We have a well established green grape vine in our yard. The grapes are deliciously sweet and tart. The trunk is 8-10 inches in diameter. For most of its life the vine was hidden and held up by a large cedar hedge. Last year we removed the hedge and build a large arbour to support it, 12' x 17'. What would you put under the arbour? Would sand and stones kill the vine? Are there certain plants that would help maintain the heath of the vine? Last year I noticed some bumps on some of the leaves and think it may be phylloxera. Thank you in advance for uour expertise.
Are you able to share some photos? I'll start with suggesting that a mature plant will have succeeded with a level of soil oxygenation that shouldn't be dialed back through the use of stones, but I suppose it depends on what you plans are.
Thanks for your reply. Here are some pictures. We don't have plans yet for the space, my priority is that we have a healthy vine.
A woodchip mulch would protect the soil and slowly improve it. The vine looks like it could use some pruning to allow more space for new growth and promote air flow that helps keep the leaves healthy.
