Grapevines are highly sensitive Grapevines and many ornamental plants are extremely sensitive to herbicides containing phenoxy-type active ingredients. During the active shoot growth period, phenoxy damage often causes growth to stop temporarily and to be retarded for several weeks. If the effects are not too severe, normal growth will resume the same or following year. Severely injured vines may not recover for 2 years or more. Injured vines also may have delayed fruit ripening.
Severe injury can prevent complete maturation of the fruit.
The delayed maturation effect may exist in a vine for 1 to 3 years before normal ripening resumes. Slight injury may have little or no effect upon fruit maturity. Oregon vineyards have experienced significant crop loss and long-term damage to vines inadvertently exposed to phenoxy herbicides applied to distant targets. In contrast, minor symptoms on grape leaves probably do not cause crop loss, but it can take significant time and energy to resolve the issue with a neighbor. Even small amounts carried by the wind can create symptoms in grapevines.