I am moving to zone 19 in a couple months, but currently live in extreme heat! Here is what thrives: Mourvedre Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 08 Charbono Alicante Bouchette Tempranillo Zinfandel Angelico and the best of all, Touriga National. I have others, but these have been seen climbing to the top of palm trees... Not a good idea, but they get their roots deeper. These are all vinifera. Not a table grape in the bunch. They are all red. I have one white called Champanel, and it, for year one, is doing great! I will be bringing the above with me to Zone 19 and would expect them to thrive. These are all on a drip system, and are heavy producers. Suzi

Grapes do fine in alkaline soil. No special needs in that area. My favorite seedless table grapes are Summer Royal, Princess, and Crimson Seedless. Flame is also good. These need quite a bit of heat so won't work near the coast. They also aren't really suited to making preserves. Summer Royal is hard to find but is the best grape I've ever eaten. It's very sweet and has high flavor.

I think the best time to prune in areas with freeze danger is in spring just before or as growth begins. I think this is too early in zone 7. I'd take cuttings for rooting 2-4 weeks before growth begins. Then they may need to be buried or stored in a cool place until rooting. It depends on whether you can control temperature or are reliant on nature, they need warmth to root rapidly. I'm not an expert on rooting grapes but have done it many times. Usually by just planting them where I wanted a vine, covering until spring, and then uncovering the top bud. This works but there are ways that result in much higher % takes. The key to rooting them is getting callus formation first. This works best at warm temperature, just the right moisture level, and rooting hormone. The cutting needs to be fully turgid but not wet. Some experts callus them in moist sand. This months Good Fruit Grower has an article on rooting grape cuttings. I've never used rooting hormone so that's not essential.

I'm interested in planting table grapes. This will be my first time. I am trying to choose the best variety for my situation. I'm looking for a seedless variety, resistant to powdery mildew, I would prefer red grapes, purple would be my second choice(for the health benefits). I would prefer a type with more of a sweet, less of a spicy flavor. I would like a variety which is vigorous. Of course we get plenty of rain here for most of the year. The location has full sun but our soil has too much clay although I will attempt to improve it before planting. I would greatly appreciate any advice on making the best selection. Thanks so much!Jen