Growing and Tending Concord Grapes

A farmer, Ephraim Bull, first developed the Concord grape variety, over 150 years ago. Today more than 400,000 tons of Concord grapes are produced commercially each year. That's not to say the home gardener cannot grow this variety if they want to - and can get a cutting. However, it is not necessarily the best kind to grow if you want eating grapes. But the Concord variety is an excellent choice for those who want to make their own wine.

So long as your climatic conditions and soil are both suitable for the Concord grape vine, there should be no difficulty in growing it. When growing, care must be given to establishing the plant over at least three years before grapes are picked for harvest. That's not to say you won't get any grapes at all for three years.

What you should do is pinch off the flowers for the first two years so that strength will be established in the roots. The third year you can leave about half of the flowers to bear, though pinching them all off again is actually better for the plant. Exercising your patience in this way will see a strong plant established that should last for at least 40 more years.



Like many plants, if you simply grow seeds from a bunch of Concord grapes you bought, they are not likely to be the true variety. They could turn out really bad grapes - or they could be even better than the Concord, but you won't know for some years, so why risk wasting all that time? To get the true variety, you need to buy or beg cuttings, or slips as they are called.

All grapes need rich soil with plenty of compost in it. A south-facing slope is an excellent place to grow Concord grapes, but if you just want one or two plants growing around your house, make sure they are sited to get the most sun possible. Weeds and other plants should be kept away from grape vines.

Grapes should be pruned in late winter, before the sap starts to rise. Fruit is borne on last year's growth; so don't take too much off. But yet, if you don't take enough, the quality of the fruit will be quite poor. When you see the early spring blossoms, make sure you also prune off any weak spindly growth. More vines will grow from the end of the blossom and this should be pruned off at the third or fourth leaf.

Unlike much other fruit, grapes change color well before they are ripe so make sure you examine the size and taste them before you pick. Under-ripe grapes will be sour or tart to taste.