I just finished my arbor and am thinking about planting 3 muscadines but I don't have any idea what variety I want to grow. I live in middle Tennessee on the Cumberland Plateau. I'd rather not order plants and pay shipping since the nursery I bought my fruit trees from has a bunch of grapes in 3gallon pots for $10 each. They "Specialize in Fruit Trees" and from what I can tell from asking around (including my UT Extension Office) they are the most reputable in the area for what they sell being true to variety. (The next county over claims to be "The Nursery Capitol of the World" and several people told me which NOT to go to.) I want grapes mostly for fresh eating and canning as I don't have the money to invest in winemaking equiptment. (Also there's a famous moonshine distillery Just down the road.) I've never even tasted fresh Muscadines, but I hear that they are relatively trouble-free as far as pest/disease control. I can amend the soil with as much organic matter as I need to... but my soil test hasn't come back yet on the N-P-K needs... I searched and read every thread here on Muscadines and the varieties everyone was talking about aren't offered locally, although some sound similar. (Local names?)
Bronze:
Carlos
Doreen
Magnolia
Tara
Triumph
all listed as Self-Fertile
Black:
Noble- Self Fertile
Supreme- Pollinator Required
My arbor is on the South-East corner of my house and 1 side faces South and the other North where there will be some afternoon shade from the hideous maple tree 20 feet North, which my landlord gave me permission to have a tree service remove as soon as I have the dinero. (I want to replace it with a pecan.) The southern exposure gets no shade at all, I don't even know if that matters.