Muscadine Grapes: Everything You Need To Know About Growing Muscadine Grapes

Muscadine grapes are one of the easiest fruiting plant options for the backyard home gardener. They are native to the southern parts of the USA which means they grow very easily and produce a lot without much care. They also don't have many diseases or pest issues. That is why I recommend this as a fruit crop option for beginner gardeners. And there are so many uses for them - they can be used to make juice, jellies, eaten fresh, or used to make wine.

Muscadine grapes work very well in permaculture and food forest type settings as they are perennial plants that will produce for 20 years or more. If your looking for edible plants that produce a high volume of food to help you be more self sustainable, I cant recommend muscadine grapes enough. Depending on the cultivar, you can expect a mature muscadine grape vine to produce on average 35lbs of grapes per year. To give you an idea, one year I harvested 20lbs of grapes from 2 fairly newly planted vines which was enough to make 12- 8oz jars of jelly which is MORE than enough to provide a years worth of my households need of jelly. The next year I harvested 27lbs of grapes and decided to make muscadine grape wine, which yielded around 9 gallons of finished wine. Tutorial coming soon about how to make muscadine grape wine. 

Check out the video version of this grow guide here:

Lets discuss cultivar selection and how muscadine grapes compare to table grapes (which are bunching grapes best for fresh eating because they have thin crisp edible skins) or how they compare with grapes used to make wine.

There are two types of categories within the grape or "Vitus" family.

Vitis vinifera: Typically refers to European wine grapes specifically bred to to make sweet and strong wine. These grapes are smaller, have lots of seeds, thicker skins, and more juice compared to table grapes. They are not that great for fresh eating.

Vitis labrusca: Typically refers to grocery store table bunching grapes and juice grapes like the concord grape. They are sweet, have minimal seeds if any, and the skins are thin and crisp so you can eat the whole thing. They are also bred to have more pulp versus juice. Table grapes have less acidity and also less sugar than a wine grape. It is also said that seedless grapes are less sweet than seeded grapes.

Vitis rotundifolia: Typically refers to muscadine grapes. Muscadine grapes are used to make jellies, juice, and wines. They have thicker skins which are not usually the best for fresh eating. The skins have higher amounts of tannins which can partake a bitter flavor. However, in recent years, a lot of universities have bred new cultivars of muscadine grapes that have thinner skins with less tannins so you can eat the whole thing. These grapes also have a few large seeds in the middle that are easy to spit out. 

Pierce's Disease: Another difference between the grapes is disease resistance. Pierce's disease is a major bacterial disease that affects grape plants growing in the Southern parts of the USA. This disease clogs the water conducting vessels of table and wine grapes and there is no cure. Muscadine grapes are not affected by this disease. This is why you see muscadine grapes being grown all over the southern parts of the USA versus table or European wine grapes which grow better up North.

Production: There are big differences in production across the grape cultivars. A mature muscadine grape vine (at minimum of 4 years old), can produce on average 35lbs of grapes per year compared to just 8lbs of table grapes.

Fertility: There are some important differences between fertility among muscadine grapes. Wild muscadine grapes and some of the common cultivars, require other plants to cross pollinate. Individual plants are either completely female or completely male. Therefore, a female plant requires a male plant to be nearby in order to cross pollinate. Only the female vines produce fruit. The male plants are just there to provide pollen. However, a lot of the newer cultivars have been bred to be self fertile. This is an important feature to check for when deciding on what plant you should buy. The home backyard gardener or a gardener with limited space should focus on self fertile varieties to maximize production with fewer plants. The self fertile cultivars have an increased production of 40-50% compared to non-self fertile varieties. An example of a self fertile variety is 'Alachua". Grapes are medium size and very dark purple. It makes great juice, can be eaten fresh, and makes good wine. 18% sugar. Produces Sept-Oct.

Color: The most common muscadine grape is dark purple but it also comes in bronze, pink, and black. The bronze colored muscadine grapes are sometimes referred to as scuppernongs. A unique colored muscadine grapes is called "Triumph" - it has a pinkish bronze color. It is good for fresh eating. Self fertile. 17% sugar. Harvest in August.

