10 Steps to Successful Muscadine Growing

Fry Seedless muscadine

In case you missed the muscadine field day, here are 10 steps to to guide you toward successful muscadine growing.

1) Site Selection - The most critical issue in choosing a planting site for muscadines is good internal soil drainage. A good muscadine location is a well-drained and in full sun.


2) Soil test- Land preparation should begin the year before planting. Conduct a soil test and correct any deficiencies in P and K levels. Adjust the pH to 6.5 with dolomitic limestone.



3) Establishment - Use contact or systemic herbicides to clean up infestations of johnsongrass, bermudagrass, or nutsedge in the year before vines are set. Build rows 4-12” high and four feet wide to improve water drainage.

4) Trellising - Construct trellis before planting vines. Use a single-wire (9 guage) trellis and space rows 10 to 12 feet apart; set posts 20 ft apart within rows and plant one vine at each post (rather than between posts).


5) Cultivar Selection - If you plan to sell the fruit, then you need varieties with a dry stem scar such as Nesbitt, Summit, Tara, and Triumph. If you want muscadines for eating fresh, any kind will do. If your goal is to produce wine, you will get better juice yield using Carlos, Doreen, Magnolia, Welder, or Noble.


6) Planting - Plant in late winter when vines are dormant. Commercial grow tubes (24-36” long and 3-4” in diameter) will increase growth and protect vines in the first growing season, Remove the tubes in late September so the vines can develop cold hardiness in the fall.

7) Provide adequate water during growing season – You will need to apply one inch per week. If the soil feels dry, water. If it feels wet, do not water.

8) Maintain good weed control.

9) Harvest fruit when ripe – Selling fruit that looks ripe but is not will cause a loss of customers or produce a poor quality processed product.

10) Prune annually to develop fruiting spurs.

It's Muscadine Season

Noble Muscadine

The 2010 Muscadine Field Day will be held on Saturday, August 21, 2010 beginning at 8:30 am at the McNeill vineyard. The vineyard is located on Highway 11 just south of McNeill, MS.

 

This year we will have more informative talks including:

Dr. Wayne Porter, MSU-ES, will speak on Muscadine Production and growing muscadines.

Dr. Blair Sampson, USDA, will talk about insect pests and beneficial insects.

Dr. Steve Stringer ,USDA, will give you an update about new and upcoming varieties.

The speakers will be available for questions about the varieties as you have the opportunity to walk through the vineyard. There will be information about the different varieties, which are good for juice, which are better for eating fresh, and which is better for wine making. There will also be recent research information on resveratrol, a natural chemical found in muscadines.

On your stroll through the vineyard, you see the different varieties growing and be able to taste them. Muscadines have a unique flavor, different from table grapes that are sold in the grocery stores. There are also a couple of varieties that would be great in your landscape. We will provide you with a zip-lock bag to take some home.