Grape Advice, Please

Fruit is expensive. Organic fruit is very expensive. At least I think so.  I understand why.  I just wish it wasn't so.

This is why we are on a quest to grow as much fruit as we can.  Growing it ourselves means it's way cheaper and organic but it's not as easy as it sounds- so we're finding out.

We have a mature pear tree.  If a late frost doesn't kill the blossoms, we get a tree full of small, fairly sour (but still delicious) pears. Yeah for pears.

We have a mature sour cherry tree that was half taken out in a wind storm when a larger tree fell on it.  We get a few cherries each year now (enough for 4-5 pies) if there isn't a late frost and if we get to the cherries before the birds do.

We have several wild mulberries trees which, try as we might, we just don't enjoy their fruit that much.  At least they lure the birds away from the sour cherry tree a bit.

We have three teenage peach trees.  Two years ago, all the blossoms froze which meant no peaches.  Last year there were about 50 peaches on those three trees (combined) and the night before we planned to pick them something ate every. single. one.  We're thinking ground hogs.  This year we have a plan to fend off the ground hogs but we think a frost got the blossoms.

the lone peach we picked last year before they all disappeared

We have Red Heritage red raspberry bushes.  They bear twice a year and are wonderful.  Thank you, God, for red raspberries.  We also have wild black raspberries and wine berries.  These are wonderful, too.

We have strawberries.  Our crop this year looks less than stellar so we planted 25 more this spring. When they grow, they are wonderful as well.

We planted blueberry bushes (15 of them) last spring.  They are all still alive even though the pH isn't quite where it should be yet (we're working on that).  A harsh but necessary pruning makes them look not much bigger than they were last year but we're still hoping to get a few handfuls of berries this year again and many more in the future.  We net the blueberries to keep the birds from eating them.

We have two very young sweet cherry trees which aren't producing enough to net (yet).

We have two very young nectarine trees.  We also have seven young apples trees (as well as some lovely crab apple trees that we moved to the front of our yard and enjoyed very much this spring- their blossoms are gorgeous).

At the rate we're going, if there are no late frosts and we can keep the birds and ground hogs (and other pests) at bay, in about 5 years when our kids are teenagers (or close to it) we should be swimming in fruit.

Or at least that's the plan.

So now we want to plant grapes.  We've gotten copious amounts of concord grapes in the past from a generous neighbor and we've enjoyed the jam, juice and pie filling that comes from them but we're learning that we're not really juice people.  We enjoy whole fruits.  And jam and pie filling require a lot of sugar. Hence, eating grapes are our goal.

All this to say (my, how I beat around the bush) we'd love any advice regarding growing grapes you can pop in your mouth (preferably without seeds): varieties you like, pest issues that arise, what you think of seedless, if you preserve them and how, etc. I know there is an incredible amount of wisdom among you dear readers. It may also help to know what growing zone you're in.  Here is a map that will help you if you're not sure (click on your state for a better view).  I'd love to hear your experience no matter where you live.

I'd also like to hear about what fruit you grow or any fruit plans you have. And any fruit stories that might go along with that ;-). Pin It