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Fruit & Orchards

Favorite grapes & others from Edible Landscaping?

11 years ago

I'm going to Edible Landscaping today to pick up some fruit. I need help choosing grapes. I'd like to get a couple seedless for snacking and maybe 2 or 3 seeded grapes for making juice and jelly.

My main criteria is no/low spray. My neighbor has wonderful grapes and he doesn't do anything. It must be a pretty decent area for grapes. (I'm about 15 miles down the mountain from Boone, NC. It's zone 7 but the nights are cool, winters are long, and occasional late frosts.)

Also, how many grapevines would be sufficient for a family of 4? I do a lot of canning, making juice and jelly, etc. Is Concord really good or has it been eclipsed by newer and better improvements?

Here is what I'm planning to get from Edible Landscaping today. Any input would be greatly appreciated since I am brand new to growing fruit. Anything on my list that jumps out as hard to grow or fussy or just won't do well here?

Cherry: Black Gold
Mulberry: Illinois Everbearing
Fig: Violet de Bordeaux and Strawberry Verte
Blueberries: Reka, Legacy, and Pink Lemonade (going to plant that one in the kid's playground.)
Gooseberry: Black Velvet
Currants: Cherry Red and Crandall Clove
Persimmon: Yates
Grapes: I was looking at Sugargate Muscadine, Roucaneuf, and Mars Seedless. But that's just guessing, really. I have no idea which grapes would do well here, are easy care, and taste great.

Thanks!

Here is a link that might be useful: Edible Landscaping

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Comments (5)

mdo003
11 years ago
I have mars, its supposed to be one of the most disease resistant of seedless. Its a fast grower (probably +8 ft at the end of last year before I pruned it) and I had a few clusters the 2nd year but something got to them before they ripened so I haven't tried the fruit yet, hopefully this year. rakgrape.com has a lot of detailed info on varieties, that's where I got mine from.
rosieo
Original Author
11 years ago
Thank you for that site. I've already ordered Glenora elsewhere but I may scrap it because it says it's susceptible to Black Rot and the mildews. Sure wish I'd seen that before I ordered Glenora.

That's the kind of mistake I'm trying to avoid. Thanks!
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RobThomas
11 years ago
Sugargate is a female vine, and will therefore need a male, such as "Isons", as a pollenator. Have you had muscadines before? I have some planted, but just for my wife who loves them. I can't stand them, however. They taste nothing like regular grapes. To me, they taste like motor oil smells. Yuck.

If you do like them, I'd recommend trying Ison's nursery as they carry nearly every type of muscadine. Muscadines are also probably the best grape for the south as they are native here and have very good disease resistance. I hear "Darlene" and "Black Beauty" are two of the best, but they may both be female.

I also recommend Double A Vineyard for regular grapes. They carry all of the grapes from the Arkansas breeding program that are supposed to be good for the south.

Of those EL offers, Muscadines and Mars would probably be the best for you as it is an Arkansas variety.

I've added a link from Double A that has some great info.

Here is a link that might be useful: Grape chart

This post was edited by RobThomas on Mon, May 6, 13 at 13:03
TheDerek
11 years ago
Flame is standard red store grape. Vanessa is a good seedless, also is Venus. Consider Swenson Red, seeded but many say its one of the best eating grapes around. Also price may be interesting for you. There are A LOT of varieties to choose from, get a few and if you like them, its very easy to propogate additonal plants from cuttings.... I would grow interlaken, but its not hardy here, Reliance is a heavy bearer.

http://www.bunchgrapes.com/grape_varieties.html

Here is a link that might be useful: BunchGrapes
cousinfloyd
11 years ago
If you're in Wilkes County, there's a local nursery that sells Isons muscadines, Shady Hollow off of Somers Road. And I have at least one extra named muscadine I could give you if you want to come visit here in north Iredell. If you want to come visit -- same for anyone else close enough to do so -- I'd be glad to show what's worked for me and share what I can.

If you're planting blueberries, I would definitely recommend rabbiteyes for our area (and then possibly some of the highbush types secondarily.) The rabbiteye types definitely seem to be the easiest and do the best.

-Eric

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