GROWING MUSCADINE GRAPES 



527 



14. Protecting Vines in Winter. Protect the vines in severe 

 climates by releasing them from the trellis and allowing them 

 to lie on the ground over winter. They may even be covered 

 lightly with soil, if the cold is intense. This treatment applies 

 to non-commercial regions where grapes are desired for home 

 use, and especially to Vinifera grapes in northeastern United 

 States. 



GROWING MUSCADINE GRAPES 



Muscadine (rotundifolia) grapes reach their highest perfection in the 

 coastal plains region of the South. They are vigorous, long-lived, and 

 remarkably free from insect and fungus troubles. 



They are not adapted to marketing as dessert grapes at a distance, 

 because the berries are inclined to ripen unevenly, the clusters are as a 

 rule small, and the berries when ripe shell or drop from the clusters 

 freely. Most varieties possess a strong musky taste. The fruit is adapted 

 to home use, for wine making, and culinary purposes. 



Propagation. Propagation may be from cuttings, when skillfully 

 handled, but reproduction from layers is the common procedure. It may 

 be more satisfactory to purchase the vines from a nursery. Two-year 

 rooted layers are desirable. 



Varieties. Thomas and Luola, black varieties, ripening in late 

 August; Scuppernong, white, of the same season; Flowers and Hunt, 

 black, ripening in late September, are the chief varieties. 



Planting Distances. Most varieties should be planted in rows about 

 15 feet apart and 20 to 24 feet apart in the row. They thus require 

 double the space of varieties of the Labrusca type. 



Sterility. The varieties are for the most part self-sterile, though 

 some self -fertile strains are now available ; pollination takes place from 

 the male vines, which produce staminate flowers, but no fruit. Male 

 vines abound as a rule in the woods and hedge rows, but it is best to 

 plant some rooted layers of staminate vines, which bloom heavily and at 

 the same time as the pistillate vines, in the vineyard. A satisfactory 

 arrangement is to have the third vine in every third row a male vine. 



Training and Pru7iing. A thtee-wire trellis is commonly used, except 

 when the vines are trained over arbors. The wires should be about 2 

 feet apart. 



Prune the vines from late October to late November. Later pruning 

 induces excessive bleeding. The method of pruning and training may 

 be very similar to that for bunch grapes. Regular pruning each year 

 should be the rule for the best results. 



