David Granatstein, who has studied mulches in tree fruit and organic systems, believes that some of the benefits seen in tree fruit—water conservation, weed control, and improved organic matter and tree growth—may be valuable in grape production. However, he explains that grape growers will have to pay attention to the mulch interactions with nitrogen, soil moisture, rodents, and spring frosts. “The bottom line with mulches is that they can conserve water and control weeds,” said Granatstein, statewide coordinator for Washington State University’s Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources. “But there are usually tradeoffs from other system effects. Initially, the […]