Grapes
Vitis spp
Grapes
were one of the earliest plants cultivated by man. Eating fresh grapes
picked from your arbor is a ritual of summer. Though U-pick vineyards
are a popular attraction around the south, you can grow grapes very
easily at your home. You can grow them on an arbor or they can be trained along a fence.
Two types of grapes are grown in the South. The most common is the native Muscadine (Vitis rotundifolia),
sweet juicy bronze (also known as Scuppernongs) or black disease
resistant grapes where you eat the flesh and discard the thick skin.
Some varieties are excellent table grapes for fresh eating and others
are good for wine.
Bunch grapes (Vitis vinifera)
are the classic, thin-skinned grapes that grow in a cluster, such as
the popular Concord grape, chardonnay or Pinot Noir wine grapes. In the
South, the virus Pierce's Disease kills some types of traditional bunch
grapes, but some newer varieties are resistant to this problem.
My
grandfather, Dr. Robert Dunstan, the chestnut breeder, was also the
first person to sucessfully hybridize native American muscadines and
bunch grapes from France. He was able to create fertile hybrids in the
tetraploid by doubling the number of chromosomes of both plants with the
chemical colchicine, and then making the cross. His technique allowed
the development of the wine industry in the eastern United States. His
original crosses have been used in grape breeding programs from Florida
to New York (see History).
One
of the very best new grapes is the hybrid muscadine x bunch grape
'Southern Home', bred by the University of Florida. It combines the best
characteristics of both parents, produces big clusters of sweet,
thin-skinned black grapes, and has attractive, disease-resistant
maple-leafed foliage.
We
maintain a variety block to test all of the grapes that we grow. We
sell only the vines that are the best producers with superior disease
resistance. This way we can also be assured of shipping you the correct
variety.
Grapes
are simple to grow. Tie the canes (shoots) up a trellis or along a
fence as they grow the first year. They will bear the second year. Each
winter prune back the vines to 3-4 bud spurs along the main vine, which
will then bear fruit the next year. Harvest is July-August for bunch
grapes and August-September for muscadines.
Grapes
are a viable commercial crop in the South, for U-pick, fresh fruit
sales and juice. There are a number of vineyards that produce very good
wine from muscadine and hybrid grapes. A well-maintained vineyard can
produce 1000s of pounds of grapes per acre, with relatively low inputs
once the vines are established on trellises and can be very profitable.
University Extension Services such as the Small Fruit Consortium
provide numerous publications with complete instructions for production
and marketing and there are growers associations and cooperatives
around the South.
Pollination: See individual varieties
Bears: July-Aug after 1 year
Light requirements: Full sun
Soil type: Well-drained pH 5.5-7.0
Pruning: Train to trellis
Maintenance: Easy
Hardiness Zone: 7-10
 |
|
|
$7.95
|
 |
 |
|
|
$7.95
|
|
 |
|
|
$7.95
|
|
 |
|
|
$7.95
|
|
 |
|
|
$7.95
|
|
 |
|
|
$7.95
|
|
 |
|
|
$7.95
|
|
 |
|
|
$7.95
|
|
|
|
|
|
