Growing Seasons for Concord Grapes

Grapevines need to be trained to grow well.

The tangy-sweet, dark-purple Concord grape was discovered in the 1800s. A Massachusetts horticulturist introduced this derivative of a wild grape that could withstand the harsh New England weather, according to Yankee Magazine. It's one of the few edible fruits native to North America. Mature plantings bear a full harvest in the late summer to early fall.

Harvest

Concord is a midseason cultivar that ripens in the late summer to midfall. According to the Oregon State University Extension, color is not a good indication of maturity in grapes. You should judge if your grapes are ready to be picked by their taste or seed color. They should be sweet, and the seeds will have changed from green to brown. Concord grapes will not continue to ripen once they are picked.

Planting

The best time to plant young vines is in the early spring. This gives Concord grape vines time to establish before the first frost. The Ohio State University Extension website does not recommend fall planting for Concord grapes. Planting the vines too late in the season means they most likely will be killed by heaving during their first winter.

Patience

It normally takes three years for a grape planting to become fully established and to bear a full harvest. The vines should be trellised or trained before growth starts during the second year.

References

• Yankee Magazine: Concord Grapes
• Ohio State University Extension: Growing Grapes in the Home Fruit Planting
• Cornell Extension: Leading American Varieties