If growing on a wire, optimum distance between vines is 20 feet in the row and at least 15 feet between rows. Some varieties are more vigorous like Darlene. Others are more like Big Red with 6 to 8 feet of new growth per year. Either way, you can maintain them with pruning on 20 ft spacing. I have my muscadines on 16 feet between posts in the row and 15 feet between rows. As the vines get larger, it is difficult to maintain this spacing. It is almost impossible for me to control Darlene as it keeps growing over the vine next to it.
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i played around with grafting this year. I had the most success with approach grafting. Although I did have success with cleft grafting as well (just not as high a success rate). If your set on grafting, try some approach grafts with new season growth in early summer. wait at about 5 weeks before cutting approaches apart.
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Thank you Odin for sharing your experiences!
I never thought about approach grafting. That’s brilliant. I actually observed this type of “grafting” happened naturally on a maple tree here. Two branches growing in the same direction actually merge into one. It makes so much sense now for muscadines. I will definitely try it out this summer.
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When would I plant muscadines- in the spring, or if they are shipped early, now? I live in mid-Maryland. I am trying to figure out what I order and for when. I think I’ve settled on Ison, Lane and Southern Home. Any issues with mildews? I did read Noble was more susceptible and decided not to bother with more of a wine type.
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Our weather is different but this is how I would proceed in central Alabama. If the vines arrive in a dormant state without any buds growing I would plant as soon as it is convenient. You can also keep the vines in a cold area and plant at a later date. If the vines have broken dormancy and showing any growth I would wait until the risk of freezing has past and keep in a location where they won’t freeze. If the vines are bare root and leafing you should put them in a pot with potting soil until they can be safely planted. This is how I would proceed.
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Thanks, that’s about what I thought to do for planting. Everything that I decided to order is shipping at a weird time for me. Either too early or very late.
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Losing your only self-fertile vine can set you back a couple of years, so I have chosen to have 2 of each, just in case.
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Good advice. I started our with one self fertile variety and rooted a backup. When I added another self fertile variety the females appeared to be better pollinated and fruited more.
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@Cabescove @Auburn
Thank you both! That is a very good point. I should have at least 2 self- fertiles as insurance.
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I have a couple of muscadine vines in and am planning to add a couple more. But I am suddenly very aware that I will see the spotted lanternfly in my near future, possibly not this year, but it is clear they are spreading and will be here soon. I understand they have been pretty tough on some vineyards in PA.
Does anyone know how damaging them may be to muscadines and/or if they are drawn to them in particular? They may not be in any muscadine growing areas yet, so maybe there isn’t much info. I was hoping to avoid needing to spray muscadines with insecticides, but this invader might be an issue.
https://extension.psu.edu/spotted-lanternfly-management-in-vineyards
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I had both Hunt and Roanoke muscadine grapes near Tacoma Washington years ago . They survived OK
but didn’t even bloom until mid July .
By the season end
Neither one was ripe, or just barely starting to get any sugar in the fruits.
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I received mine last year - but it was too too early - or too too late (depending on how you look at it!) to plant them where I wanted them permanently. And besides - my arbor/trellis system was not in place yet. So - I heeled them in - in a raised bed in my vegetable garden. They thrived a bit too well there! But, no harm done. We carefully extracted the roots, trimmed them back a bit, and planted them in the spring.
I would have preferred to have planted them where they belonged, in the fall - and let the roots have the winter to get established. But . . . it’s usually not a perfect world with fruit. I’m learning that!
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