Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Growing in Greenhouses & Polytunnels => Topic started by: Anton on March 09, 2017, 15:43
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My son has moved into a house where there is a huge greenhouse, which was once used on an industrial scale for growing grapes. It still has some grapes. Somebody who grows grapes for a living says he uses a machine spraying sulphur to prevent blight. From what my son was saying it sounded as though the machine was spraying sulphur constantly. I khow sulphur is not seriously dangerous (I used to use it for sterilising bottles for putting home-made wine in) but if it is being spewed out constantly that cannot be very good to breathe in, can it (especially as they have children)? What do other people use to prevent blight in a greenhouse?
Regards,
Anton
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This site says spray at set intervals, not all the time - it also recommends protective clothing
http://homeguides.sfgate.com/use-sulfur-grapes-41420.html
Can you still spray sulphur where you are, I thought it had been banned in the EU? :wacko:
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Thanks a lot for your reply. I have no idea whether it is banned or not as I never use it.
Anton
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Not blight but powdery and downy mildew.
It is a shame as there are now plenty of mildew resistant varieties including many of the seedless ones. Grapes under cover are usually less prone to mildew attack the foliage being dryer . As they were grown on a commercial bases the grower possibly didn't want to take any chances.
I now only grow mildew resistant varieties (over forty types) so I don't have to spray. Sulphur and copper sprays are/were recommended against mildew. The chardonnay vines I had were removed because of susceptibility to mildew. Spraying vines in full leaf so all the foliage is wetted is a real pain.
Although a constant sulphur mist is overdoing it a tad I feel. :)