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: Table Grapes In The NW
This was an article I wrote last fall, but none of the grape growing magazines I've tried are interested in it because it's about table grapes, and they all focus on wine grapes. So I've decided to post the piece here.
Copyright Lon J. Rombough, 2006, 2007.
Table Grapes In The Northwest
“If Idaho can do it, we can too.”
That’s the attitude of nurseryman Ray Ethel of Broadacres, Oregon, about table grapes in the Northwest. He refers to the burgeoning table grape industry in Idaho, which is shipping table grapes to several Pacific Rim countries, with more demand than they can supply even with plantings approaching 1,000 acres.
On a special “tasting day” Saturday, September 9, 2006 I visited Ethel’s plantings and saw 32 varieties of seedless table grapes being tested for the NW, along with a new “Y” trellis system being promoted by Oregon Vineyard Supply. The training system, which resembles a variation of the old “T” trellis used in California, should be an important element in the hoped-for Northwest table grape industry.
With no less than eight wires, the “Y” trellis exposes more foliage to light than the old “T” trellis, while allowing the fruit to hang in open air beneath it. This gives better exposure of the fruit to indirect light for improved color without sunscald, better air circulation to reduce disease, and makes the fruit much easier to harvest. It is also expected that the greater exposure to light will help make the developing fruit buds more fruitful, increasing yield per vine without having to leave more fruit buds.
The arms of the “Y” have a spread of 6 feet, twice that of the old “T” trellis. They are bolted to the top of a six foot post. There are two versions of the “Y”. One is a set of arms that can be bolted to wooden posts and the other is a version in which the “Y” is a pre-constructed unit on a steel post. Growers who want to go organic would need to use the steel post version as the wooden posts aren’t allowable under organic certification due to the chemicals used to preserve the wood.
Vines on this system are planted 5 feet apart in the rows, which is closer than with older methods. Part of the reason the vines can be closer is because the larger trellis gives more room for the shoots to be trained upward. Basic training of the vines is to bilateral cordons, which means pickers don’t have to learn a new system, though Ethel has been using a system of intense summer pruning to regulate vigorous varieties like Flame Seedless.
Additionally, rows are spaced 11 feet apart, farther than with conventional trellises, to allow for the extra width of the trellis and the vines. In row spacing is six feet between vines, though some vigorous types like Flame could easily fill a larger space. The planting is still too new to determine the yield of mature vines, but production of 6 to 8 tons per acre seems easily obtainable, with higher yields likely as growers fine tune the handling of the vines in the new system.
The “Y” system looks to make netting the vines more effective to protect them from birds as the “Y” will hold nets up and away from the fruit better, so that birds will have more difficulty reaching any fruit through the mesh, and won’t be able to push the net close enough to reach berries.
The second part of the equation is the choice of varieties.
Like Idaho, Oregon has dry summers that can produce good quality table grapes, without Idaho’s colder winters that damage vines some years. Historically, Oregon had a thriving local table grape industry even in the late 1800’s, with varieties like Campbell Early, Delaware, and many others being sold from farm stands and local markets.
Selection of varieties is more critical in Oregon because rainfall in early autumn can damage the fruit of some tender skinned vinifera grapes, causing bunch rots or at least reducing the quality of the fruit. Where profit margins are close, many of the standard vinifera grapes may not be the best choice as they can easily be marred by powdery mildew or bunch rots. The former can be controlled, but the latter is more of a hazard with rain at the wrong time close to harvest.
Enter the hybrids.
While the seeded varieties have been ignored in the past, many American and French Hybrid grapes have been developed with the trait most sought in the markets, seedlessness. Further, they have fruity flavors that blend the best of American and European grapes instead of being harsh and “foxy” like the old labrusca grapes. Though the “traditional” varieties have a place in such a program as well because Asians like the Concord type flavor very much.
For the Oregon grower, these hybrids have several advantages. They have enough disease resistance that no disease control is needed on just about all of them, they ripen early, often before rain is apt to come, and many are quite resistant to cracking and spoilage even if there is rain. In many areas, they ripen before birds began to congregate, making protection unnecessary. For marketing purposes the flavors of the hybrid grapes appeal to the Asian consumer.
