When should I expect these to ripen here in NYC? I have problems with some shriveling ( which I think may be related to these bee looking bugs feeding on them) but others are turning pretty pink. I tasted a couple today and they tasted more like Concord grapes than red table grapes, so I assume they are not yet ripe.
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Reliance, Is this the most problem free grape in Southeast, United States? If not which grape is? Not a fan of spray schedules with the exception of Glystar around base of trees.
Also, Are they demanding of a lot of water? Anyone know or grow reliance in the group?
The most problem free grapes are muscadines. Then comes some seeded vinifera hybrids. Reliance is seedless and is somewhat more disease prone than the best seedless hybrids. AA Vineyards used to have a chart on their website listing susceptibility of various grapes to diseases but I can’t find it now. Here is a copy I squirreled away.
Vine_Variety_2002-03.pdf (10.4 KB)
Grapes need water more at the start when getting established, but not after that. I don’t water mine ever.
I have grown Reliance for some time, I prefer the new U Ark grapes and Jupiter in terms of flavor but its still a fine grape. All I spray on my grapes is one dormant copper, and myclobutanil at about 6" shoots. If you are willing to do that you can grow most of the hybrid grapes. If you don’t want to spray at all you need to stick to muscadines.
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Thanks Scott, very much so.
I also grow Reliance. After trying many years of no spray or just copper spray I have up and sprayed immunox this year.
I don’t like the texture of Reliance. Not crunchy enough for me. I like crunchy sweet grapes but haven’t found one yet.
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Thanks Susu, I have a few Reliance I am looking at adding soon. May be too late in year temp wise though.
I love reliance- they are my favorite tasting grape of the 6 varities that I grow. But to answer @zazlev’s question (or to second Scott’s answer) they are most certainly not the most trouble free grapes…in fact, they are the hardest of all my grapes to grow. THe plants always seem like they are struggling a little bit- they don’t grow as fast or nearly as much as my other varieties. And they are preferred 10 to 1 by birds!!! This isn’t just my casual observation- I’ve seen lots of people say this and many suggest it has to do with the low acidity, but I don’t know the reason. But they most definately get picked off faster than any others. Bugs also hit the vines harder than my other grapes. I used to rarely get any myself until I started protecting them with nets and increasing my sprays. Reliance is ESPECIALLY prone to black rot. @scottfsmith once predicted that black spot would find its way to my grapes about 4 years after I started them, and just like clock work it barely started in my 3rd year but arrived in force in my 4th year and wiped me out. The good news is Scott also told me to use myclobutanil (immunox) and it is the most miraculous cure for anything I’ve ever seen. For 2 years I lost almost all my grapes. I started spraying myclo and it 100% eliminated it the following year (or kept it at bay- eliminated may be the wrong word).
Reliance is also my first ripe grapes of the year. As for water, I’ve never watered my grapes nor seen any sign that Reliance needed any more water than others. I can also tell you that for all the complaints I just listed, I like the taste so much that I just added more reliance this year. so it is good.
BTW…I’ve tried 2 varieties of muscadines and both have frozen over the winter…but I’m sure there most be more cold hrdy varieties since it probably is as cold or colder where Scott lives and he says they work well for him.
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That’s really great info Kevin and I appreciate it. The Post PX has a couple for $10 each I have been eyeing.
Glad to help. I know you aren’t a fan of spraying but since you live in my area, I’m willing to bet that almost any grape you get will eventually get Black rot and require spraying. But you don’t have to spray a whole lot (often) and as I said, it is extremely effective. Overall grapes are one of my most dependable way of getting some fruit every year, and I enjoy them fresh and especially love making grape juice concentrate that I can and later on add water and make the best grape juice in the world! So I encourage you to grow some grapes if you don’t already!
BTW…invitation still stands for you to come see my orchard some time this year!
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Seems like adding some grapes is a great idea and the spraying is not too bad. I will be adding some soon. Again, I really appreciate your feedback and look forward to meeting you out at your orchard. One of these days after work ends at 4pm I would like to head up thataways. Whatever day is best for you. This week, next week or a future week. Just let me know. 
I’d love to have you. I’ve got company coming this weekend for a long (maybe a little too long if you know what I mean ha) memorial day weekend. Thursday and Friday’s are always best, and Wednesdays are doable. So just about any week after this works for me. I’m afraid I won’t have much fruit to see this year thanks to the late freezes. But you are welcomed to see my trees…the good, bad, and the ugly. It might be as good a lesson of what not to do as what TO DO, but maybe you could learn something either way! 
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Hahahaha!! Sounds good Kevin! Enjoy the holiday weekend. I will send you a PM some time soon and we can set something up.
How has everyone’s experience been with these after some more time? I have a sad Jupiter that was starting to pick up this summer and was hammered by the hooved rats of our neighborhood. Next year we will be fenced and hopefully avoiding the browse and I plan to spray the perimeter with homemade liquid fence.
Reliance cuttings have been offered to me and I’d like to have another variety to pair with Jupiter, it seems like a good option. There have been others I’ve tried to root but mistakes were made which I’ve learned from.
I have Reliance right next to my house where I can keep an eye on it and it gets better pruning. It produced abundantly, and the birds, squirrels and raccoons love it.
I prefer Jupiter, Einset and Sweet Seduction, but I’m not getting fruit from those up in my berry cage. They aren’t getting pruning and training due to priorities.
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The big problem with Reliance is getting them to ripen. Most years there is next to nothing, they just stay green.
Jupiters on the other hand ripen very reliably starting mid August. Same amounts of sun.
Pruning and fertilizer make no clear difference.
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I have my jupiter currently amongst some other things that will probably be netted so I should be able to get a few myself.
Good to know that. Being farther south from your location, maybe I’ll get better results? Hard to say, I guess I’ll just have to try!
Well, that may just be me somehow. I have not heard that much about Reliance ripening except that coloring can be problematic. But it seems that without coloring, they will be sour. Fully ripened they quite sweet and very tasty.
Critters like them just fine at the pale, sweet/tart stage 
It takes electric fencing to keep the raccoons out.