Fruits & Nuts - Muscadine
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  (October) I have scuppernong vines that my dad had for years. Last year there was so much dead vine on the trellis and they did not product hardly at all. Last January I cut them back to about 3 feet above the ground. This growing season they grew tremendously but there was no fruit. Does it take 2 years for them to produce after pruning or what did I do wrong?  I also purchased 3 seedless grave vines. They were planted this past spring. The plants grew very well. However there are no grapes at this time. Someone told me that it would be next year before they produce. When and how do I prune them?

  Scuppernong is often a generic term used for muscadine grapes. They are typically the bronze fruited muscadine grapes found in the wild. Muscadines and table grapes both need annual pruning, but in a different form. If you really cut the muscadine back past the spur growth, it may take a year to recover. Normally you do a shearing job on them, but above the main trunk, leaving basically an umbrella of small branches. You do need both male and female muscadines (scuppernong) to produce fruit. The seedless table grapes will need heavy pruning. Since they are young plants, I would count down to about 10-15 buds per plant. You should have the basic structure of the vine in place--with your "arms" going in both directions. Then you count buds from the trunk out. If you have two arms, leave 5 -7 buds per arm. It will look like nothing is left, but each bud should have the potential to produce one to two clusters of grapes. If you leave too many, they won't ripen well. All pruning should be done in February. You can get a copy of the pruning guide from your local extension office.

  My question pertains to wild muscadine vines. For best results, should they be pruned? If so, how much and when should they be pruned? Any other suggestions on care would be appreciated.

  Wild muscadines would benefit from pruning, fertilization and watering just like their tame counterparts. Most grapes are pruned in February, prior to new growth. With muscadines, pruning is generally more of a shearing to contain size. If the vines are old and have never been pruned, you may need to go slowly to get them in bounds. This was a good year for muscadine production, and hopefully with proper care, your plants will continue to produce well. Contact your local county extension office for a fact sheet on muscadine grapes.

  My old muscadine vine hasn’t been pruned in years. The trunk is three inches thick, with cordons half as thick and thirty feet long. There are many smaller vines around it. Should I remove all the old branches, leaving plenty of smaller ones?

  Muscadines should be pruned every year in late February. How is the production on your plant now? Your plant will need to be rejuvenated by gradually weeding out the older, less productive canes, making room for younger canes. You should begin to see more fruit. If you won’t be removing too much of the plant by taking out all the old wood at once, go for it. Your production may be down for a year while the plant recovers.

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