Growing Grapes and
their uses
Rachel Peterson
Introduction
Grapes are the most common fruit and are also
the oldest cultivated plant throughout the world.
This presentation will define the grape and
inform you on the general information, nutritional
facts, and the many varieties of grapes. If your
pondering growing grapes here, in Wisconsin,
there is helpful information on how to do it and
problems that may occur. I explain the parts of
the plant, site selection, planting, pruning,
harvesting and picking, and diseases. Let’s start
out by asking, “What is a grape?”
Definition…
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Grape (grap),n. derived
from an Old French word
"grape," meaning
"bunch" or "cluster"; also
a kind of hook used to
harvest grapes. Compare
to the English word
"grapple."
General Information
Grapes do not continue to ripen after they have
been picked.
 Woody vine
 Perennial Portions:
*roots
*trunk
*perhaps cordons
 Compound buds
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More General Information…
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Grapes are about 80 percent water
Grapes also add fiber to the diet.
Red grapes are rich in quercetin, a newly discovered
anticancer agent that the University of California tab
studies have shown can suppress malignant cells before
they form tumors.
The mineral "boron" (found in apples, grapes, grape
juice and raisins) may retard bone loss in women after
menopause. Also, boron helps women on ERT (estrogen
replacement therapy) keep the estrogen in their blood
longer.
Nutritional Facts
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serving size 1 1/2 cups (138g/14.9oz)
Amounts Per Serving % Daily Value*
Calories 90
Calories from Fat 10
Total Fat og
Sodium 0mg 0%
Potassium 270mg 8%
Total Carbohydrate 24g 8%
Dietary Fiber 1g 2%
Sugars 23g
Protein 1g
Vitamin A 2%
Vitamin C 25%
Calcium 2%
Iron 2%
Varieties of Grapes
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Grapes come in three basic colors: green
(sometimes called white), red and blue-black.
More than 50 kinds of grapes are currently in
production.
Each variety has its own distinct color, taste,
texture and history.
Varieties of Grapes
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Perlette
The first grape of the
season, the Perlette is
light in color - almost
frosty green with a
translucent cast; the
berries are almost round.
Perlette means "little
pearl" in French.
Varieties of Grapes
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Sugraone
The Sugraone berry is
bright green and
elongated. The fruit
offers a light, sweet
flavor and a distinctive
crunch.
Varieties of Grapes
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Thompson Seedless
Almost everyone is
familiar with this grape's
light green color, oblong
berries, and sweet, juicy
flavor. The variety may
have originated in
southern Iran.
Varieties of Grapes
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Calmeria
This grape carries the
nickname "lady fingers,"
so called for its
elongated, light-green
and delicately sculpted
berries. A winter treat,
this seeded grape has a
mild, sweet flavor with
an unforgettable tang.
Varieties of Grapes
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Flame Seedless
The result of a cross
between Thompson
Seedless, Cardinal and
several other varieties,
the Flame Seedless is a
round, crunchy, sweet
grape with a deep-red
color.
Varieties of Grapes
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Red Globe
The large, remarkable
clusters of the Red Globe
contain plum-size seeded
berries. The Red Globe is
popular for both eating
and decorating during the
holiday season.
Varieties of Grapes
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Ruby Seedless
Grown commercially in
the San Joaquin Valley
(California) since 1968,
the Ruby Seedless is a
deep-red, tender-skinned
grape.
Varieties of Grapes
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Emperor
Large, deep-red clusters
and a lasting flavor
characterize this seeded
variety that was first
planted in California in
1863.
Varieties of Grapes
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Beauty Seedless
Originating in Davis,
California, this firm,
bluish-black grape has a
spicy taste and a tender
flesh. Beauty Seedless
ripens very early and
shows a distinctive bluegreen foilage.
Varieties of Grapes
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Exotic
Born in 1947 in Fresno,
California, Exotic's
berries are plump and
juicy and grow in long,
beautiful clusters. A cross
between the red Flame
Tokay and the Ribier, this
seeded grape is crisp and
mild in flavor.
Varieties of Grapes
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Ribier
This dark blue-black
seeded grape crossed the
Channel from Orleans,
France, in 1860. The
skins are firm and the
taste is mild.
Varieties of Grapes
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Fantasy Seedless
These blue-black sweet
berries are oval, thinskinned and firm.
