Most consumers are not familiar with the rich flavor of Muscat grapes. It is a cultivated taste, because the muscatel literally assaults the sense of smell and taste. The berries are sweet, full of complex flavors, and the fragrance is pleasant. So far all muscadines have some seeds. Fry seedless is mostly seedless, but production has been disappointing. Some older varieties had tough skins, but the toughness of the skin had been reduced through breeding. One day we should have a seedless muscatel worth planting. Most consumers are not familiar with the rich flavor of Muscat grapes. It is a cultivated taste.
Muscadines produce small clusters rather than large clusters, but they produce many, many clusters and mature vines have the potential to yield 15 tons per acre. Muscadines have little storage potential, so they are best used for juices, jellies, and wine or for local market and self-service sales.
Another factor to take into account when planting muscatel is pollination. Some varieties are self-fertile, meaning they produce both male and female flowers, while others only produce female flowers. In a single row, every third vine should be of the self-fertile type. In a larger planting, every third plant in every 3 rows should be self-fertile. Most of the superior varieties used to be female types, but with today’s selection of varieties, most of a vineyard could be planted with self-fertile varieties. The development of varieties with dry stem scar has also been very important in recent years. These varieties have much better storage potential.
Muscat grapes: soil and fertility
Muscadine grapes are native to much of the southeastern United States. This means they are a natural choice for the southern outfielder.
Muscadines tolerate wet soil, dry soil, and everything in between. They seem to prefer a slightly acidic, fertile, sandy loam soil with a high organic matter content. They do not like very wet or very alkaline soils. Iron chlorosis can be a serious problem if the soil pH is too high (above 7.5). It can be corrected with regular foliar applications of chelated iron. Try raised beds if the soils are too wet.
Muscadine grapes are native to the pine forests of the southeast, where temperatures rarely drop below 10 degrees Fahrenheit and rarely below 0 degrees Fahrenheit. The forest floor is covered with a thick layer of leaves and needles. In cultivation, they still seem to enjoy a thick layer of mulch to help regulate moisture levels and keep the soil cool during the heat of summer. Unlike other grapes, Muscats enjoy a moderate level of fertility. During the first few years, nitrogen is the only nutrient they require.
Fertilizer should be applied once each in early March, May, and July and placed 12 to 18 inches from the vines. Select only one fertilizer for each application. Once a vine is 4 years or older, it should receive 3 to 5 pounds of 8-8-8 or 13-13-13 fertilizer in early March. As soon as you see that the fruit has set, a nitrogen application should be applied.
Training and Pruning
Muscadine grapes should be planted during the dormant season (December to February). One and two year old plants are available, but two year old plants seem to be more vigorous. No soil preparation is needed for muscadines, but they do benefit from the application of organic mulch and require good drainage.
There are two main training systems that are commonly used to train Muscadines. The cordon system for muscatel is similar to that used for grape clusters. One of the main differences is the spacing.
Muscadines are much more vigorous and require more space. In the cordon system, the plants are spaced 20 to 25 feet apart in the row, and the rows are spaced 10 to 12 feet apart. The other difference is the development of the stimulus. With bunches of grapes, select a 1-year-old sprig and prune back to the two shoots every six inches, but allow the spurs to branch until a mass of 6 to 8 spurs remain at each spur location. Each year the spur cluster is pruned back to 4 to 8 secondary spurs with 2 to 3 buds each. Remember also, when pruning spurs, that the grapes produce new growth from shoots on last year’s wood. Wood that is 2-3 years old will not produce like last year’s wood.
The other training system is the modified Geneva Double Curtain. This system uses 2 wires spaced approximately 4 feet apart at the top of 5 ½ to 6 foot posts. Vines can be planted 15 to 20 feet apart with rows spaced 10 to 12 feet apart.
The vines are guided to the top of the trellis and then encouraged to branch out, developing a T, where the spurs will originate. Each year, the vine is pruned to the side, leaving 4 spurs with 2 to 3 buds each. As growth begins in the spring, the strongest shoot on each spur is selected and allowed to grow up the assigned wire. As the vines grow, they will meet the adjacent vine somewhere in the middle. This type of spur pruning is easy to manage and seems to work well for Muscat grapes.
Harvest
Muscadine grapes are best harvested when fully ripe. Usually you will see a change in color and the fruit will start to soften slightly. Because the small bunches rarely ripen all at once, they are harvested by hand or with a catch frame (a lightweight cloth-covered frame), which is hung below the vines while the vines are shaken or pounded to dislodge the grapes. fruit. Harvesting will need to be done 2 to 3 times until all the fruit has been removed.
