Bunch Grape Culture
As A Hobby
Alabama Cooperative Extension Service,
Auburn University, Alabama 36849-5612
CIRCULAR ANR-12
Table Of Contents
Page
Best Place To Plant . . ............ . .... . ... ... . . . . . .. . 3
Varieties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Purchasing Plants .......... . ..... ... . . . . . .. . .. . . . .. . . 5
Planting The Vine ............... . .... . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . 5
Trellis Systems And Trellis Construction . . . . .. ... .. . .. . . .. . 6
Training Young Vines ............. . . .. . . ... . . .. . . .... . 7
Pruning The Mature Vine .......... . ... .. .. ... . .. ... . . . 9
Fertilization ..................... . . ..... .. . . .. . . . ... 10
Cultivation And Weed Control ...... .. .. ..... . . . ..... . . 11
Insects And Diseases ............. .. . ... . . ... . ..... .. 11
Bunch Grape Culture
As A Hobby
American bunch grapes (Vitis labrusca) have been grown in home
plantings in Alabama since the state was first settled. Culturing bunch
grapes at home can be both fun and rewarding, but producing good
grapes requires timely work. A good site, proper variety selection,
carrying out a season-long spray program, pruning and fertilization
are keys to success. Bunch grapes require close care and attention.
Therefore, only the dedicated gardener should attempt to grow them.
Grape yields are influenced by many factors . The most important are variety and season. However, for planning purposes, estimate
your vineyard size based on a 20- to 30-pound per vine average for
mature vines. In most years and with most varieties, 30 pounds per
vine is a realistic estimate under good growing conditions.
Best Place To Plant
The site should be in full
sun most or all of the day. In
North and Central Alabama, a
late spring frost can reduce
yields significantly, so bunch
grapes should be planted on
elevated sites. In fact, in all
areas of the state, low spots
where cold air settles should be
avoided .
Well-drained loam or clay
loam soils are best. Bunch
grapes also grow well on
heavier clay soils; however, excessive vine growth and delayed maturity may result.
Avoid extremely sandy soils
and areas where water stands
after heavy rains.
1. North Alabama
2. Central Alabama
3. South Alabama
3
Varieties
Many varieties of bunch grapes will perform well in North Alabama. Some French hybrid grapes (wine grapes) are also suggested
for trial there. Several new hybrid bunch grapes are worthy of trial
in Central and South Alabama.
VARIETIES RECOMMENDED FOR NoRTH ALABAMA.
Fredonia-A deep purple grape, early midseason, vigorous, productive, with medium to small clusters of large berries. Berries ripen
uniformly. Prune moderately.
Niagara-A white grape, midseason, vigorous, productive, medium size, with compact clusters of large berries. Prune heavily.
VARIETIES SuGGESTED FOR TRIAL IN NoRTH ALABAMA.
Catawba-A reddish grape, late midseason, vigorous, moderately productive, with large clusters of large berries. Grown commercially for wine.
Delaware-A reddish grape, late midseason, medium to low
vigor, moderately productive, with small clusters of small berries. High
quality, use for eating fresh or for wine.
Interlaken Seedless-A white, early, moderately vigorous grape
with medium clusters of small, nearly seedless berries. A good table
grape.
Chancellor (Seibel 7053) -A dark red grape, late midseason,
productive. A French hybrid wine grape.
Seyval (S.V. 5-276)-A white, early midseason, moderately productive grape. A French hybrid wine grape.
Villard Blanc (S.V. 12-375) -A white, late, vigorous grape, highly
productive. A French hybrid wine grape.
Venus-A seedless, blue-black grape, medium vigor, moderately productive.
Chelois (S 10878) -A blue-black grape, early ripening with medium compact clusters, very productive. A French hybrid wine grape.
VARIETIES SuGGESTED FOR TRIAL IN CENTRAL AND SouTH ALABAMA.
Several hybrid bunch grape varieties have recently been developed
which are worthy of trial plantings in the southern half of Alabama.
All of these have good resistance to Pierce's disease, the primary limiting factor to bunch grape culture in the southern portion of the state.
4
The following varieties are suggested for home plantings.
Lake Emerald-A green to golden grape, used largely for wine,
pancake syrup, other forms of processing, and as a rootstock. Fruits
generally ripen in early August. Does well on own roots.
Stover-A golden grape, vigorous, suitable for table use or processing. Holding qualities not as good as Thompson Seedless* but
better than Lake Emerald. Should be grafted on Tampa, Dog Ridge,
or La·ke Emerald rootstock for best performance.
Blue Lake-A blue grape, especially good for juice and jelly. Plants
are vigorous; 'fruit ripens mid-July. Does well on own roots.
Roucaneuf-A pink grape introduced as a wine variety. Should
be grafted on Tampa, Dog Ridge, or Lake Emerald rootstock. A French
hybrid wine grape.
