FoodBanter.com - Landscape cloth and grape vines

Landscape cloth can suppress most growth for a period - probably a year
at most. Most fabrics need some sort of cover (2-3" mulch) to prevent
the sun from breaking them down. And this is fertile ground for blown-in
seeds. Most of the aggressive weeds (grasses, dandelion, queen anne's
lace, choke cherries) will penetrate down through the fabric. And it
will not suppress couch or quack grass - this stuff pops right up
through it. In a couple of years, you're worse off than before.

Another- far more serious - problem: because of the mulching effect, the
plant roots (being inherently lazy creatures by nature) stay where the
moisture is, near the surface. That shallow root system renders the
plants quite vulnerable to drought stress and freezing damage.

We used to use it extensively in planting beds (not grapes, but
ornamentals) and now remove it wherever possible. And it's incredible to
see the massed root systems of plants like cedar, euonymus and
potentilla concentrated just under the fabric!

If you're not averse to chemicals, glyphosate (Round-up) is one of the
most effective and environmentally benign products available for the
job. Just don't get it on the grape leaves or bark. The other
alternative is the good old-fashioned hoe!

Jack Wetmore, P. Ag., retired nurseryman

"Paul E. Lehmann" wrote:

> sv Endeavor wrote:
>
> > I have several runs of frontenac grape vines and
> > would like to know if there are disadvantages to
> > putting landscape cloth around the base of the
> > vines to control the growth of weeds.
> >
> > RLD
>
> I don't know the answer to your question but I am
> interested in your experience(s) in growing
> Frontenac.
>
> It seems to me that landscape cloth should work.
> How many vines do you have? For a backyard
> vineyard it may be practical but for large scale,
> maybe not.