How to Use Sulfur on Grapes

Grapevines are commonly grown in home landscapes as well as in commercial orchards. One of the most important tasks when growing grapes is controlling fungal infections such as powdery mildew, anthracnose and leaf spot. Not only do these cause leaf drop to occur but they also rot the fruit. To control these fungal diseases, a regular spraying of sulfur is required. Ideally, sulfur should be sprayed as a preventive each year before disease develops.

Garden sprayer
Liquid lime sulfur
Water

Instructions

- 1
  Wait to apply the sulfur until the very early spring when the new vine shoots are between 4 and 6 inches long, but before the buds on the stems begin to enlarge.
- 2
  Fill a large garden sprayer with liquid lime sulfur according to the amount specified on the bottle. When treating a single backyard vine, use approximately 4 tsp. of lime sulfur. If you are treating a large orchard, use a rate of 10 gallons placed into an industrial sprayer or irrigation system.
- 3
  Dilute the sulfur mixture with 1 gallon of water for small application or as directed by the bottle instructions for a larger orchard. Close the sprayer up and shake it well to combine the mixture.
- 4
  Put on safety glasses to protect yourself from back spray. Point the nozzle of the sprayer at the grapevines and saturate all surfaces of the stems and leaves with the sulfur solution.
- 5
  Spray the remainder of the sulfur spray over the soil under the grapevines which kills the fungus that remains on any fallen leaves or fruit that is located there.

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