How to Care for a Scuppernong Vine

Grow scuppernong vines in a location that will receive full sunlight. Avoid growing them in shaded areas, as it will reduce overall yield.

Plant scuppernong vines in a well-drained soil. The vines will not tolerate standing in water. Test the soil before planting the vines. An ideal pH is 6.5. Add dolomitic lime at to raise the soil pH if needed. Consult your county extension office for soil testing kits and further information.

Erect a trellis for the scuppernong vine to encourage development. A one-wire trellis is a good trellis system to use for muscadine production in the home garden. Set the posts 20 feet apart 3 feet deep and angle them slightly away from each other. String a No. 9 wire 5 to 6 feet high between the posts. Plant the vine midway between them.

Train a single, vertical shoot to follow the wire. From the three or four shoots that emerge from a young plant, select the strongest and straightest. Support it using a stake or string attached to the wire. During the early summer, the shoot should reach the 5- to 6-foot wire. It will harden as it matures. Once it reaches the wire, prune its tip so that two side branches will grow to either side of the wire. The shoot will become the trunk, and the shoots growing along the wire will become the cordon, or arms. Remove the string from the trunk once it is established.

Apply ¼ pound of a balanced fertilizer, such as 10-10-10, in late April or early May during the first year after the vine has been planted. Spread it in a 12- to 18-inch circle around the vine. Repeat again in June and in August. The second year, apply the fertilizer in early March, May and July, doubling the first year's rate (for instance, ½ pound per vine). Do not allow the fertilizer closer than 21 inches from the trunk. In future years, fertilize at a rate can of 3 to 4 pounds of fertilizer per vine during March, June and July.

Keep an area 1 to 2 feet in diameter around each vine free of weeds for the first two years. Cultivate the soil manually to a depth of 2 inches to remove weeds. Apply mulch in a 2- to 4- inch layer to such discourage weed growth and conserve moisture in the soil.

Water the scuppernong vine during dry periods the first two years to supplement rainfall so that the vines receive at least 30 inches of rain a year. Once established, the vines can obtain adequate water from the soil. Muscadine grapes are very drought-tolerant.