Having worked with grapes for many years, the fall of 2006 was almost too good a year to judge varieties as the unusually hot, dry summer had fruit ripe as much as a month early, before any fall rain could affect varieties that might be hurt by rain in less favorable year. Also, varieties that might not ripen well in a more normal summer were fully ripe this year.
Of the California-type Vitis vinifera seedless grapes, most had problems with powdery mildew, and some showed signs of cracking. Two of the best performers were Flame Seedless and it’s sport, Alborz. Both have high productivity and enough rain resistance to make them reliable for commercial use, as long as a disease control program is kept up.
Of the American varieties, “Jupiter,” an oval, reddish blue seedless grape from the University of Arkansas was a standout. With it’s sweet, aromatic muscat flavor it filled the trellises without being as excessively vigorous as Flame and some of the other American hybrid grapes, so it needed less control of the vines during the summer. Don’t expect Jupiter to be exactly like a California grape, however, as it has a thicker, tougher skin, which helps to resist rain. However, the clusters tend to be a better size for packing than some of the vinifera grapes, which often have to be clipped into smaller amounts for packaging.
Growers aiming at the Asian markets should also look into some of the older seeded grapes such as Campbell Early, which are highly popular in places such as Japan, where appearance and flavor count for more than seedlessness.
With these newer varieties and the use of the “Y” trellis, the Northwest has an excellent shot at a large table grape market, both at home and abroad.
Chart
Evaluation of grapes at Broadacres plantings.
(In some cases I add comments, in parenthesis, from personal experience.)
Vitis vinifera seedless grapes. Many of these are grown in California. They need careful control of powdery mildew in the NW and may crack and develop bunch rot in wet weather. They are usually not cold hardy much below -5 F.
Alborz. A sport of Flame Seedless found in Idaho that has better color than it’s progenitor, is suppose to be more cold hardy, and is crisper in texture. Otherwise, it behaves much like Flame Seedless.
Beauty Seedless. Not in bearing. (Clusters can be very large with this blue-black grape, but the larger the cluster, the more chances there will be bunch rot in rainy weather, so good disease control is needed before the cluster closes up).
Black Emerald. Black, firm, good sugar and acid balance with non astringent skin. Might have some cracking problems in a rainy fall.
Crimson. Not ripe. May not ripen well in the NW, or would ripen only in exceptionally warm years.
Delight. White or yellow seedless with tender skin, and a sweet, mild muscat flavor. Powdery mildew was on the fruit this year. (cracks very easily in wet fall weather)
Diamond Muscat. White muscat grape. Flavor is excellent, though the skin is rather astringent. Bred as a raisin grape. Powdery mildew on some fruit. (may not ripen well every year)
DoVine. White, bred as a raisin grape, very early. Sweet. Early ripening should let it escape fall rain.
Fiesta. White, attractive clusters, neutral flavor. (Doesn’t ripen well every year. Some rain resistance, so it doesn’t crack much).
Flame. Does well in the NW. Resists cracking better than other vinifera grapes. In the cooler NW climate, the color is darker and more “muddy” than the sport, Alborz. Flame and Alborz both have high vigor and need a lot of summer pruning to control the vines.
Princess. Not ripe, probably wouldn’t ripen well most years in the NW.
Summer Royal. Black seedless with the biggest berries of the seedless vinifera grapes. Texture very firm, crisp. Showed signs of cracking even without rain. Not likely to do well in the NW in normal years.
Hybrid Seedless - Varieties that combine American species for disease resistance and unusual flavor with seedlessness from vinifera.
Bronx Seedless. Not bearing. ( Red. Not consistent in appearance for commercial use. Clusters often straggly or uneven, prone to cracking)
Canadice. Clusters are handsome and well filled to compact. Red berries are small, but the flavor is liked by many.
Challenger. Red berries large, but neutral, no distinct flavor (can have odd “fish egg” texture in some years).
Einset. Good red color, firm, fruity. (Variety varies in different soils, not always productive, clusters may shatter some years).
Glenora. Blue, neutral flavored, like vinifera. High vigor but productivity varies. (cracks in wet weather. Often has a mix of clusters, some with uniform berry size, some with many different sizes of berries. May be too many unattractive clusters for good commercial use).
