New Grape Plant

[Starlight]

I was looking at this months catalog of some of the new varieties being introduced and see there is a new grape out called Pinot Meunier Purple Pixie Grape.

Has anybody purchased and grown it yet? It looks to be interesting, especially for those of us folks that have to grow in containers.

The article say that Pixie Grape is the first true dwarf . It is supposed to produce clusters of miniature grapes continually. For height, it is not supposed to get more than 2 feet tall and a foot wide with a sweet, tart flavor.

The picture of a massive cluster of the small grapes in a what looks like not much more than a one gallon container, is very appealing.

I was wondering if it would be a good one to try.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Starlight

I was looking at this months catalog of some of the new varieties being introduced and see there is a new grape out called Pinot Meunier Purple Pixie Grape.

Has anybody purchased and grown it yet? It looks to be interesting, especially for those of us folks that have to grow in containers.

The article say that Pixie Grape is the first true dwarf . It is supposed to produce clusters of miniature grapes continually. For height, it is not supposed to get more than 2 feet tall and a foot wide with a sweet, tart flavor.

The picture of a massive cluster of the small grapes in a what looks like not much more than a one gallon container, is very appealing.

I was wondering if it would be a good one to try.

Sweet tart flavor is an oxymoron, it is like saying a sharp dull knife.
Are you sure you cant grow a standard grape?
What do you want out of a grape, do you want a table grape you can eat out of hand that is sweet.
If so I prefer the black grapes.

You can grow grapes in a very small area by pruning them back every year.

Worth

[Starlight]

I really haven't tried here. I have some Muscadines and they really struggle here.

What do you want out of a grape, do you want a table grape you can eat out of hand that is sweet.

Yes, I do. I usually get the white sweet seedless grapes from the store and eat them instead of and like candy.

I was thinking more about the fact that these are able to be grown in containers and would maybe be easy to keep the birds and squirrels and deer from getting to them.

Plus the area where I would have enough room to put in vines, I can't. I don't plant any food crops in that section because the lines ( forget what you call them) from the septic tank off the trailer go back there.

When we was kids, my great-grandmother grew some of the best tasting dark grapes. It was worth getting bee and spider bites to pick them. Wish I had some of those vines right now.

[BigVanVader]

Odd that muscadine isn't doing well there. They are a true wild grape that have no issues here in my region. About as bulletproof a plant as one could imagine. I would compare its vigor to kudzu as once established it walks the line of invasive weed.

[Worth1]

I just want to clear something up.
Are we talking about the true muscadine or what some people call possum or mustang grapes.

Worth

[BigVanVader]

I'm referring to Vitis rotundifolia, the true muscadine which grows wild all over the Carolinas.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by BigVanVader

I'm referring to Vitis rotundifolia, the true muscadine which grows wild all over the Carolinas.

Okay that is right now Starlight how about you?
Not trying to sound like a jerk here, just trying to get everyone on the same page.

Worth

[Starlight]

Originally Posted by BigVanVader

Odd that muscadine isn't doing well there. They are a true wild grape that have no issues here in my region. About as bulletproof a plant as one could imagine. I would compare its vigor to kudzu as once established it walks the line of invasive weed.

Now we have these vines all over the place. Woods are loaded with them. Bunch of duds. They do grow like Kudzu, but they never produce anything. They just sort of suffocate what ever is in their path. Sorry, the pic is off back porch. Have a rattler that hangs in that area so not getting close.

I was going to cut back all the vines early spring than got busy with tomatoes and forgot til it had exploded everywhere. Now I have to wait til winter and the snakes are hibernating before I'll step foot back there to pull them out. One of those sure wish I hadn't put off things.

Originally Posted by Worth1

I just want to clear something up.
Are we talking about the true muscadine or what some people call possum or mustang grapes.

Worth

What cute names. Never heard muscadines referred to those names before.

I don't know what I have in the back that produces. It was something I think the birds brought in. It makes bronze colored types grapes with what looks like darker little spots on them that are sweet. At least I think it is a muscadine. I was going to pull it one day as it was all vined through the Beauty Berry tree I have for the birds and as I went to cut I noticed all the fruits, so I just left the two to continue to grow together and I duck under and around to pick.

Now about 10 years ago I did buy two good sized plants of a named muscadine and planted them. Got them from a very reputable company. Said I didn't need a male and female for this kind. Been to long so I don't remember the name.

Three years and I had a few scraggly leaves. All these years later and maybe have about 3 feet of vine still only a few kinda cripsy, yellowed leaves and no fruit.

I'm not very good with fruits even though I would love to grow them. Gotta learn sometime even if it means trying and trying again. At least my new fig is putting on new growth. Haven't killed it off so I am happy.

[Starlight]

Opps forgot the pic of the no fruit grape vines.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Starlight

What cute names. Never heard muscadines referred to those names before.

StarLight they shouldn't be.
The names mustang and possum grape should be reserved for the wild grapes we have here.
They are not sweet and can only be used for jelly with tons of sugar.
If you try to eat one from the vine it is horrible and will make your mouth burn from the skin.

The muscadine on the other hand doesn't grow like a regular grape and only puts on a few fruit per cluster.
They are huge and very sweet.
They are also native to the Americas and are practically immune to your normal grape diseases.

They also grow well in sorry soil.

Worth