MissBlue-A vigorous, dark blue grape with compact clusters.
Appears resistant to Pierce's disease.
MidSouth-Similar to MissBiue, although clusters are more open.
Good for eating fresh or making jelly.
There are a number of other bunch and hybrid grapes that may
do well in certain small areas of the state. If you wish to try them,
plant only a few in case they don't do well. European grapes (Vitis
vinifera) have not done well in the deep South and are not recommended.
Purchasing Plants
Bunch and French hybrid grapes, unlike muscadines, do notrequire cross-pollination. Therefore, it is not necessary to buy two or
more varieties. You may, however, want several varieties to extend
the fruiting season.
Most bunch grapes are sold as 1- or 2-year-old plants. Generally,
the 2-year-old plants grow off better and are ~orth the small, extra
investment. Be sure to buy them from a reliable source.
Planting The Vine
Since most bunch grapes are somewhat less vigorous than the
native muscadine, only 10 feet of row will be required for each vine.
Lay off the rows at least 10 feet apart (12 feet on hilly land). Straight
rows are better for level or slightly rolling land; contour rows are rec~
ommended for hilly terrain. Prior to setting the vines, soil test and
•Thompson Seedless is not recommended for Alabama because of susceptibility
to Pierce's disease.
5
adjust the soil pH to 6.0 to 6.5 with dolomitic limestone. Dolomite
supplies magnesium, and most Alabama soils are low in that element.
To plant, prepare a hole large enough to accommodate the entire root system in its natural spread. Set the plant at or slightly lower
than the level it grew in the nursery. Fill the hole with topsoil and
firm it. Do not put fertilizer in the hole. (See Fertilization, page 10.)
Water liberally.
After pfunting, cut the vine back to a single stem with two or three
good buds remaining. When growth begins, you will select the main
trunk of the vine from the stronger of these shoots.
Trellis Systems And Trellis Construction
Two trellis systems are commonly used to train bunch and hybrid
grapes in the South: the double curtain and the four-arm kniffin.
The double curtain trellis system is probably the most desirable
of the two systems because more grape foliage is exposed to direct
sunlight, increasing yields. This system provides two wires 4 feet apart
and 5 feet above the ground. Figures 1 and 2 show details of how
to construct the double curtain trellis.
The four-arm kniffin training system is considerably less expensive to construct. However, the foliage on the lower fruiting canes
are shaded by the upper canes, which reduces the quality and productivity of the grapes on the lower wire. Figure 3 shows construction of the two-wire vertical trellis used for the four-arm kniffin.
Figure 1. Details for constructing the
double curtain trellis.
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Training Young Vines
Immediately after planting, cut back the strongest cane to two or
three strong buds. Remove any other canes. It is sometimes difficult
to determine the condition of a dormant vine. When that is the case,
leave five or six buds and, when growth starts, allow only the most
vigorous or desirable ones to develop into shoots.
If you cannot construct your trellis the first growing season, drive
a stake 4 to 5 feet high in the soil near each vine and train the new
growth to it. Tie the shoots loosely or use plastic tape to avoid the
possibility of girdling.
7
Following the first growing season, the plants should be trained
to the trellis system you will use.
FoR THE DouBLE CuRTAIN-Develop a double trunk for each vine
approximately 30 inches above the ground (Figure 4). This is done
by pinching off the growing point and forcing two shoots to develop.
Train one trunk to grow to one of the trellis wires and the other trunk
to the other wire. Under ideal conditions, the double trunk system
should be developed after the first growing season.
FoR THE FouR-ARM KNIFFEN- Develop a single strong shoot from
the young plant by removing competing shoots. Train this shoot to
a string or stake running from the upper wire of the trellis to the ground.
The second year should be devoted to developing a strong plant
that can support some fruiting during the third season. Figure 4 shows
vines properly trained to the double curtain trellis; Figure 5 shows
pruning and training to the two-wire trellis.
With normal growth during the first growing season, all buds remaining on the trunk after pruning are capable of developing into
shoots and producing fruit. However, fruit production at this stage
of vine development will reduce vegetative growth and, therefore, is
not desirable. Remove flower clusters when they occur. And, remove
all shoots below the bottom trellis wire, including suckers -from the
base of the vine. Some of the French hybrid varieties are especially
prolific at this young stage.
Double
trunks
Main - - - - + /
trunk
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5
Figure 4. The double curtain trellis system showing
double trunks, fruiting canes, and renewal spurs.
8
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Figure 5. The four-arm kniffin system showing: (1) pruning after first year's
growth; (2) after two growing seasons; (3) after three growing seasons.
