Post by heavyhitterokra on Aug 26, 2019 8:44:59 GMT -6
This is a new forum on the subject of growing and maintaining Muscadine grapes. Not too many years ago, it was not possible to grow Muscadines this far North, so they kind of got overlooked in our discussions and our forums. Muscadine Grapevines cannot tolerate harsh winters, so in about 2014, due to Global Warming, Cherokee County, Oklahoma become their new Northern Boundary.
Muscadines are a wild grape, native to the Southern United States. They have a wonderful, full, floral flavor, and a pleasant aroma, unlike European varieties of table grapes that are mostly water.
Muscadines don't grow in long, tight, clusters, but instead, form loose 'bunches' all along the fruiting vines. This allows for spectacular fruit development. Some varieties, such as "Black Beauty" or "Black fry" or even the bronze colored, "Early Fry" can sometimes attain a diameter of 1 1/4" inches.
Since Muscadine grapes were derived from wild grapes, they need very little care or use of pesticides or fertilizers. That means they can be grown organically, with good success.
The thing that brought these fruits to the forefront of my gardening interests was a chance encounter with a man at the Tahlequah Farmers Market this past Saturday morning, who had brought 200 pounds of freshly harvested Muscadine grapes with him that were grown about 20 miles South of Wagoner, Oklahoma. He sold out of them by about 11:30 am with sales tallying close to $1,000.00
People in our area are hungry for these kinds of fruit, and now it seems, it's possible to grow them here; so why not give it a try?
I have been growing Muscadines here on my farm, for about 4 years now. The variety I grow is called "Noble". It is a marble size, black, Muscadine that packs a great deal of flavor and is very hardy. I was not aware until this weekend, that the larger varieties would flourish here as well.
You can bet that just as soon as Ison's Nursery, over in Georgia starts accepting Fall Orders, I'll be on their waiting list to buy some "black Beauty" and "Black Fry" Muscadine Grapevines to add to my permaculture plantings of Pawpaw trees, Papershell Pecans, Elderberries, Apples, Pears, and Peaches.
These are my, "Noble" variety Muscadines, growing unattended along the North end of my hog pen fence (on the outside of the fence, of course) but nonetheless, unattended, and happy as can be, just to have a fence to grow on. They will turn dark purple, to nearly a black color by mid-October and be a really special Fall treat every time I go walking by.
Muscadines are a wild grape, native to the Southern United States. They have a wonderful, full, floral flavor, and a pleasant aroma, unlike European varieties of table grapes that are mostly water.
Muscadines don't grow in long, tight, clusters, but instead, form loose 'bunches' all along the fruiting vines. This allows for spectacular fruit development. Some varieties, such as "Black Beauty" or "Black fry" or even the bronze colored, "Early Fry" can sometimes attain a diameter of 1 1/4" inches.
Since Muscadine grapes were derived from wild grapes, they need very little care or use of pesticides or fertilizers. That means they can be grown organically, with good success.
The thing that brought these fruits to the forefront of my gardening interests was a chance encounter with a man at the Tahlequah Farmers Market this past Saturday morning, who had brought 200 pounds of freshly harvested Muscadine grapes with him that were grown about 20 miles South of Wagoner, Oklahoma. He sold out of them by about 11:30 am with sales tallying close to $1,000.00
People in our area are hungry for these kinds of fruit, and now it seems, it's possible to grow them here; so why not give it a try?
I have been growing Muscadines here on my farm, for about 4 years now. The variety I grow is called "Noble". It is a marble size, black, Muscadine that packs a great deal of flavor and is very hardy. I was not aware until this weekend, that the larger varieties would flourish here as well.
You can bet that just as soon as Ison's Nursery, over in Georgia starts accepting Fall Orders, I'll be on their waiting list to buy some "black Beauty" and "Black Fry" Muscadine Grapevines to add to my permaculture plantings of Pawpaw trees, Papershell Pecans, Elderberries, Apples, Pears, and Peaches.
These are my, "Noble" variety Muscadines, growing unattended along the North end of my hog pen fence (on the outside of the fence, of course) but nonetheless, unattended, and happy as can be, just to have a fence to grow on. They will turn dark purple, to nearly a black color by mid-October and be a really special Fall treat every time I go walking by.
