Harvest considerations: Fall 2026
By: Maria Smith and Lisa Dunlap – HCS-OSU
2026 Season
It’s Raining A LOT: Stay Ahead of Downy Mildew
By: Melanie L. Lewis Ivey, OSU-Plant Pathology
Once grape clusters reach pea-size, growers may be tempted to relax downy mildew management because the berries themselves are resistant to new infection (referred to as ontogenic or age-related resistance). But when the forecast includes rain, day after day, downy mildew deserves continued attention.
Crop Estimations - July 2026
By: Maria Smith, HCS-OSU
The growing season soldiers on and so do tasks in the vineyard. With high heat and precipitation over the past month, the vines have continued their rapid growth. We’re at the point now where hedging and skirting are necessary (Figure 1). Nearing in at > 8 ft. of growth, the shoots are folding over and shading the canopy. In southern Ohio and some of our early ripening cultivars, veraison is here already and netting should be going on for bird protection.
Summer Solstice Vineyard Update – June 2026
By: Maria Smith, HCS-OSU
We’re halfway through the year 2026, and the rollercoaster ride has been a wild one. I have been curious for a while just how our vine phenology has been matching up with long-term changes to weather patterns, and I will put together a look at this soon. However, for the upcoming July 4th holiday, let me put it in baseball metaphor: the weather swings taken by this year have sent the ball out of the park.
Let’s take a quick glance at the weather over the first half of the growing season…
The 2026 Ohio Wine Competition: A Behind‑the‑Scenes Review
By: Lisa Dunlap, OSU-HCS
This year marked my first time coordinating and directing the Ohio Wine Competition. After shadowing Todd Steiner, our former director, for several years, I thought I had a solid grasp of what I was stepping into. I quickly learned I had underestimated just how much work goes into orchestrating an event of this scale. But once the whirlwind of organizing hundreds of wines settled, the competition itself unfolded smoothly and successfully.
2026 Spring Freeze Updates and Guidance
By: Maria Smith, HCS-OSU
2026 has been a long year, and yet it is only May. All of our fortitude is being tested, whether that is in the form of waiting out the winter polar vortex in January for the hope of primary or secondary buds to emerge this spring, or now, waiting out for any secondary buds to emerge following the past two weeks of sub-freezing temperatures with the growing season underway.
