Guide for updated info.

• Thrips (2002)
  

  Chemical recommendations for California - see the Washington Grape Pest Management Guide for updated info.

• Grape Scales (2001)
  

  Chemical recommendations for California - see the Washington Grape
  Pest Management Guide for updated info.

• Multicolored Asian Ladybeetle (MALB) (2000)

 

Disease Management

• Grapevine Virology at WSU

• Grape Powdery Mildew Monitoring Website
  

• Use of Spray Oils in Washington Powdery Mildew Management Programs

• Stewardship of Powdery Mildew Fungicides in Perennial Crops

• Grape Powdery Mildew (2001)

• Eutypa Dieback Disease (2005)

• Botrytis Bunch Rot (1986)

 

Herbicide Drift Issues

• Preventing Herbicide Drift & Injury to Grapes (2004)

• Leaf Symptoms of 2,4-D damage
  

 

Economics of Grape Production and Wineries

• Cost of Production Calculators for Wine and Juice Grapes
  

  This is yet another tool for growers to use to assess the costs of production. The Northwest Cost-Of-Production Calculators were made possible with funds from a grant partnership between the Washington Wine Industry Foundation and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC), through the Risk Management Agency (RMA) titled: Grower Decision-Making Tools for Grapes and Tree Fruit.

• A Grower's Technology Economic Assessment Model (TEAM)
  

  This a computer program designed to assist agricultural producers make long-run decisions when implementing technologies to a specific crop or cropping systems. TEAM estimates machinery, building, labor, and production input costs as well as fruit size, grade, and total yield for calculating returns for crops with multiple establishment and production years. The program allows the user to inflate specific return and input cost items over time to analyze the net present value, internal rate of return, and financial feasibility when implementing a particular technology, making minor changes to returns or input costs, or comparing cropping systems.making tools aim to help agricultural crop producers make better decisions to manage those risks.

• Crop Profitability Analysis for Perennial Crops
  

  Use these tools to compare between two different perennial crops or two different grape varieties to see how profitable they will be over a 20 year span. In the Budget Editor program, you can adjust all costs and inputs to tailor the budget to your operation.
  

• Small Winery Investment and Operating Costs (2005)

• Establishment and Annual Production Costs for Washington Concord Grapes (2004)

• Bulk Winery Investment and Operation Costs (2004)

• Wine Grape Establishment and Production Costs in Washington (2003)

• Production and Marketing Risks Associated with Wine Grapes in Washington (2003)

 

Grape Production

• Assessing Cold Damage in Grapes

  This publication shows you how to look for and assess vines for cold damage.

• Chip Bud Grafting for Wine and Juice Grapes (2007)

• Pruning and Crop Load Management (2007)

• Virgina Tech Presentations (2006) created by Fritz Westover

  • Pruning 1

  • Pruning 2

  • Pruning 3

• Canopy Management for Pacific Northwest Vineyards (2006)

• Wine and Grape Varieties for Cool Climates (Cornell University)
  

• Growing Table Grapes in a Temperate Climate (2002)

• Growing Wine Grapes in Maritime Western Washington (2005)

• Blackleaf in Grapes (2005)

• Crop Profile for Wine Grapes in Washington State (2003)

• Training and Trellising Grapes (1996)
  

• Critical Temperatures for Concord Grapes (1991)
  

 

Vine Nutrition

• Nutrient ranges for tissue samples in grapes (leaf and petiole)

• Fertilizer Guide for Irrigated Vineyards (1983)
  

 

Soils

• Managing Salt-Affected Soils for Crop Production (2007)

• Soil Survey for Washington State

• Soil Test Interpretation Guide (1999)

• Soil Fertility and Nutrient Management of Washington Vineyards (1981)

 

Vineyard Floor Management

• Notes on Composting Grape Pomace (Virginia Tech- 2006)

• Cover Crops as a Floor Management Strategy for Pacific Northwest Vineyards (2006)

• Perennial Plants for Vineyards to Enhance Ecodiversity (2006)

• Cover Crops for the Columbia Basin

• Cover Crops In Oregon

 

For the following publications, please go to the Publications website for WSU Extension.

• EB1358 Site Selection for Grapes in Eastern Washington

• EB 1370 Botrytis Bunch Rot of Grape

• XB1037 Washington Wine Grape Industry Impacts on the
  State's Economy

• EB0637 Training and Trellising Grapes for Production in
  Washington

• MISC0253 Berries for the Inland Northwest

 

Presentations

• Drought Effects on Grapevine Physiology
  Dr. Mercy Olmstead, WSU-Extension

• Vine and Wine Workshop, Silverdale, WA - Beginning Viticulture
  Dr. Mercy Olmstead, WSU-Extension

• WSU-NWREC Grape Trial
  Gary Moulton, Mount Vernon, WA

• Canopy Management in the Puget Sound
  Dr. Mercy Olmstead, WSU-Extension

 

Grapevine Growing Stages

2004, WSU-IAREC, Prosser, WA

As we go through the growing season, I'll post pictures of the grapevines. They will correspond to a number on the Eichorn-Lorenz scale, indicated in parenthesis of the picture description.

Vitis vinifera growth stages

Vitis labruscana growth stage

Eichorn-Lorenz Stages of Grapevine Growth

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