I agree its probably black rot but it could be something else. Look at the leaves, there should be brown spots on them as well. Also Google for black rot grape and see if the pictures match. Immunox works much better than Captan on black rot; it should be safe on most things but I would read the label to be sure. Scott

I don't have experience with Hog Peanut, so I won't comment on that one. Trumpet Honeysuckle is a great vine for your region - probably the least aggressive spreader of the bunch, and also probably nearly evergreen, which is nice in the winter. It is a twining vine that needs something of small diameter - like a wire fence, bushes, small pole, string, etc. - to climb. It cannot climb a shed wall. Virgina Bower does tend to be aggressive, I think. I have never grown it, but see it wild frequently. In my opinion it isn't as nice a vine for the garden as Trumpet Honeysuckle. I have a ton of Virginia Creeper here, and have never heard about the berries being poisonous. I wouldn't be concerned about the berries, which are a favorite food of many birds. Virginia Creeper is a little aggressive, as are most vines. Another choice I like is trumpet creeper - Campsis radicans. This is an agressive spreader, but has very showy flowers most of the summer and fall and attracts hummingbirds, making it a really nice addition to a yard that has roon for it. If the shed is surrounded by lawn or other open space where it will be easy to contain the root suckers of Trumpet Creeper, then it sould be my first choice. Another option is Carolina jessamine,which has yellow flowers in early spring. Also Cross Vine, which is another flowering vine. Jessamine is a vigorous, evergreen vine. Cross vine tends to be a little more sparse in growth habit, but is an interesting addition to the yard.

Spray with a Bordeaux mix, such as Bonide Copper Fungicide. You'll never rid the plant of it, but it will bring it under control and you won't lose the plant. You should get on a regular routine of spraying them both with it before the rains of spring in your area arrive. edit: I posted this link for another grape vine problem, but it's such a nice file (loaded with photos & info) that I'll post it here too: http://www5.agr.gc.ca/resources/prod/doc/sci/pub/pdf/id_guide_major_diseases_grapes_e.pdf This post was edited by MsMorningSong on Fri, Jun 13, 14 at 13:49

Pretty darn impressive and a clever way to grow it. We have some wild grapes here (muscadines) that are about twice as tall and twice as thick as that. I'd guess ~80 feet up into crowns of forest trees.