North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Lucky.Pittman@murraystate.edu" <Lucky.Pittman@murraystate.edu>]

Melissa,
The University of KY fruit specialists here(just
north of the KY-TN border,70 mi. NW of Nashville)
warned me off of muscadines 15 years ago, claiming
that temps of 10F would nuke them.  
However, I have it on good faith that there are wild
native muscadines growing and fruiting in Land 
Between the Lakes, just 30 miles west of me.
If I were inclined to try my hand at grapes again,
I'd probably try to pick 2 or 3 muscadine varieties
rated by Ison's as most cold-hardy, but I probably
won't try 'em again anytime soon.
Zone 5 - a pure muscadine probably wouldn't have a
chance.

Lucky Pittman
Hopkinsville, KY


------- Original Message -------
>From    : Melissa Kacalanos[mailto:mijwiz@yahoo.com]
Sent    : 3/7/2010 9:16:53 AM
To      : nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
Cc      : 
Subject : RE: [NAFEX] muscadines for the north?

 I really like the unique flavor of muscadine grapes,
but I live in zone 5. (Where I can grow plenty of
other great grapes, so I shouldn't complain, but...)
I read that muscadines are hardy only to zone 7, so I
was resigned to being unable to grow them, but then I
read about this muscadine/bunch grape hybrid:
 http://www.freepatentsonline.com/PP09454.html 
Apparently, hybrids between the two species are
usually sterile, but this one is fertile. It seems to
be mostly muscadine. Unfortunately, the nurseries
selling it say that it, like regular muscadines, is
hardy only to zone 7.

But it got me thinking that, if one fertile hybrid is
possible, more should also be possible. If someone
crossed a muscadine with a really cold-hardy grape,
they might produce something I could grow. Is anyone
doing something like this?

Melissa
getting tired of looking at snow



      
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