Fantasy's conical clusters
have medium-sized
berries with pale green
flesh and a mellow
flavor.
Varieties of Grapes
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Marroo Seedless
Originating in Australia,
the Marroo Seedless is a
cross between the
Carolina Blackrose and
the Ruby Seedless.
Bluish-black in color, the
medium-large berries are
firm and juicy with a
mellow flavor.
Varieties of Grapes
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Niabell
This Concord-type
variety features thickskinned, round berries
ranging in color from
purple to black with an
earthy, rich flavor.
Growing Grapes
In Wisconsin
Parts of the Grape Plant
Site Selection and Preparation
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Grapes require full sunlight.
Adequate drainage and
moisture retention, required.
The best soils are loams or
sandy loams with added
organic matter.
Grapes grow best in soil with a
pH range of 5.5 to 6.5.
Rows should usually run north
to south. This allows the plants
gather the most sunlight and
less wind damage will occur.
Planting
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Plant your vines in early
spring (as early as you can
work the soil).
Grapes do not like weeds so
till the soil well to get rid of
competing weeds and grasses.
Dig a nice big hole so the roots
can spread out.
Plant in Spring or Summer.
Grapes need the summer heat
to develop and will produce
the best grapes late in the
season.
Planting, continued…
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If possible arrange the rows in a North-South orientation
to allow maximum exposure to the sun.
For backyard plantings, nine feet between rows is
suitable.
For larger plantings, ten feet is suitable.
Water newly planted vines every day.
Plant in straight rows for easier managability, and to
reduce trellis costs.
Spread the roots out when you plant, giving them room.
Once you plant the grape, prune it back to 3 buds
Pruning
Before pruning, an average grapevine may have 200
to 300 buds which are capable of producing fruit. If
the vine is left unpruned, the number of grape
clusters would be excessive. The vine would be
unable to ripen the large crop or sustain adequate
vegetative growth. The purpose of pruning is to grow
yields of high quality grapes and to allow better
growth for the following season.
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1) After pruning the first winter. The single cane is cut back and tied to the
lower wire.
(2) After pruning the second winter. Two new canes of four or five buds each
are tied on the bottom wire. A third new cane is tied up to the top wire and
cut off.
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(3) After pruning the third winter. Three of the arms (A) and the fruiting
canes (B) have been formed. A cane (C) with four or five buds is left to
establish the fourth arm.
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(4) A fully formed vine after pruning the fourth winter. The arms (A) should
be shorter than those shown. The vine consists of a single permanent trunk
(T), four semi permanent fruiting arms (A), four annual fruiting canes (F),
and four renewal spurs (S), with two buds on each.
Harvesting and Picking
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After 3 or 4 years each vine will produce 12-15 pounds of
grapes (about 45 bunches).
Wait until they separate easy from the seeds to pick.
Pick on a dry day, wet grapes spoil quickly.
Diseases
Like people, plants can catch, spread and
suffer from various diseases also.
Here is some information on certain
diseases along with some solutions and
cures.
Rootworm Damage to Grape Roots
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Species of a leaf beetle
Seriously damages commercial
vineyards
Larvae~ (according to the
Webster dictionary) is the
immature, wingless, and often
wormlike feeding form that
hatches from the egg of many
insects, alters chiefly in size
while passing through several
molts, and is finally
transformed into a pupa or
chrysalis from which the adult
emerges
Rootworm, continued…
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Produces only one generation a year
Begins as an egg which is deposited under the bark of
grape vines, by the adult female
It will spend nine to ten months in the immature larvae
stage in the soil feeding on roots
As an adult, it feeds on grape foliage
An insecticide can get rid of these pests.
Black Rot
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Rots fruit/turns it
black.
Leaves covered with
spots.
Use a fungicide.
Phylloxera
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Phylloxera is a yellow aphid
(type of insect), which feeds
on vine roots and leaves.The
feeding causes galls to form on
the developing leaves or roots.
The aphids live on the surface
of root galls and inside the leaf
galls.
There is no known cure for
phylloxera.
Conclusion
You are what you eat. If that’s
true, I’m a big ass perlette
grape!
Hope you didn’t get too bored
with this LONG, but
informative, PowerPoint
presentation…