Growing Delicious Concord Grapes



Posted: Friday, August 13, 2010

by Nate Buchanan

Growing Concord Grapes

The Concord grape is a variety that was developed in the Eastern United States during the 19 th Century. The skin of a Concord grape is typically dark blue or purple. The purple and black grapes have excellent nutritional value, since they harbor antioxidants and useful vitamins and minerals. That is why many people like to eat them straight from the vine when they are available .Concord grape skin can easily be separated from the fruit. It is a slip-skin variety. This kind of variety is often used to make grape jelly, grape juice, grape-flavored soft drinks and candies.

The Concord grape is a well know species. It is one of the best choices for a home vineyard. You can find this variety in most nurseries and it is successful grown by many commercial farmers. It is a member of a "Vitris Labrusca" family. Vitris Labrusca family is known to be host for many table and wine grape varieties. The Concord has a high sugar content that is suitable for making wine, but the main reason for most commercial growers of the Concord is food and juice production.

Growing Concord grapes is the same as growing other varieties. They need good soil and climate. Concord grapes thrive in soil rich with nutrients with an acidity level (pH rate) of about 6.0 to 6.5, although they may also live in leaner soil with pH levels ranging from 5.5 to 8.0. You need to plant your concord grapes in a spot where there's plenty of sun as they need warm temperatures to ripen.

Concord grapes can grow from seeds, but as most cultivated varieties, this will result in "sour grape", therefore most people prefer to plant cuttings or slips. Grapes thrives in a rich soil with good drainage. Compost and mulch can help a lot. Sun and grapes go together, so be sure and plant your vines in a location that gives them plenty of sunlight. Also, keep all other plants away from your grapevine to keep it strong as possible.

There are basic rules to growing Concord grapes. Do not allow the vine to bear fruit during the first two years. Pinch off the flowers in these early seasons. This will let the plant grow a strong root system and it will firmly establish itself. Firm establishment is very important so that it will healthy enough to produce fruit and will reproduce for over 40 years. You can allow some of the fruit to grow during the third season if the plant looks strong enough. Simply pinch off about 50% of the flowers and let the plant work on 50% of its capacity.

Black leaf is the most common disease associatied with the Concord variety. This plant disorder inhibits photosynthesis through the loss of chlorophyll. Black leaf, is commonly thought of as a potassium shortage. This causes the leaves on the vine to turn purple and eventually black. For wine growers this lack of chlorophyll inhibits the vine's ability to transmit sugar to the grape.

Grapes should be pruned in late winter, before the sap starts to rise. When you see the early spring blossoms, make sure you also prune off any weak spindly growth. More vines will grow from the end of the blossom, which should be pruned off at the third or fourth leaf.

Grapes change color well before they are ripe unlike other fruit. So you have to make sure that size and taste were examined before you pick them.

Growing the concord is not that difficult. It just needs your time and care. Just take the possible problems into consideration with this type of grape.
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