Himrod. White, loose clustered, somewhat soft berries. Too vigorous, not productive enough for commercial growing. Clusters break easily if not harvested soon after ripening.
Interlaken. Old Pacific NW favorite. White to golden, very early, sweet, with fruity flavor. Well filled clusters, good yield.
Jupiter. Firm, oval, reddish blue seedless muscat. Enough vigor to fill the “y” trellis without needing summer pruning. Productive.
Mars. Very large berries for a seedless. Black. Has American type flavor, somewhat like Concord, though not as sweet. (Clusters don’t always fill well, especially on young vines).
Neptune. White, almost pearly. Very handsome, very heavy yielding. Skin rather tough, but extremely resistant to cracking. No distinct flavor, not as sweet as some.
Reliance. Heavy producer, red, good flavor. Berries are softer than some varieties. Sells well locally. (ripe fruit will crack with heavy rain.)
Saturn. Dark red, oval, firm, neutral flavor, very much like a California seedless. (grows well most years here)
Seedless Concord. Blue, very low vigor, low productivity, with small clusters that ripen very unevenly. Not recommended.
Spartan Seedless. Non Bearing. (very productive, white, with large clusters of rather small berries. Only one year’s production in my own tests, so the variety’s overall record is unknown)
Suffolk Red. Red, clusters often loose to straggly. Flavor and texture are good, but productivity is too low. Not commercial.
Sweet Seduction. Non bearing (straggly, poorly filled clusters. Seedless muscat, but no commercial value).
Thomcord. Very productive of blue, large handsome clusters, but very little flavor. Bland.
Vanessa. Red, firm flesh, mild fruity flavor. (resists rain especially well).
VeePie (formerly Vineland # 53121) Bue-black, too tart to eat fresh, actually a specialty grape bred for cooking, such as grape pie.
Note: At risk of sounding immodest, Ron Mann, the president (or possibly past president now) of the Idaho Fruit Growers Association, bought several cases of my book, The Grape Grower, to distribute when the table grape growers were just starting in Idaho.
“Y” Trellis comes from Oregon Vineyard Supply, http://www.ovs.com
Ray Ethel’s nursery is http://www.poplars.com
This was an article I wrote last fall, but none of the grape growing magazines I've tried are interested in it because it's about table grapes, and they all focus on wine grapes. So I've decided to post the piece here.
Copyright Lon J. Rombough, 2006, 2007.
Table Grapes In The Northwest
“If Idaho can do it, we can too.”
That’s the attitude of nurseryman Ray Ethel of Broadacres, Oregon, about table grapes in the Northwest. He refers to the burgeoning table grape industry in Idaho, which is shipping table grapes to several Pacific Rim countries, with more demand than they can supply even with plantings approaching 1,000 acres.
On a special “tasting day” Saturday, September 9, 2006 I visited Ethel’s plantings and saw 32 varieties of seedless table grapes being tested for the NW, along with a new “Y” trellis system being promoted by Oregon Vineyard Supply. The training system, which resembles a variation of the old “T” trellis used in California, should be an important element in the hoped-for Northwest table grape industry.
With no less than eight wires, the “Y” trellis exposes more foliage to light than the old “T” trellis, while allowing the fruit to hang in open air beneath it. This gives better exposure of the fruit to indirect light for improved color without sunscald, better air circulation to reduce disease, and makes the fruit much easier to harvest. It is also expected that the greater exposure to light will help make the developing fruit buds more fruitful, increasing yield per vine without having to leave more fruit buds.
The arms of the “Y” have a spread of 6 feet, twice that of the old “T” trellis. They are bolted to the top of a six foot post. There are two versions of the “Y”. One is a set of arms that can be bolted to wooden posts and the other is a version in which the “Y” is a pre-constructed unit on a steel post. Growers who want to go organic would need to use the steel post version as the wooden posts aren’t allowable under organic certification due to the chemicals used to preserve the wood.
Vines on this system are planted 5 feet apart in the rows, which is closer than with older methods. Part of the reason the vines can be closer is because the larger trellis gives more room for the shoots to be trained upward. Basic training of the vines is to bilateral cordons, which means pickers don’t have to learn a new system, though Ethel has been using a system of intense summer pruning to regulate vigorous varieties like Flame Seedless.
