How do you care for Concord grapes?

Grapes are a fun garden fruit for the gardeners in Kentucky. These woody vines need something robust to grow on and suitable growing conditions to produce fruit. They should be grown in at least 8 hours of direct sunlight per day; good air circulation is equally important. Vines adapt to many types of soil, but perform best on a nutrient-rich, well-drained soil.

If you have not had your soil tested, you can contact your cooperative consulting office. The results of the soil tests will show you whether you need to make pH and/or nutrient adjustments specifically for grape cultivation. Grapes prefer a soil range between 5.0 and 6.0. Appropriate growing conditions help prevent potential insect and disease problems. Vitis labrusca 'Concord' is a Native American that thrives in Kentucky. They tend to ripen unevenly, and if picked too early they are not as sweet as others.

Background on the use of Concord grapes for wine production

Concord grapes are the most popularly planted native American grapes. Concord grapes are used to make wines, jellies, jams, and tarts. A variety of Vitis Labrusca, the Concord Grape is resistant to many of the diseases which destroy the European grape, Vitis Vinifera; they were the first onto which Vinifera cuttings were grafted to combat insects and disease and the first to be successfully cross-pollenated with European stock to produce hybrids. Most notable of these hybrids are French-American, but crossings were also made with German, Spanish, Portugese, Lowlands, and Baltic grapes. The resulting vines are hardy and produce good yields.

The Concord, however -- even its hybrids -- rarely contain the high amount of natural sugar that pure Vinifera varieties contain. They also contain more pectin and acid, and their wines may exude a musky aroma disagreeable to some. For these reasons their juice is always reinforced with added sugar, almost always diluted with water to balance the acid, treated with pectic enzyme to ensure that it clears, and may be flavored slightly with certain aromatic herbs or spices to counter the natural muskiness.

Concord Grapes Can Improve Your Memory and Fight Cancer

The purple power of the grape - especially the Concord grape - is becoming increasingly well known for the positive effects it can have on our health. The dark purple grape juice purchased in grocery stores comes from Concord grapes, and this robust, aromatic grape can help increase the daily consumption of fruits and vegetables that many of us lack. Concord grape juice is available all year round, but this is the perfect time of year to look for Concord grapes in your grocery store or at the farmers' market, as they are in season from late summer to autumn.

Although commercial grape production dates back to 1000 BC, the Concord grape made its debut in 1849 when Boston-born Ephraim Wales Bull developed the Concord grape, named after the village of Concord in Massachusetts. Since then, the variety has been an eternal favorite, from drinking the juice to enjoying the jams and jellies made from it, to eating the whole grape.

Health benefits of concord grapes

Concord grapes actually have the power to keep us youthful because they contain high concentrations of antioxidants that protect our skin, brain and heart from inflammation and aging. The healthiest part of the grape is the skin, which is packed with not one but 19 different types of health-supporting nutrients.

Here are five huge reasons to enjoy Concord Grapes:

1. Decrease blood pressure with concord grapes

Concord grapes contain many flavonoids, including resveratrol, which can help decrease blood pressure by improving the fluidity of the blood. Resveratrol also relaxes the arterial walls to allow adequate circulation and decrease the pressure in the arteries.

Concord Grapes for the Home Garden

Virtues: Concord grapes are easy-to-grow fruits with great sweet flavor and many uses. Eat them fresh or use them for juice, jelly, jam or dessert wine. Large heart-shape leaves and twisting branches lend visual interest in summer and winter.

concord grapes

Common name: Concord grapes

Botanical name:Vitis labrusca ‘Concord’

Exposure: Full sun to part shade

Season: Fall, for fruit

Fruit: Deep purple grapes ripen in autumn. They have a sweet flavor. These grapes develop from small, greenish, ornamentally insignificant flowers that bloom in spring.

Habit: Concord grape vines typically grow to 6 feet long with routine maintenance and annual pruning. Left to their own devices, they may reach 20 feet.