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fierymomof2

Growing Muscadine from Seed?

fierymomof2
16 years ago

I just bought 3 clamshell boxes of the dark purple muscadines, and am saving the seeds. I am a complete newbie at growing these, so I'd like to know how to start. I know they take approximately 3 years minimum to produce fruit, and that's ok.

Do I refrigerate the seeds first until spring? When do I plant them (spring? fall?)? Can I start out each seed in one of those box seed starter things from Wal-Mart and then transfer them outside when they start to shoot up?

I know they used to grow on the backside of my dad's land wild, and now they seem to have disappeared :( THey were never pruned, just allowed to grow wild, and we used to get many, many 5 gallon buckets full of them. Now I want to grow them in my own backyard.

I've searched around the internet but really haven't found anything about how to grow them starting with the seed.

Thanks for any advice :)

Melissa

Comments (13)

  • georgez5il
    16 years ago

    scarify the seed then soak in "rapid grow" for 12 hours the store at 40F for 120-240 days then .......lightly cover the seed soil temp 68F. The fruit from these plants will not be EXACTLY like the fruit you ate but should be very close.....
    I prefer to take cuttings & propagate this way.

  • plays_in_dirt_dirt
    16 years ago

    Melissa, I winter sowed domestic muscadine (29 seeds in soup cans) this past February 9 and every one germinated. No special treatment, just winter sowed.

  • fierymomof2
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Thank you Plays :) George, I don't understand what it means to "scarify" the seed nor do I know what rapid grow is. Is that like miracle grow? I may just go the soup can way if I can't figure out what the other means. Plays, when they germinated, did you then transfer them to your garden or just left them growing in the cans for awhile?
    I really appreciate all the help, I feel like such a newbie :(

  • dogdaze3001
    16 years ago

    Rapid grow is just another soluble plant food similar to miracle grow and such.
    It would probably be a good idea to transplant germinated seedlings at the first true leaf stage, into separate pots.
    Stratification (which in this case can be accomplished by winter sowing - as tried by plays_in_dirt_dirt) is just the process whereby seed dormancy is "broken" by various methods including weathering, mechanical abrasion, animal activity etc. A good link to check would be:

    Here is a link that might be useful: Overcoming Seed Dormancy: Trees and Shrubs

  • karyn1
    16 years ago

    If I'm not winter sowing and need to nick the seed coat I use a baby nail clipper.
    Karyn

  • fierymomof2
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Thank you all for your help! So if I'm understanding this right, and the link I read, I could heat water to boiling, or nick them with a file/knife/baby clipper to scarify. Then soak in Miracle Grow or Rapid Grow, then plant in soup cans or the little flats you get in Wal-Mart? Or maybe I should store them in a baggie in a fridge until it's colder weather here, THEN do all the above?
    Thanks for being so patient with a newbie, you've all been great :)

  • dogdaze3001
    16 years ago

    I can see your confusion regarding all the different techniques concerning the germination of your seeds.
    If you have plenty of seed it might be interesting to try out the various methods on batches by way of experiment, some you could winter sow, some you could mechanically scarify and so on. By doing it in this way you would learn and gain valuable experience - it might be kinda fun as well.
    When you are successful the following link may prove useful

    Here is a link that might be useful: The Muscadine Grape

  • plays_in_dirt_dirt
    16 years ago

    fierymomof2, when the seedlings had two or three sets of true leaves, I gave them to friend because I didn't have a trellis or other support to grow them on. He planted them in the ground the same day. If you winter sow in soup cans or any other type of recycled container like that, be sure to put drainage holes in the bottom of the container. Check out the winter sowing forum, especially the FAQs page. It's a lot of fun and an inexpensive way to grow flowers, vegetables, shrubs, and trees. I'd post the link but I don't know how to do that.

  • dogdaze3001
    16 years ago

    fierymomof2, thatÂs good advice from plays_in_dirt_dirt, IÂve put the link for the winter sowing forum FAQÂs at the end for you.

    plays_in_dirt_dirt, itÂs easy to put in a link, right click and highlight the URL of the link (you will find this in your search engineÂs address box in this case it reads http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/wtrsow/);
    left click and select copy; go to the forum where you wish to post, and then right click into the Optional "Link URL:" box, left click and select paste. Finish by typing in the name of the link in the "Name of the Link:" box.
    There may be a neater way of doing this but I found this method by trial and error (sorry it's a bit "long winded").

    Here is a link that might be useful: Winter Sowing FAQ

  • plays_in_dirt_dirt
    16 years ago

    Thanks, dogdaze ... I should get up to speed on these things ....

  • sswift238
    15 years ago

    I picked some off a wild vine in the woods and want to plant them. Do I take the seeds out of the pulp or let them dry first. Also after they germinate when what season do I plant them

  • sergnic
    13 years ago

    I'm living in Italy Z9,
    there is someone that has the possibility to send me few muscadine seeds of known quality? I'm able to send in change of european V. vinifera, or other you likes (e.g. disease resistant hybrid).
    Bye, Sergnic

  • martino amello
    5 years ago

    I gathered a bunch of seeds from store bought muskadines, let them completely dry for a few months then popped them in some nice putting soil I've been cultivating a few years now. I didn't do anything special, just buried them about a quarter inch, watered and 3 months later I have some nice seedlings. The tallest now is about 2 inches, but I expect they'll take off soon. I recently transplanted to deeper pots and so far so good. The first transplant, about a month ago has spread out and now has 2 new shoots coming up. I'm looking forward to building a nice trellis for them soon as they're big enough. I have plenty of sunny areas in the yard as opposed to my neighbor who planted his up under the pines in his back yard. His are growing, but I have my doubts they'll produce much in the shade.. I would tell him, but he already knows everything there is to know about everything that is to know. LOL