Wild grapevine along Lake Minnetonka appears dead - Ask Extension
We have a 50 foot lot on Lake Minnetonka and left it “wild” for the birds. There’s always been an abundance of wild grape vine but this late in...
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Wild grapevine along Lake Minnetonka appears dead #831136
Asked May 20, 2023, 9:58 PM EDT
We have a 50 foot lot on Lake Minnetonka and left it “wild” for the birds. There’s always been an abundance of wild grape vine but this late in the spring the vines still look dead. There’s a very few small leaves but they look curled and maybe infected with some disease/insect. Is this common after a harsh winter? Are they dead? Should I remove the vines?
Hennepin County Minnesota
Expert Response
Hi,
https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/shrub/riverbank-grape
I'm not really sure why they died, maybe they were heavy damaged by Japanese beetles last summer combined with the drought they were just too stressed. I would cut them entirely back and see if anything sprouts again.
There is a virus that affect grapes called Leaf Curl, but that usually presents later in the summer. https://apps.extension.umn.edu/garden/diagnose/plant/fruit/grape/leavesdistorted.html
I can't believe they will totally die out, they are pretty tough.
Best of luck,
Sally Granath, MG St. Louis County
