How to Plant and Grow Concord Grapes
Named for the great city of Concord, Mass., the Concord grape is a cultivar of Ephraim Wales Bull. A master grape gardener, Bull developed the Concord grape in 1849. A marble sized sweet fruit, the Concord variety is choice for jams, jellies and wine making. If you live within the Concord grapes preferred USDA hardiness zones--5 through 10--planting and growing Concord grapes can yield you a bountiful harvest within the first three years. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Soil testing kit
- Pitchfork
- Lime or peat moss
- Soaker hose
- Trellis
- Mulch
- Fertilizer
- Pruning shears
Instructions
-
-
1
Test the soil for early spring planting. Use a soil testing kit purchased from a garden center. Concord grapes prefer soil with a pH between 7.0 and 8.0. If your soil does not meet these requirements, you will need to amend it.
-
2
Break up the soil after testing, using a pitchfork. Add lime to the soil if the pH is below 7.0 or peat moss if the soil pH is above 8.0. Check the packaging label on the required amendment for allocation amounts.
-
-
3
Dig holes for the Concord grape plants that measure the size of their nursery containers. Space holes approximately seven feet apart. Remove plants from their nursery containers and set one plant in each hole.
-
4
Backfill the holes, leaving a half-inch gap between the backfilled soil and the original soil line. Pat the soil firmly around the Concord grape stems, forming a slight divot in the ground around each plant.
-
5
Water the plants generously after planting. Provide the grapes with at least 1-inch of water per week, using a soaker hose. Keep the soil moist at a 1-inch depth, but not wet, at all times.
-
6
Hammer in a trellis directly behind your plants. You can use one long trellis if you have planted a row of grapes or a single trellis behind each plant. The trellis should measure a minimum of 12 to 18 inches in height.
-
7
Spread a layer of mulch around the plants. A 4-inch layer of straw or bark chips should suffice. The mulch will improve water retention, reduce weed growth and protect roots of the plants during cold winters and hot summers.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Fertilize plants using a 10-10-10 fertilizer. Apply fertilizer according to label instructions. Most grapes prefer a dose of fertilizer in the early spring.
Cut the Concord grape plants down from the trellis using a pair of pruning shears, just before the winter frost. Remove dead or damaged stems and leaves. Allow the stems of the plants to fall to the ground, where they will lie dormant during the winter. The stems will pop back up in the spring and once again grow along the trellis.
Harvest the Concord grapes when they ripen--around mid-September.
Do not over-water Concord grapes. Waterlogged soil can suffocate the roots and also cause diseases, such as root rot. If the soil feels moist at a depth of 1-inch, do not add more water.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Goodshoot/Goodshoot/Getty Images
