Enjoy this backyard vineyard fruit native to the south.
Late-summer days bring vines filled with muscadines, their perfume sweetening the air.
Lucky for Greg, he has all four.
Muscadines have lots of names—they are also called scuppernongs, bullis, and even swamp grapes.Credit: Helen Norman
However, these backyard vines might be delicious for people, but they areharmful to pets.
Also, in certain conditions, this plant can be an invasive species.
They also prefer deep, fertile, well-drained soil with a slightly acidic pH.
This plant is considered invasive in some areas as it will climb over most obstructions to reach more sunlight.
Light
Muscadines need at least six hours of full sunlight daily.
Soil
Plant muscadines in well-draining soil as it will not tolerate soggy growing conditions.
Position near a trellis and keep the soil moist while establishing roots.
It’s worst to water-log muscadine roots, so aim for about one-inch of water every week.
After developing, these vines are relatively drought-tolerant.
Temperature and Humidity
Muscadines grow in full sun and warm climates.
Fertilizer
Do not fertilize when planting.
A balanced fertilizer (10-10-10) is enough for mature vines in late winter or early spring.
Avoid placing it near the vine’s trunk.
Do not exceed a pound of fertilizer yearly.
This variety includes:
Pruning
Muscadines have beautiful, coarse leaves that emerge in late spring.
They begin ripening at the end of summer.
you’re able to pick individual grapes or clusters.
After they finish fruiting in late fall, their foliage turns a beautiful shade of gold.
Remove any fruit left on the vines.
Trim the vines in late winter using pruning shears.
To prune muscadines, remove unnecessary shoots or spurs.
For best results, prune in the winter between November and February.
One way to help these vines is to leave pruning for the latest time possiblearound February.
The extra foliage will help protect the vine.
Grape root borers attack the vine below the ground, making them particularly dangerous to muscadines.
Vines can develop powdery mildew and angular leafspot.
This fungus typically appears in the mid to late season.