Additionally, rows are spaced 11 feet apart, farther than with conventional trellises, to allow for the extra width of the trellis and the vines. In row spacing is six feet between vines, though some vigorous types like Flame could easily fill a larger space. The planting is still too new to determine the yield of mature vines, but production of 6 to 8 tons per acre seems easily obtainable, with higher yields likely as growers fine tune the handling of the vines in the new system.
The “Y” system looks to make netting the vines more effective to protect them from birds as the “Y” will hold nets up and away from the fruit better, so that birds will have more difficulty reaching any fruit through the mesh, and won’t be able to push the net close enough to reach berries.
The second part of the equation is the choice of varieties.
Like Idaho, Oregon has dry summers that can produce good quality table grapes, without Idaho’s colder winters that damage vines some years. Historically, Oregon had a thriving local table grape industry even in the late 1800’s, with varieties like Campbell Early, Delaware, and many others being sold from farm stands and local markets.
Selection of varieties is more critical in Oregon because rainfall in early autumn can damage the fruit of some tender skinned vinifera grapes, causing bunch rots or at least reducing the quality of the fruit. Where profit margins are close, many of the standard vinifera grapes may not be the best choice as they can easily be marred by powdery mildew or bunch rots. The former can be controlled, but the latter is more of a hazard with rain at the wrong time close to harvest.
Enter the hybrids.
While the seeded varieties have been ignored in the past, many American and French Hybrid grapes have been developed with the trait most sought in the markets, seedlessness. Further, they have fruity flavors that blend the best of American and European grapes instead of being harsh and “foxy” like the old labrusca grapes. Though the “traditional” varieties have a place in such a program as well because Asians like the Concord type flavor very much.
For the Oregon grower, these hybrids have several advantages. They have enough disease resistance that no disease control is needed on just about all of them, they ripen early, often before rain is apt to come, and many are quite resistant to cracking and spoilage even if there is rain. In many areas, they ripen before birds began to congregate, making protection unnecessary. For marketing purposes the flavors of the hybrid grapes appeal to the Asian consumer.
Having worked with grapes for many years, the fall of 2006 was almost too good a year to judge varieties as the unusually hot, dry summer had fruit ripe as much as a month early, before any fall rain could affect varieties that might be hurt by rain in less favorable year. Also, varieties that might not ripen well in a more normal summer were fully ripe this year.
Of the California-type Vitis vinifera seedless grapes, most had problems with powdery mildew, and some showed signs of cracking. Two of the best performers were Flame Seedless and it’s sport, Alborz. Both have high productivity and enough rain resistance to make them reliable for commercial use, as long as a disease control program is kept up.
Of the American varieties, “Jupiter,” an oval, reddish blue seedless grape from the University of Arkansas was a standout. With it’s sweet, aromatic muscat flavor it filled the trellises without being as excessively vigorous as Flame and some of the other American hybrid grapes, so it needed less control of the vines during the summer. Don’t expect Jupiter to be exactly like a California grape, however, as it has a thicker, tougher skin, which helps to resist rain. However, the clusters tend to be a better size for packing than some of the vinifera grapes, which often have to be clipped into smaller amounts for packaging.
Growers aiming at the Asian markets should also look into some of the older seeded grapes such as Campbell Early, which are highly popular in places such as Japan, where appearance and flavor count for more than seedlessness.
With these newer varieties and the use of the “Y” trellis, the Northwest has an excellent shot at a large table grape market, both at home and abroad.
Chart
Evaluation of grapes at Broadacres plantings.
(In some cases I add comments, in parenthesis, from personal experience.)
Vitis vinifera seedless grapes. Many of these are grown in California. They need careful control of powdery mildew in the NW and may crack and develop bunch rot in wet weather. They are usually not cold hardy much below -5 F.
Alborz. A sport of Flame Seedless found in Idaho that has better color than it’s progenitor, is suppose to be more cold hardy, and is crisper in texture. Otherwise, it behaves much like Flame Seedless.
Beauty Seedless. Not in bearing. (Clusters can be very large with this blue-black grape, but the larger the cluster, the more chances there will be bunch rot in rainy weather, so good disease control is needed before the cluster closes up).
