Table 5- FRESH MARKET MUSCADINE CULTIVARS
| Cultivar | Flower Type1 | Fruit Color | Berry Size | HarvestSeason |
VineVigor
|
WinterHardiness | Comments |
| AfricanQueen (Pat) | F | Black | Large | Mid |
H
|
G?
|
Production questionable, tangy flavor, dry scar |
| Alachua | SF | Black | Medium | Early-mid |
H
|
G?
|
Tough skin and medium size limitfresh market potential, even ripening |
| (T)Black Beauty (Pat) | F | Black | Large | Early-mid |
H
|
G
|
Production questionable, good quality, cap stick problems, may crack in wet weather |
| (T)Black Fry (Pat) | F | Black | Large | Early-mid |
H
|
M-G?
|
Fairly productive, usually good but variable quality, can be clipped in clusters, may crack in wet weather, may have leaf disease problems |
| Cowart | SF | Black | Med.-large | Mid |
M
|
F
|
Individual berries ripen unevenly – will shatter, poor shipper, good pollinizer for ‘Fry’ |
| (T)Darlene (Pat) | F | Pinkish/Bronze | Very large | Early-mid |
H
|
G
|
Poor cropping a problem in South Georgia due to low flower numbers , berries may tear slightly when picked, cluster clipping recommended for shipping, fair to excellent flavor, consistent size, possible leaf and fruit disease problems |
| (T)Delight (Excel) (Pat) | SF | DarkBronze | Large | Late |
L
|
P-F
|
Often over produces reducing quality, dry scar |
| *(T)Early Fry (Pat) | F | Bronze | Large | Very early |
M-H
|
G?
|
Productive, very promising new cultivar, can’t be picked as green as ‘Fry’ and have good quality, ripens ahead of ‘Fry’, possible leaf disease problems, highly recommended for trial |
| Farrer(Pat) | F | Black | Large | Mid-late |
H
|
G
|
Elongated fruit, wet scar, good U-pick |
| *Fry | F | Bronze | Large | Early-late |
L
|
P
|
Standard for fresh market, fruit rot, leaf spot problems |
| *Granny Val (SW Ga.) (Pat) (Note Comments) |
SF | Bronze | Large | Late |
L
|
P
|
Very productive, over cropping and lack of leaves due to disease and low vigor has been a problem, needs a good fungicide program to control leaf diseases, has not performed well in N. or Middle Georgia (cold injury), or on some farms in S Ga.(leaf disease and die back problems) |
| Higgins | F | Pink/Bronze | Large | Mid |
M
|
P
|
Poor shipper, elongated fruit |
| Ison(Pat) | SF | Black | Medium | Early |
V.H.
|
G
|
Will shatter off clusters once picked, may shrivel on vine, dry scar, good processing potential |
| Janet(Pat) | SF | Bronze | Large | Mid |
H
|
G
|
Wet scar, possible U-pick, good quality |
| Janebell(Pat) | SF | Bronze | Large | Early-mid |
H
|
G
|
Often over produces,large clusters,long stemmed clusters, dry scar |
| Jumbo | F | Black | Very large | Mid |
H
|
G
|
Poor quality unless vine ripe |
| (T)Late Fry (Pat) |
SF | Bronze | Large | Late |
H
|
G?
|
Fruit show severe powdery mildew scarring in most locations, not recommended |
| Loomis | F | Black | Med.-large | Mid-late |
H
|
G
|
Great taste, 72% dry scar, tough skin |
| (T)Nesbitt | SF | Black | Large | Mid-late |
H
|
G
|
Good U-pick, may over crop, may show Pierce’s disease symptoms |
| (T)Pam(Pat) | F | Bronze | Very large | Early-mid |
H
|
G
|
Production low on some farms, attractive, good quality, can be eaten when greenish bronze, can be cluster clipped for shipping |
| Pineapple | SF | Bronze | Medium | Mid-late |
H
|
G?
|
Pineapple flavor, productive large clusters, wet scar possible, U-pick |
| *(T) Polyanna | SF | Purple | Med.-large | Mid-late |
H?
|
?
|
Fairly new release from Florida, good disease resistance, size might be a bit small for shipping, producing well in Tifton, somewhat tough skin |
| Rosa | F | Reddish/bronze | Med.-large | Mid |
M
|
G?
|
Variable flavor |
| (T) Scarlett | F | Red | Large | Mid |
M
|
G
|
Fairly newrelease, beautiful red color, productivity has been disappointing |
| Southland | SF | Black | Medium | Mid-late |
M
|
P
|
High percent dry picking scars, too small for shipping |
| Sterling | SF | Bronze | Med.-large | Mid |
M
|
Very G.
|
Marginal quality |
| Sugar Pop (Pat) | F | Bronze | Large | Mid-late |
H
|
G?
|
Productivity questionable, good flavor |
| Sugargate(Pat) | F | Black | Very large | Early |
M
|
P
|
Usually very poor yields in S. Ga., slightly better in Piedmont |
| *Summit | F | Pinkish/Bronze | Large | Mid |
H
|
G
|
A top performing cultivar, generally not quite asattractive as Fry but better disease resistant and yield |
| *Supreme(Pat) | F | Black | Very Large | Mid-late |
L-M
|
?
|
Rising cultivar, exceptional fruit size, will shatter, dry scar, good flavor, young vines may lack vigor, subject to die back if stressed |
| (T)SweetJenny (Pat) | F | Bronze | Large | Early |
H
|
G?
|
Fairly productive, good quality, edible skin, dry scar, appearance may be rough, may have fruit rot and leaf disease problems, excessive number of parthenocarpic fruit some years |
| *Tara | SF | Bronze | Large | Mid |
H
|
G
|
Productive, attractive but flavor inferior to Fry, some skin browning, good leaf disease resistance, one of the best bronze pollinizers available |
| *Triumph | SF | Pinkish/Bronze | Med.-large | Early |
M
|
P
|
Productive, good early season pick-your-own, will shatter if cluster clipped, good pollinizer |
| Watergate | F | Bronze | Large | Mid |
M
|
P
|
Melting pulp, wet scar, soft, must clip in clusters to ship |
| * |
–
|
Probably the best choice |
| (T) |
–
|
Limited trial only, try only a few vines on your farm before making a larger planting |
| Flower type |
–
|
F = female flowered (needs self-fertile pollinator); SF = self-fertile |
| Vine Vigor |
–
|
L = low, M = medium, H = high |
| Approximate berry size |
–
|
S=<5 grams, M = 5-8 grams, L = 9-10 grams, VL = >10 grams (28.35 grams=1 ounce) |
| Winter Hardiness |
–
|
P = poor, F = fair, G = good |