Foliar Testing Helps Determine Vineyard Nutrition

A foliar analysis is more reliable than a soil test in terms of determining the health of the vine, according to Michigan State University researchers who recommend testing both the soil and petioles to compare the results in order to assess the nutrients in the soil and how they are utilized in the vines.

Petiole testing offers the grower an analysis of how nutrients are being used by the plant, and fertilizers can be applied based on the plant’s needs, instead of the soil’s needs.

Veraison is thought by researchers to be the most accurate time of the year for assessing grapes. For more on how to classify the element levels in grape petioles, click here.