Black Emerald. Black, firm, good sugar and acid balance with non astringent skin. Might have some cracking problems in a rainy fall.
Crimson. Not ripe. May not ripen well in the NW, or would ripen only in exceptionally warm years.
Delight. White or yellow seedless with tender skin, and a sweet, mild muscat flavor. Powdery mildew was on the fruit this year. (cracks very easily in wet fall weather)
Diamond Muscat. White muscat grape. Flavor is excellent, though the skin is rather astringent. Bred as a raisin grape. Powdery mildew on some fruit. (may not ripen well every year)
DoVine. White, bred as a raisin grape, very early. Sweet. Early ripening should let it escape fall rain.
Fiesta. White, attractive clusters, neutral flavor. (Doesn’t ripen well every year. Some rain resistance, so it doesn’t crack much).
Flame. Does well in the NW. Resists cracking better than other vinifera grapes. In the cooler NW climate, the color is darker and more “muddy” than the sport, Alborz. Flame and Alborz both have high vigor and need a lot of summer pruning to control the vines.
Princess. Not ripe, probably wouldn’t ripen well most years in the NW.
Summer Royal. Black seedless with the biggest berries of the seedless vinifera grapes. Texture very firm, crisp. Showed signs of cracking even without rain. Not likely to do well in the NW in normal years.
Hybrid Seedless - Varieties that combine American species for disease resistance and unusual flavor with seedlessness from vinifera.
Bronx Seedless. Not bearing. ( Red. Not consistent in appearance for commercial use. Clusters often straggly or uneven, prone to cracking)
Canadice. Clusters are handsome and well filled to compact. Red berries are small, but the flavor is liked by many.
Challenger. Red berries large, but neutral, no distinct flavor (can have odd “fish egg” texture in some years).
Einset. Good red color, firm, fruity. (Variety varies in different soils, not always productive, clusters may shatter some years).
Glenora. Blue, neutral flavored, like vinifera. High vigor but productivity varies. (cracks in wet weather. Often has a mix of clusters, some with uniform berry size, some with many different sizes of berries. May be too many unattractive clusters for good commercial use).
Himrod. White, loose clustered, somewhat soft berries. Too vigorous, not productive enough for commercial growing. Clusters break easily if not harvested soon after ripening.
Interlaken. Old Pacific NW favorite. White to golden, very early, sweet, with fruity flavor. Well filled clusters, good yield.
Jupiter. Firm, oval, reddish blue seedless muscat. Enough vigor to fill the “y” trellis without needing summer pruning. Productive.
Mars. Very large berries for a seedless. Black. Has American type flavor, somewhat like Concord, though not as sweet. (Clusters don’t always fill well, especially on young vines).
Neptune. White, almost pearly. Very handsome, very heavy yielding. Skin rather tough, but extremely resistant to cracking. No distinct flavor, not as sweet as some.
Reliance. Heavy producer, red, good flavor. Berries are softer than some varieties. Sells well locally. (ripe fruit will crack with heavy rain.)
Saturn. Dark red, oval, firm, neutral flavor, very much like a California seedless. (grows well most years here)
Seedless Concord. Blue, very low vigor, low productivity, with small clusters that ripen very unevenly. Not recommended.
Spartan Seedless. Non Bearing. (very productive, white, with large clusters of rather small berries. Only one year’s production in my own tests, so the variety’s overall record is unknown)
Suffolk Red. Red, clusters often loose to straggly. Flavor and texture are good, but productivity is too low. Not commercial.
Sweet Seduction. Non bearing (straggly, poorly filled clusters. Seedless muscat, but no commercial value).
Thomcord. Very productive of blue, large handsome clusters, but very little flavor. Bland.
Vanessa. Red, firm flesh, mild fruity flavor. (resists rain especially well).
VeePie (formerly Vineland # 53121) Bue-black, too tart to eat fresh, actually a specialty grape bred for cooking, such as grape pie.
Note: At risk of sounding immodest, Ron Mann, the president (or possibly past president now) of the Idaho Fruit Growers Association, bought several cases of my book, The Grape Grower, to distribute when the table grape growers were just starting in Idaho.
“Y” Trellis comes from Oregon Vineyard Supply, http://www.ovs.com
Ray Ethel’s nursery is http://www.poplars.com