Plant guide:🍇 Grapes
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Sunburn on Grape Berries

Commonly affects: Vitis vinifera, V. labrusca (Grape)

Berries develop a bleached, brown, or leathery patch on the sun-facing side, especially after sudden leaf removal exposing previously shaded clusters.

Potential Causes

  1. 1Sudden exposure to intense sun after over-aggressive leaf removal in the fruiting zone
  2. 2A heatwave following cooler, cloudier weather with no acclimation period
  3. 3Clusters naturally more exposed on the sun-facing side of the canopy

Solution Steps

  1. 1Remove leaves gradually rather than all at once when opening up the fruiting zone for airflow
  2. 2Time leaf removal for the vine's specific climate — earlier removal allows berries to acclimate before peak heat
  3. 3Provide temporary shade cloth on the sun-exposed side during extreme heatwaves
  4. 4Balance the need for airflow (disease prevention) against sun exposure risk when pruning

Prevention Tip

Leaf removal in the fruiting zone helps prevent fungal disease but must be done gradually and with attention to your climate's heat risk to avoid trading one problem for sunburn.

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