Muscadine/Mustang Grapes, for arbor
Whit
later in life I heard/saw muscadine and figured Mustang was a
'localization' of the word Muscadine. Google returns hits for both so
maybe they are the same, maybe not ... (?)
Anyway we planted some wisteria several years ago hoping it would climb
a cedar post arbor, blossom, and provide shade. It hasn't, one is about
4 feet tall the other about 5 feet tall, more of a bush than anything
else. Also they've never blossomed.
So I was thinking about transplanting some 'mustang' grape into the back
yard, any ideas on the chances of success, we've got tons of it growing
wild down at the farm.
Thanks
Rusty Mase
<whit@delstarinc_POTTED_MEAT.com> wrote:
>First off, all growing up my uncles called them Mustang grapes, then
>later in life I heard/saw muscadine and figured Mustang was a
>'localization' of the word Muscadine.
No, mustang grapes are a Central Texas specialty and muscadines are on
sandier soils east of us. Bastrop maybe? Muscadines are not a bunch
grape like mustang grapes. My Dad used to make wine from muscadines
and to collect them you went out in the woods and threw sticks up into
the trees where the vines were. Then spent the afternoon picking them
up of the ground.
Mustang grapes make great jellies but poor wines. Muscadines can
make both.
Rusty Mase
Whit
Austin?
Still a little confused because my uncles grew up, lived and died a
little south of Flatonio, about midway between San Antonio and Houston,
south of I-10. I would presume those were Muscadine, but they called
they Mustang. Hmmm, looks like a Google search is in order.
Thanks
Carol Adams
grapes. I've got a lot of fenceline and tried this a lot about 10 years ago
when I bought my current house. As I recall, my best results were with tiny
baby vines (say 2 - 3 inches in length) and my poorest with larger vines
(say a foot in length). I gave them lots of water and diluted organic
fertilizer (like compost mixed in water) until they got going. I probably
mulched them, but I don't specifically remember this (I would do so,
however, were I trying this again now). When you dig them up, dig up a much
bigger clump of dirt that you think you need - I seem to remember that their
root systems were surprisingly large, even for the little ones. Also, it's
starting to get pretty hot now, and you might have a greater success rate
next spring. But, as you point out, they are plentiful, so why not give it a
try and see what happens? It is definitely possible to transplant them
successfully - one of my "babies" now has a main stem bigger than my forearm
and covers about 25 feet of fence. In fact, it is on the verge of becoming
the proverbial weedy pest.
carol
"Whit" <whit@delstarinc_POTTED_MEAT.com> wrote in message
news:3D04DA9B.BF6FE036@delstarinc_POTTED_MEAT.com...
whit
likely give it a go. I figure they do *pretty* well in the wild so
should do OK in the back yard, seems like another plant I won't have to
dote over, until it takes over :o)
Do yours produce grapes?
Carol Adams
In addition to the big one I describe below, I've probably got five other
quite mature ones and lots of young adults and adolescents. Some vines
produce clusters of very tiny white-yellow blooms in spring, but I have yet
to see anything I recognize as grapes. I have no idea why. I've wondered if
the clusters I think are blooms actually are the grapes, but this seems
unlikely to me, given that people supposedly make jelly and wine from these
plants. I think you'd need my whole giant vine's worth to make a tablespoon
of jelly or two ounces of wine, if what I think are blooms are actually
grapes.
They do need a small bit of doting initially, as I recall. Daily watering
and a little soil improvement (assuming you have our usual caliche) would be
good. I think the trick may be keeping the roots and surrounding soil moist
and aerated until the transplants get going, and initially (say the first 10
days) giving them some protection from direct sun. They also seemed rather
traumatized by any amount of root damage - hence my suggestion for digging
up big clumps of dirt for your transplants.
Maybe it would be better to transplant in the winter, when they are not
growing actively? I don't know. In any case, be assured that once they get
going, they don't need anything at all ;-)
carol
"whit" <whit2@Texas_POTTED_MEAT.net> wrote in message
news:3D05489A.AB715667@Texas_POTTED_MEAT.net...
Lorraine Martin
at the roots!It will grow in almost any kinda soil if it is kept moist. Also
try planting an evergreen ground cover at the base to keep moisture in & cut
away new tangling new grow from summer. Prune roots in the fall to stimulate
the flowering. you also are supposed to prune the top twice: In early spring
and early summer. Feed well after trimming with garden food.
Grape vines are wonderful...and will look great! But the info above should
help you where ever you plant you wisteria. I just found a red one the other
day!!! :)
Lorraine
Waller TX
"Whit" <whit@delstarinc_POTTED_MEAT.com> wrote in message
news:3D04DA9B.BF6FE036@delstarinc_POTTED_MEAT.com...
Whit
next project will be a drip irrigation system, with lines for the water
loving plants and seperate lines for the drought hearty ones.
Lorraine Martin
soaker hoses around my roses and pond plants with garden staples to hold
then down and keep them from bending shut! then I mulch with mushroom mulch.
But I must admit...my wisteria is one of my favorite plants...then comes my
passion vines & roses! Hey...a passion vine is GREAT vine to cover and
arbor! And you can get them in red, peach, blue & purple! They grow fast...
you can eat the fruit and reseed next year...and even mix all the colors!
PLUS...they LOVE our crazy weather and will bloom all summer long! And
monarch butterflies LOVE them!They will stay covered with them! They are the
one plant I don't soap down so the butterflies will lay cocoon up on them!!!
Here is a link!
http://www.alohatropicals.com/passiflo.html
you wisteria...go to Lowe's and get one of those plastic liners to go around
the base and use the 98 cent organic peat compost mix {40lb bag}and put it
around the bottom and plant a ground or something. Can you tell I like this
plant.
Lorraine
"Whit" <whit@delstarinc_POTTED_MEAT.com> wrote in message
news:3D064166.BBD00B78@delstarinc_POTTED_MEAT.com...
Steve Ravet
Carol Adams wrote:
>
> No, none of my mine has ever produced grapes, and every spring I wonder why.
If you're talking about Muscadine, Neil Sperry's book says some types
aren't self pollinating. I don't see anything about Mustang in there.
--steve
Carol Adams
then. Or maybe they *are* Mustang, but Mustangs are similar to Muscadines in
that they're not self-pollinating. Or, is it possible that "Mustang" is just
a colloquial name for "Muscadine"? Actually, I've always thought that the
main characteristic of the "Mustang" grape is that it is "wild." So
colloquially, I guess I have always thought that "Mustang" just connoted
"wild grape" (vs. any specific variety).
But, whatever they are, I have a great many of them, and there are many more
yet in my neighborhood, which is semi-rural with lots of native Hill Country
flora and fauna everywhere. So you'd think they'd get pollinated anyway.
I wonder what other people have observed? Is the failure of "wild
grapevines" to produce discernable grapes the norm or an exception?
carol
"Steve Ravet" <steve...@arm.com> wrote in message
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