Pretty, aren't they? I love them and this year they are loaded with beautiful sweet fruit. We planted these a little over three years ago. It took a little time to place the posts and wiring to support these beauties. Well join me today as I share a few pictures.
Grape that will grow in your particular zone are extremely easy to grow
Make sure they are self-fertile. Read about the variety and learn if it needs another type to produce. Most are self-fertile.
Plant in early Spring
Select a sight in full sun
You must give them something to grow up on like a trellis or arbor. Build this before planting [see Clemson ink for instructions]
Be sure to space according to your varieties needs. 6-10 feet apart and 16 feet for muscadines
More Advice on planting, growing and disease Clemson and The Old Farmers Almanac
I picked these the day before yesterday and there are many, many more ripe. Oh, don't you love the taste of anything right off the bush, tree or vine? I do and that seems to be the best of all tastes.
Just look at them. Don't you want to pull one off and eat? I know you do. I am pleased with the taste, I really am! As a matter of fact although both are seeded grapes the green variety is basically seedless and the sweetest!
The green grape is supposed to be a bluish/black bunch grape called Fredonia. I have my doubts as to this being that variety and evidently the tag placed in this grape pot years ago was the wrong one indeed. I'm keeping some on the vine to see if they turn but they are absolutely delicious and ready to pick.
I see some black spots may have to do something about those, Check out these beauties still hanging on the vines.
Update: I wrote this morning and got an answer back almost immediately from Clemson and now to spray a little Captan [hate to but guess I have to or lose them] and amend the soil and I'm good to go!
Update: I wrote this morning and got an answer back almost immediately from Clemson and now to spray a little Captan [hate to but guess I have to or lose them] and amend the soil and I'm good to go!
We are blessed to live in a state that has a great university that has extension services that will help, advise and answer any question you may have. Clemson University.
These are Bunch Grapes so this link will tell you anything you want to know about them for our and surrounding areas Clemson Cooperative Extension Bunch Grapes.
There it says I can expect to produce 20-30 pounds of fruit per vine! [I'd better get the canning jars ready].
They are easy to care for and produce even when we fail to do the little things like trim them [which I did].
They are loaded and I see a few grapevine wreaths in the future. I got so busy around here that I forgot to give them their fertilizer in early July but they must be pretty happy without that feeding.
If any of you out there know what this variety might possibly be I'd love to know but either way they are so delicious!
Picture taken 7-18
This variety is called Blue Lake and is a light blue bunch grape. It is seeded and the hull is a little tough but yet not horribly so. It is also a beautiful grape with a wonderful taste.
Picture taken 7-18
Last year I made the best grape jelly from this grapevine. You know grapes are almost carefree in growing and I love them.
Picture taken 7-25
Look at the beautiful colors on one spot I see three here.
I have another vine given to me by a local nurseryman it is younger but I expect great things from it this year as well. We don't know the name of that particular Muscadine, but I can't wait to try it!
It looks like more jelly is in my future!
Soon I hope if the critters don't eat them all we will have a pear or two, maybe an apple and I so hope for some wonderful figs!
We had to rip our grapes out due to disease, yours are so beautiful so I hope you can save the ones with spots. We get black rot in Missouri and if you are in an area that has it, you have to spray a couple of chemicals on them and it was just too much for us to keep up with. they are not chemicals that you get in your local Wal-Mart. Now we have the bees so spraying at all is out. I love grapes too. We have wild grapes in the trees but they don't get big like normal ones we are used to. They are tiny with a big seed inside. Our bees fertilized them this year and the whole road it lined with them now. Before the grapes rarely developed.
ReplyDeleteHey Kathy,
DeleteI am so sorry you had to rip yours out and hope I don't have to do the same. I am researching now to find an organic alternative to spraying the strong cancer causing sprays. That would defeat the purpose of even growing them wouldn't it? I might as well buy than grow if that's the case because the purchased grapes are definitely have been sprayed.
Yes our are the muscadine/scuppernong varieties here in South Carolina. Thicker skinned and with seeds but they are delicious.
I love that you have bees!