Grape size: Muscadine grapes can range from 1/4 inch to 1.5 inch in diameter depending on the cultivar. One of the largest muscadine grape cultivars is called "Supreme". Grapes can be as big as 1.5 inches. Supreme grapes have crisp skins and are very sweet at 22%, making them a favorite for fresh eating. However a down side is that it is a female/male plant which means they need additional plants to cross pollinate with. Usually Supreme is ready for harvest between Aug-Sept.

Sweetness: The sugar content of grapes is measured by percent or using a Brix refractometer which is a small tool that uses a prism to measure the amount of sugar in a various fruits. Two of the sweetest muscadine grapes include "Fry"- good for fresh market and produces very large bronze grapes. Plants are female/male. 21% sugar. "Supreme" mentioned before is a 22% sugar dark purple/black grape.

Skin thickness: Thickness of the skin varies across the cultivars with some being more thick than others. A great variety that has thinner skins making it favorable for fresh eating is "Southern Home". This one is very unique because it is a hybrid between the European wine grapes and a muscadine grape. So it produces grapes in bunches like table grapes. Self Fertile. 18% sugar. Harvest Sept-Oct.

Fresh eating: Muscadine grapes have thick skins which is why a lot of people don't like to eat them fresh like table grapes. "Blanc Du Bois" was developed by the University of Florida to be consumed as a table grape or it can be used to make wine. It produces light green colored grapes. It ripens very early in July compared to other muscadines. Self fertile. Harvest July. 'Delicious" is another muscadine bred to be eaten fresh but is very dark purple almost black in color. It is famous for being a heavy producer. Self fertile. Harvest in August.

Wine making: If you want to make wine, some cultivars are known to be better than others. A really great wine option is called "Noble" which is a dark purple muscadine. Many agree that is it the best muscadine to make red wine. Its color holds up long as it ages and the flavor is not as "musky" like most muscadine grapes. Self fertile. 18% sugar. Harvest September. "Blanc Du Bois", this one is very popular when making white wines.

Harvest period: It is a good idea to have a mix of muscadine cultivars that produce at different times of the year to extend the season. For example, Blanc Du Bois is usually ready for harvest in July. Delicious is ready in August. And then choose one of the late season maturing varieties like Southern Home which produces from September to October, so you can harvest muscadine grapes over a 4 month period.

Ideal Growing Conditions For Muscadine Grapes

Sun: Muscadine grapes need full sun, 8 hours or more to produce optimally.

Soil: The ideal soil is loamy but on the sandy side. I planted my muscadines grapes in a mound of pure compost. It is important to select a spot that doesn't flood and has good drainage. If the root system sits in water for a long period of time, it will cause root rot and kill the entire plant.

Water: Once established, muscadine grape vines are tough and drought tolerant. Mulch to keep the root system cooler and maintain more consistent water levels. Allow the soil to dry in between watering. It is very important that vines get adequate water while the grapes are forming, which is May through June. When grapes are near to being ripe, its important to back off on watering starting in August so they can develop more sugar content. Try to use drip irrigation to water your plants because over head watering causes wet leaves and increases the incidence of diseases.

Cold Hardiness: An established muscadine grape vine can tolerate down to 10F. But they really thrive in the heat and are recommended for growing in the south zones 7 and up.

Spacing: If your growing more than one muscadine grape plant, space them at least 10FT apart. They get really big. Depending on the cultivar, they can grow 25FT in one season.

Vertical Structures / Trellis: There are so many options when it comes to building a vertical structure for muscadine grapes to grow on. Mine are growing over a 8FT x 8FT gazebo. I have two plants, one on each side. They look gorgeous as a focal point on a pergola or arch. They can be used to cover fences but just keep in mind they go dormant during the winter and lose their leaves. So might not be the best option for a privacy hedge.

In commercial settings and U-pick farms, grapes are grown in long rows, along wires that are strung between posts. They are shorter trellis systems, about 5 to 6FT tall, to make it easier to reach and harvest all of the grapes. I have seen some people plant muscadine grapes and blackberries even, in really big thick heavy duty plastic pots that are growing up against a wire trellis system. The pots were placed above weed blocking material to keep the area weed free.

