Grapes

Our grapes look like they will be ready soon. Mom and dad planted a half dozen varieties and they are all growing together on the same trellis/fence, which i’m thinking is great for cross pollination potential.

I don’t know much about grapes, but am already finding myself spitting out and saving seeds from the store bought ones. As usual google is not giving me satisfactory answers to my questions. Im finding the typical discouraging responses, such as “Grapes are never grown from seed.”

So, I am wondering if any of you have tried growing and adapting grapes from seed for your garden/farm settings.

Can grape seeds be dried and/or frozen and still remain viable?

How would you go about saving the seeds for purpose of landracing, and possibly even sharing?

Are there any decent freebie resources you all might be able to recommend to study up on grape cultivation?

3 Likes

That’s great you have so many together already.

Grapes need resistance to phylloxera as there was an event in Europe that wiped out 80 or 90% of their vines. American grapes have this resistance so all grapes are typically grafted onto American rootstocks.

Undoubtedly this is a direct problem from lack of diversity and a reduction in names varieties vineyards are allowed to use by regulation, or want to use in their wines.

I think this is a great idea for a project but don’t have many answers for you. I tried growing grapes from seed last year but failed to get any to germinate. I will have to try and research germination practices and try again.

My father also planted a single grapevine here but I doubt I’ll get any grapes. The vine looks terrible due to powdery mildew.

Georgia is the centre of diversity for grapes from what I can tell. I’m sure there would be many interesting varieties or possible land races there if anyone could possibly get any seeds haha.

3 Likes

I was under the impression that “the South” could only grow muscadine/scuppernongs.

Edit: are you talking about the European country, Georgia?

1 Like

Yes, the country not the state.

1 Like

They volunteer for me. Might be old French rootstock which took over, the grapes are small and sour. I give them a chance anyway. Once established can see if they can be grafted onto

1 Like

To answer some of my own questions - it appears that grape seeds can be both dried, and frozen, and still remain viable.

Breeding Grapes and Making Crosses:

http://www.hort.cornell.edu/reisch/grapegenetics/breeding/crossing3.html

3 Likes