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2 4d drift in small vineyard #935659

Asked June 15, 2026, 9:14 PM EDT

I have a 150 vine vineyard in Elyria. Tonight I discovered my grapes showing the distinct cupping and growth patterns indicating that they'd been hit with 2 4D. They're 30+ feet from the closest neighboring lawn. Is there ANYTHING I can do? I've dumped a fair amount of time and money into this. I don't know if Ohio has any laws about herbicide in residential areas. Thanks, Will

Lorain County Ohio

Expert Response

Hey Will,

Sorry this happened. I would agree that what you're seeing looks like growth regulator herbicide damage. I can't speak to if it specifically 2, 4-D or not.

There are some different ways to approach these kinds of situations. We generally recommend starting with having a conversation with neighbors to determine if they sprayed anything or if they have hired someone to spray something recently. It's often best if you are able to work things out directly with the party that made or hired for the application.

If that is not productive, there is a process to file a complaint with the Ohio Department of Agriculture. Ultimately, ODA can only issue violations for misuse of pesticide. If you plan to recover expenses for damages, that requires additional legal action on your part.

If you'd like to file a complaint, the ODA has instructions on their website here: https://agri.ohio.gov/divisions/plant-health/pesticides/online/use-complaint

Time is critical here. The sooner you take action the better.

Here is a resource from OSU with more details about the steps that you can take: https://ipm-drift.cfaes.ohio-state.edu/dicamba-and-24-d-fact-sheet-series/responding-drift-damage/action-steps 

I hope that this helps get you pointed in the right direction. If there is anything else I can help with, please let me know. 

An Ask Extension Expert Replied June 16, 2026, 1:29 PM EDT

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