Plant guide:ð Grapes
Back to Plant Clinic
â ModerateðĐš
Growth
Crown Gall on Grape Vines
Commonly affects: Vitis vinifera, V. labrusca (Grape)
Rough, irregular, woody galls form at the base of the trunk or on roots, sometimes girdling and weakening the vine over time.
Potential Causes
- 1Agrobacterium vitis bacteria entering through wounds, often from winter cold injury or mechanical damage
- 2Nursery stock already carrying the bacteria latently before symptoms appear
- 3Cold-climate vineyards being more prone due to winter injury creating entry wounds
Solution Steps
- 1Remove and destroy severely galled vines, since there is no cure once crown gall is established
- 2Avoid mechanical damage to the trunk base during cultivation and maintenance
- 3Source certified, crown-gall-free nursery stock for new plantings
- 4Protect the trunk base from winter cold injury in marginal climates, since cold damage creates entry wounds
Prevention Tip
Crown gall bacteria often lie latent in nursery stock for years before winter injury or wounding triggers visible galls â certified clean stock is the best prevention.