Pruning The Mature Vine
Grapes require heavy annual pruning during the dormant season
to maintain quality and productivity. Because of Alabama's mild climate, pruning should be done during January and February. Late
winter or spring pruning will cause "bleeding," a flow of sap through
the pruning wounds. But, don't be alarmed if this should happen because it does not damage the plant.
Since bunch and hybrid grapes are somewhat more susceptible
to diseases than muscadines, the vines have to be pruned differently. Muscadines are trained to have a trunk, fruiting arms, and spur
clusters. On bunch and hybrid grapes, healthy canes from the previous
season's growth are used each year in place of permanent arms. This
is done to avoid a large buildup of overwintering disease organisms
in the old bark of the fruiting arms.
Balanced pruning is a method of pruning to balance production
and vine vigor. To balance prune, select four canes of last summer's
growth, one to run in each direction on the two wires. Select these
from canes arising from the four renewal spurs. Canes about the diameter of a pencil are most desirable. Cut each of these back to leave
15 to 20 buds per cane. Next, gather up all of the pruned canes and
weigh them. (Note: Do not weigh older wood-only last season's
canes.) As a rule, 30 buds should be left on the vine for the first pound
of prunings and 10 buds for each additional pound. For example,
if a vine pruned to 70 buds yielded 31f2 pounds of prunings, the number of buds should be cut to about 55-30 for the first pound and
25 for the other 21f2 pounds. Each of the four canes left, then, should
be pruned back to have about 15 buds each.
9
If you do not balance prune, then most mature vines should be
pruned to have between 30 to 60 buds. The more vigorous the vine,
the more buds should be left.
Leave renewal spurs to form canes for next year. Select these spurs
from canes of last season's growth and prune them back to leave only
two buds each. From these spurs will grow the fruiting canes for next
year. Renewal spurs should be located as near the trunk as possible.
Figure 6 shows how the vines should look after pruning.
Renewal spurs-two buds
Fruiting canes
(Previous season's growth)
Figure 6. Properly pruned vine showing fruiting canes and renewal spurs.
Each plant on the double curtain or two-wire vertical trellis should be
pruned like this.
Fertilization
Establishing the proper fertility level before planting helps get young
vines off to a good start. Contact your Extension county agent for
assistance in taking a soil test before planting.
After the plants have been settled by a drenching rain and before
growth starts, apply 1/4 cup of 10-10-10 fertilizer around each plant.
Keep the fertilizer at least 6 inches from the vine. Repeat at monthly
intervals until mid-July.
On 2-year-old vines, double the first year's rate and use the same
monthly intervals. Bearing vines will need from 1 to 4 pounds of
10-10-10 per plant applied in March. If growth is poor on producing
vines, apply 1 pound of 10-10-10 per plant in May.
Because Alabama soils are inherently low in magnesium, foliar
magnesium deficiency frequently becomes noticeable in mid-summer.
You will recognize this deficiency by a yellowing between the leaf veins
on the older grape leaves (Figure 7). If the soil pH is low enough
to need lime, use dolomitic lime to help prevent magnesium deficiency. Otherwise, magnesium sulfate (epsom salts) should be applied
and watered in. For young plants, apply 2 ounces around each vine,
keeping the salts 6 or more inches away from the trunk. Apply 4 to
8 ounces per mature, bearing vine. It may require 2 to 3 years of
magnesium application to bring the level up for best plant performance.
10
Figure 7. Leaf showing characteristics of foliar magnesium deficiency.
Cultivation And Weed Control
Make every effort to establish a permanent sod between rows before planting the vineyards. This will reduce soil erosion. After the
sod is established and the vines are planted, hand weeding and hoeing will be necessary around the individual vines during the first two
growing seasons. Keep the sod mowed during the summer months.
Once the vineyard is established and producing fruit (generally,
the third season), use herbicides to keep the strip along the rows free
of weeds and grasses. Several weed control chemicals cleared for use
on grapes do an excellent job if properly used. They can be applied
with tractor-mounted or hand-operated equipment. See your Extension county agent for specific weed control recommendations.
Insects And Diseases
Since bunch grapes are susceptible to a number of diseases and
are attacked by several insect pests, a season-long spray program will
be necessary to produce good fruit. "Spraying Home Orchards," Circular ANR-50, gives details on how to protect grapes from insects
and diseases. You can get a copy at your county Extension office.
11
Arlie A. Powell, Horticulturist-Fruits
and
T.B. Hagler, formerly Head, Extension Horticulture
Alabama Cooperative Extension Service
Auburn University
with
R.M. Crassweller & M.E. Ferree, Extension Horticulturists
The University of Georgia
Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work in agriculture and home economics, Acts of May
8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Alabama Cooperative
Extension Service, Auburn University, Ann E. Thompson, Director, offers educational programs and
materials to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age, or handicap and is an equal
opportunity employer.
UPS, 2.5M19, 8:88, ANR-12