Hi from North Louisiana

[bkrell]

Hi everyone!
I've got no experience except I like wine, lol. No, I guess I've always like to garden and always have wanted to plant more than just summer vegetables. We bought a new house about 5 years ago with a pretty decent yard. I began haphazardly trying to plant various fruit trees and the like, such as blueberries, peaches, figs, blackberries, and grapes. The grapes were just a lark-I was at a store that had a pile of clearanced grapes (Concord or Catawba-can't remember) and blueberries. I planted the grapes in a pretty shady spot and really just was kinda landscaping with them b/c I didn't think they would amount to much. But they actually have put out a decent amount of fruit.

But back to my love of wine, I have always entertained planting grapes correctly and making my own. I've always looked down on Muscadines because it seemed like everyone my grandparents' age (including them) in the 1980's got into making muscadine and elderberry everything. But I realized if I do want to try to get into this stuff, I should probably start with something relatively easy to grow. I was thinking of putting in maybe a few plants in the sunniest portion of my yard.

Reading online, I think I'd really like to plant something like a Noble, as I'm more fond of reds. But I'm up for anything if anyone things that's a bad choice. Also, does anyone think it worth it to try to correctly trellis the grape vines I already have growing? Should I try to dig them up and move them?

Thanks! I hate being a beginner but I think it would be a fun hobby. Seems more fun than growing tomatoes, at least!

 

[bkisel]

Welcome to the forum!

I just do kit and fruit wines. I don't know zilch about vineyards, cultivating grapes, etc. but there are other folks here that do and could help you with where you'd like to start with wine making.

 

[heatherd]

Welcome to the forum. Lots of folks are here to help you in your endeavors.

 

[ceeaton]

You are only a beginner once! I'm thinking of growing some grapes too since I like puttering around in the yard and have several gardens. I grew some great weeds this year around my tomatoes and peppers. Would love to grow some nice reds also, but I have to be selective since I'm in Zone 6b. We were having spring like weather only to have lows in the single digits this week.

Post what you plant and how it goes, we can all learn from each other. Welcome to WMT!

 

[bkrell]

Thanks gang! I was hoping to go out and start clearing my intended spot in my yard for the vines. Unfortunately, the bottom is currently falling out, outside....Thankfully, I have a few winemaking books on order from Amazon that will be in tomorrow to tide me over.

It's a bit ironic to be planting muscadines as I work in the woods a lot and wild muscadines are a constant trip hazard where I am. One of my co-workers actually made jelly from some of our wild vines last summer.

 

[JimmyT]

Welcome to the forum bkrell!
I was wondering how your fruit trees are doing. I was planning on planting some different fruit trees and bushes in the future.

 

[bkrell]

I've had mixed luck. I couldn't keep the peach alive, even though we are an hour west of a popular peach growing part of the state. Blueberries are kinda meh. Good, not great. Well, I have another co-worker that has a blueberry farm so by those standards, meh. Figs are great but you can't really go wrong with a fig tree down here. Previous owners planted a lemon tree that has down very well. But I really was kinda half-a**ing it with the fruits so far. Everything I have has come from Lowes or worse.

Soil-wise, I've got some hard red clay I'm working against. Slowly permeable would definitely describe my soils. But a little bit of compost and sand give me great tomatoes, at the very least. It'll be interesting to try the muscadines.

 

[sour_grapes]

Welcome to WMT!