Grape Grower's  Notebook www.grapeguru.com

Preparation of a 3% Bordeaux Mixture for Grapevines

Mix a fresh preparation sufficient for a single  application (see note).

Mix copper sulfate, hydrated lime and water in a ratio of

3:6:100 (e.g. 3 lbs:6 lbs:100 gal.)

• Dissolve copper sulphate in half the required amount of water.
• Dissolve hydrated lime in the remaining half of the water in a  separate vessel.
• Combine the two solutions by pouring through a strainer into the  sprayer.
• Circulate and agitate during combining and prior to and during  application.

Small amounts can be made by mixing four ounces of hydrated lime in 2  gallons of water. Mix two ounces of copper sulfate in 2 gallons of water. Pour  the copper sulfate mixture into the lime mixture. Again, it cannot be stored  and must be used the same day.

Preparation of a 3% Burgundy Mixture for Grapevines

Mix a fresh preparation sufficient for a single application.

• Mix copper sulfate, soda ash and water in a ratio of
  
   
• 1:4.75:100
• 
   
• Dissolve copper sulphate in half the required amount of water.
• Dissolve soda ash in the remaining half of the water in a separate  vessel.
• Combine the two solutions by pouring through a strainer into the  sprayer (watch for foaming action).
• Circulate during combining. Circulate and agitate prior to and during  application.

Bordeaux mixture may be purchased ready for application and suitable for  the back yard vineyard. To prevent the contents from forming into a "blue  brick" in storage, store in a sealed plastic container with a moisture reducing  material. To facilitate getting the copper into solution, a commercial copper  preparation, such as Kocide can also be used instead of copper sulphate.
The copper in Bordeaux mixture can cause damage to plants if used  improperly. Damage or injury results more in humid weather and when the mixture  doesn't dry quickly. Some varieties are more sensitive to copper than others.  When in doubt, test a small area of one plant.
Bordeaux mixture will leave  a bluish-white deposit on the plant.

Historical Notes:

Bordeaux mixture was originally  developed in France in the 1860s to control grape diseases.

Millardet, Pierre-Marie-Alexis:
b. Dec. 13, 1838, Monmerey-la-Ville, France
d. Dec. 15, 1902, Bordeaux,  France

French botanist who developed  the Bordeaux mixture, the first successful fungicide. He also saved the  vineyards of France from destruction by Phylloxera, a genus of plant lice.

Millardet studied at the  universities of Heidelberg and Freiburg in Germany, then returned to France to  take doctorates in both medicine and science. He became assistant professor of  botany at the University of Strasbourg in 1869, moved to Nancy three years  later, and in 1876 became professor of botany at the University of Bordeaux,  remaining there until his retirement in 1899.

Between 1858 and 1863 the  greenish yellow grape phylloxera, an aphidlike plant pest, was introduced into  Europe on vines imported from the United States for grafting. The insect spread  swiftly, causing extensive destruction. Millardet brought this plague under  control by introducing resistant American vines as stocks for grafting with  European varieties.

Along with phylloxera came  Plasmopara viticola, a downy mildew fungus that damaged fruits and vegetables,  particularly grapes. Farmers for centuries in the Medoc area of France had  sprinkled their vines with a thick mixture of copper sulfate, lime, and water,  whose unappetizing appearance discouraged thieves from stealing the grapes. In  October 1882 Millardet noticed that this mixture also controlled the downy  mildew, suggested its application as a fungicide, and, after three years of  experimentation and testing, published his favourable results in the Journal  d'Agriculture Pratique. This combination of chemicals, which became known as  the Bordeaux mixture, was the first fungicide to receive large-scale use the  world over and can be said to have started a new era in the technology of  agriculture.

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