backyardner:

There is excellent research being done at Parma and possibly elsewhere in ID on seedless table grapes. The work is headed up by Dr Essie Fallahi. You should be able to find the information on the internet or thru the Univ of ID. The cultivars they are finding best are likely better than anything you have mentioned. They also have harvest dates.

Top varieties by one report were: Albors, Emerald, Autumn Royal, Ralli/Anahita, Jupiter, Princess, and Neptune. I grow and like Autumn Royal and Princess. Have heard good things about Jupiter. My favorite is Summer Royal. It matures earlier than several I've listed.

I hope that the ID work will be picked up on by some of the nurseries. I'm sure there will be varieties proven there that will do well in other areas outside California.

The Fruitnut

Thanks for the info. Parma is not too far from here (same weather in Boise). I'll try to look it up. I'd be interested to try out some new "experimental" varieties - sounds like fun. Also, thanks for your suggested cultivars, I'll do some research into those. Anybody else have late ripening varieties that they would recommend?

Hi Backyardener. Well you gotta put in a Jupiter, but it ripens about the same time as Suffolk and Glenora. I had an Interlaken, but late frosts always killed it to the ground- it always started growing about a month before the others. I've been messing with this early-late grape thing for several years. Concord seedless is my latest grape, but it's so pathetic in berry size, flavor, and yield that I just decided to rip them out in favor of Catawba (seeded), which is almost as late. Supposedly Yates (seeded) is very late, but I'm still waiting for a crop after three years. The literature I've seen makes it sound like it one could potentially have a month and half spread in ripening times, but where I'm at it seems much more compressed, like maybe three weeks. Some grapes like Steuben and especially Kyoho seem to hold very well on the vine, making them season extenders.

I have spent the last few days trying to find out where I can get some of the varieties that fruitnut listed. Even though most CA grapes are listed as zone 7, they might make it here, our winters have been pretty mild the last few years - I would be willing to try. The problem is, I can't find a nursery that has those CA type grapes that will ship to Idaho. I can try calling all the local nurseries, but the few that I went to last year only had the standard "American" grapes.

I tried looking up Dr. Fallahi's research and it was pretty interesting, except I still don't know where to get anything other than the usual types you see everywhere.

Fruitnut, where did you get your grapes? Is it harder for nurseries to ship to Idaho because we do have a grape / wine industry here?

Thanks.

backyardener:

If I were you I'd contact Dr Fallahi directly and ask him if there is any way to collect cuttings when they prune this winter. I used to do exactly what he is doing. He won't mind you calling and there is a good chance he will oblige. If not he got his plants somewhere. Maybe he can lead you to a source of either plants or cuttings. This is worth doing. I got my cuttings from Dr David Ramming USDA grape breeder Fresno CA.

Dr Fallahi is not testing most of the cultivars you mentioned because they are second and third class grapes. I've grown most of them over the past 30 yrs. Princess, Summer Royal, and Autumn Royal are vastly better eating quality. I'm sure some that Dr Fallahi has are great as well.

Lon Romberg, who you can find on the web sells many grapes. Check him out.

Another thing, see if Univ of ID is having a grape or fruit field day anytime soon. Get your foot in the door there. It can help you on more fruit than grapes. Call your fruit extension agent or ag extension agent. In a small fruit industry like ID, you can get an inside contact somewhere if you try. Join the ID fruit growers association, find a commercial grower who is testing/growing grapes and offer to buy cuttings from him, etc, etc.

The Fruitnut