jettavwdrvr Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 This is my first year in my new house and I'm discovering all kinds of neat things growing and I've been getting a lot of wonderful surprises once everything starts to bloom. The previous owner sure had a green thumb! My newest discovery is behind my garage. I was walking with the dog back there the other day and decided to check out the bunch of vines (that I thought were weeds) and found a TON of muscadine grapes growing. How exciting! There are many many bunches of green grapes with a few turning purple. Anyone have any tips on how to tell when they are ready to be harvested and how to prevent the birds and squirrels from feasting on them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lavender Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 I've never had birds and squirrels eat my grapes. The deer however love them! Muscadines drop from the cluster when they are ripe. I also don't think they are hardy here so you live elsewhere, yes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jettavwdrvr Posted July 23, 2008 Author Share Posted July 23, 2008 Yes - I live in South Carolina. I read online that it is easy to put a tarp or sheet on the ground and shake the vines to get the grapes to drop. So I should not pick them? Or can I clip off the cluster when they turn purple? I'd hate to have them drop off and not get to them in time. I guess I'll be watchful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steelnut Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 Yes - I live in South Carolina. I read online that it is easy to put a tarp or sheet on the ground and shake the vines to get the grapes to drop. So I should not pick them? Or can I clip off the cluster when they turn purple? I'd hate to have them drop off and not get to them in time. I guess I'll be watchful. Hubby's best friend lives in Alabama and he's supposed to bring up some for us to make wine. His buddy says they makes great wine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lavender Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 The only grapes that I have been able to grow are Concords. They pretty much ripen all at once and you pick the cluster. If I had to pick grapes that ripened a few on each cluster at a time I'd pick them like huckleberries. You run your fingers through the cluster and what is ripe falls into it. I guess you could shake them off onto a sheet depending on how many you have and how ripe they are. Let us know how they taste. I've heard that they have a very odd flavor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jettavwdrvr Posted July 23, 2008 Author Share Posted July 23, 2008 I will definitely let you what's up with the muscadines. I was going to go out tonight and check them out, but it's raining and storming like the dickens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest snellma Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 I used to think muscadines reminded me of a concord until I went back home and started picking concords again. They don't even come close. I tried making muscadine jelly and it was the nastiest thing I have ever tasted. There are green ones and purple ones. I have heard that they make good wine, but I hate wine so I will never know. Personally - I can't stand them. Most people who were raised in the south love them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petee Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/muscadinegrape.html I'd leave a drop cloth there, shake the tree and pour off the grapes into a bucket once every day or two. The only real grape pests we get here are Japanese Beetles and birds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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