|
|
Post by Drahkk on Sept 8, 2012 23:10:52 GMT -5
I love grapes, but can't seem to grow my own. Every single grape I've tried, regardless of variety, has either died the first year or lived two years, growing the first, then fruiting and dying the second. And the fruit always has large seeds and tastes like muscadines, regardless of variety. I've tried Canadice, Reliance, Interlaken, Seedless Concord, and probably several others I'm forgetting. I'm in the south Mississippi Delta. Has anyone in similar clime had a different experience, or can anyone suggest a variety that will perform better? And if you're pretty sure they'll perform, can you send seeds or cuttings?  MB |
|
|
|
Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Sept 9, 2012 1:14:49 GMT -5
drahkk: Up here we have the same problem but in the opposite direction: The big box stores offer grapes that would be more at home in zone 9 than in zone 4/5 so they grow great the first summer and then die during the winter. I cringe every time I see a store offering "Thompson Green Seedless". The varieties you listed were developed to thrive in my cold cold climate. Since Muscadines are native to your area, why not grow some of the improved Muscadine varieties? Wikipedia says, "Unlike most cultivated grapevines, many muscadine cultivars are pistillate, requiring a pollenizer to set fruit. A few, however, such as 'Carlos' and 'Noble', are perfect-flowered, produce fruit with their own pollen, and may also pollinate pistillate cultivars. Cultivars include Black Beauty, Carlos, Cowart, Flowers, Fry, Granny Val, Ison, James, Jumbo, Magnolia, Memory, ..., Mish, Nesbitt, Scuppernong, Summit, Supreme, Thomas, ... , 'Southern Home', contains both muscadine and subgenus Vitis..." |
|
|
|
Post by Drahkk on Sept 9, 2012 14:19:29 GMT -5
I couldn't tell you the variety, but we have an arbor covered in muscadines that makes more than we use. Or at least more than we can eat fresh and make jelly from. I've been debating trying my hand at winemaking, but that's a topic for another day... I was hoping to get some sweet table grapes growing in addition to them.
I'm about convinced that big box nurseries do that on purpose. They're in the business of selling plants, and if what they sell lives and produces well you won't come back to buy more the next year. Every spring at my store we get these racks full of blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and grapes. The labels claim they're widely adapted (zones 4-9, or some such), but the blueberries are all northern highbush types, and I recognize several of the raspberries as weak local performers as well. I try to steer people away from them when I can. Personally, I'd sworn off growing blueberries altogether until a local friend brought me some volunteers from his established bushes this spring. Locally adapted, they overcame the transplant shock and doubled in size in one season. Imagine that.
But on sweet grapes I'm stuck in the same rut, and haven't found anyone growing them locally to beg cuttings from. And just like the blueberries, nursery labels are no help, as they claim everything they sell is well adapted. You said Thompson is actually bred for this area; what others would you suggest?
MB
|
|
|
|
Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Sept 9, 2012 14:44:25 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by Drahkk on Sept 9, 2012 15:48:15 GMT -5
Wow, what a list. I love Wikipedia.
Amazing that every cultivar I've tried and failed with (including a few I remembered when I saw the names) has been a V. labrusca.
OK, cool. Now that I actually know what to look for, maybe I'll have some success. And I'll know which grapes to warn my customers away from, too. Thank you!
MB
|
|
|
|
Post by johninfla on Sept 9, 2012 20:35:56 GMT -5
Muscadines are our best bet here in the southeast. If you want to spray copper several times a season you can probably get these bunch grapes to do well: 'Conquistador' 'Stover', 'Suwannee' 'Blue Lake', 'Conquistador' 'Daytona' 'Black Spanish' They are all recommended by IFAS out of University of Florida. I'd love to grow bunch grapes BUT without heavy spraying they just don't do it for me. Don't get me wrong, there are folks who do it BUT they are more dedicated than I am....besides I love me muscadine jelly and wine! Here is a link to a good page on them from IFAS edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg105 John |
|
|
|
Post by mayz on Sept 10, 2012 3:49:44 GMT -5
I love grapes, but can't seem to grow my own. Every single grape I've tried, regardless of variety, has either died the first year or lived two years, growing the first, then fruiting and dying the second. MB Grapes are really resistant plants so the first question is... WHY did your grapes die? drought? disease? which one? Is there wild Vitis sp near your field? Also a good tip cut the flowers the first two years. So the plant will have more energy to set its roots. |
|
|
|
Post by mnjrutherford on Sept 10, 2012 7:18:58 GMT -5
Great suggestions JohninFla!
Scuppernogs were native in Jacksonville, Florida. I remember harvesting some that were wild growing and up to 3 or 4 inches in diameter. HUGE they were! So, I would certainly say that muscadines are the way to go if I were to guess. We have muscadines here, 3 varieties and one is Carlos. The other 2 require the cross pollination. I've long since forgotten which vine was which but they each bear a little differently from the others. Ours are all bronze fruited and coming ripe at this time of season.
I've sent cuttings out to a couple folks here on the forum but they didn't work. I think it was because I didn't take the cuttings at the proper time and I haven't learned a better method yet. But I would be happy to send some cutting or seed if you like!
|
|
|
|
Post by Drahkk on Sept 10, 2012 10:19:24 GMT -5
I couldn't tell you the variety, but we have an arbor covered in muscadines that makes more than we use. Or at least more than we can eat fresh and make jelly from. I've been debating trying my hand at winemaking, but that's a topic for another day... I was hoping to get some sweet table grapes growing in addition to them. I have muscadines, folks. They grow easy as a dream. The only thing I've had to do to them in the last few years besides pick and enjoy was to shore up the trellis that collapsed under their weight. I love muscadines. But I'm trying to grow grapes too. I love grapes, but can't seem to grow my own. Every single grape I've tried, regardless of variety, has either died the first year or lived two years, growing the first, then fruiting and dying the second. MB Grapes are really resistant plants so the first question is... WHY did your grapes die? drought? disease? which one? Is there wild Vitis sp near your field? Also a good tip cut the flowers the first two years. So the plant will have more energy to set its roots. They really struggle during the hottest, driest part of July and August. And they are really late breaking dormancy in spring. This year I had tomatoes on the vine before I saw any growth on the grapes. I believe Joseph was right, I've been growing varieties that require more chill time and milder summers than I get here. Plus I tend to neglect them more after I bite into a "seedless grape" that has big seeds, tough skin, jelly-like flesh, and muscadine flavored juice. The Concord vine isn't dead yet; in fact it seems quite strong. But it makes Concord colored muscadines like every other grape I've tried. I hadn't thought of clipping the flowers (just impatient, I guess); that sounds like good advice. I think the best thing, though, will be to start with a variety or two that were actually bred for my climate. Thanks, everybody! MB |
|