How To Plant A Muscadine Grape Vine

If you purchased a plant that is smaller than a 1 gallon size - then I recommend you plant it in a 1 gallon sized pot and grow it out for a little bit. I have a tendency to forget about newly small plants, especially when its time to mow the lawn. Just fill a pot with potting mix and plant it. When you start to notice roots coming out of the bottom of the drainage holes, gently lift the plant up to check how developed the root system is. If the roots wrap around the whole container, then its ready to be transplanted outdoors.

To plant a 1 gallon or larger sized plant, build a round mound about 2FT tall and 3FT wide and plant the vine in the middle. This is to protect the tree from poor drainage which will cause root rot. Planting fruit trees in mounds lifts the plant up and protects it from excess water. I use compost to build my mound. Add a handful of some fertilizer to give it a boost. I really like to use Espoma brand Citrus tone for all of my fruiting trees and plants. Mix it up with the soil and plant the vine.

Muscadine Grape Vine care Tips

Pruning: Pruning is VERY important to get good production. Pruning methods will vary depending on how your growing them. In the first year, it is advised to select the thickest healthiest vine branch, and train that one to be the main stem or "cordon". Once the cordon reaches a certain height, you cut the tip to promote two side branches. Ideally these branches should grow horizontally, but that's not exactly possible if your growing up a gazebo or arch. Just try your best.

The most important thing to know about punning muscadine grapes no matter how your growing them, is that it will produce grapes on the current years growth. So it is advised to heavily prune your muscadine grapes in early winter (like January) while its dormant. When spring arrives, it will start putting on a lot of new stem growth which is where the flowers and grapes will form. Also, the further away a bunch of muscadine grapes is from the main cordon/trunk, the smaller they get. For that reason, it is advised to keep vines no longer than 10FT long so they stay close to the main cordon. Your not hurting the plant, your helping it put on new healthy growth and stay productive. Vines age and decline in production. 

Fertilizer: Muscadine vines don't require much in terms of fertilizer.
During the first year - Fertilize each plant with 1/4 lb of 10-10-10 in April to encourage lots of new growth. Apply the fertilizer in bands in a circular patter about 1 foot around the base of the vine. Repeat in June and in August.

During the 2nd year - Apply 1 to 2 lb of fertilizer per vine in March and again in June/July.

Third year and beyond - Apply 3 to 4 lb of fertilizer per vine in March and again in June/July.

Pests: Muscadine grapes don't have that many pest issues. Monitor for any aphids which like to suck the juices out of the tender new green growth. I usually get a few clusters of black aphids. They usually go away after a hard spray of water from my water hose. If the situation was really bad, then I would spray with organic insecticidal soap.

Critters: Animals and other critters might be the biggest threat to your muscadine grapes because they love to eat them. This can be challenging to control sometimes. Try to plant your grape vines as far away from wooded areas as possible.

Diseases: Muscadine grapes are native to the southern parts of the USA, have adapted to our climate, and are immune to a lot of diseases. If you get some powdery mildew or leaf spot, spray with 1 cup hydrogen peroxide per gallon of water. In some instances, although not very common, muscadine grape vines can get one of several types of "rots" which affect the grapes. It causes them to drop off the vine and dry out. It is caused by various different pathogens and can be difficult to control. I recommend spraying the vines with horticultural oil over the winter to suppress these types of pathogens.

Harvest: The time of the year when muscadine grapes are ready to harvest will vary greatly across the different cultivars so its important to do your research so your prepared. Grapes are ready to harvest when they start to give a little when squeezed. Most of the time you harvest muscadine grapes in two separate harvests. During the first round, many grapes are ready for harvest but some are not. So there is a second harvest to collect the grapes that were not ready the first time around. You can pull each individual grape off the vine or harvest them in bunches.

If you pull off each individual grape, their point at which it attaches to the vine is open to the air so they wont have a long shelf life. This is called a "wet scar". It is recommended to refrigerate the grapes, especially the ones with a "wet scar" so they last longer. I love to wash and freeze the grapes and then process them all in one day. 

Comparison Of Muscadine Grape Cultivars