Growing for and Table in the Puget Sound Region

EB 0775

Grapes are not well adapted to the generally cool region of western Washington. General informa­ climate of the Puget Sound region. tion on the culture of grapes including propaga­ cultivars (varieties), such as Island Belle (Camp­ tion, trellis construction, training and pruning, bell Early), have been grown commercially, but soil management, and pest control are contained the produced from these grapes are acidic, in other publications listed at the end of this thin, and considered of low quality. The climate publication. These can be obtained from your favors developn1ent of severe mildew and other county Extension office. fungus problems in susceptible types which generally are those varieties containing European Since temperature is the main limiting factor to (vinifera) parentage. In small plantings, birds fre­ grape production in coastal areas of the North­ quently destroy the crop before it reaches maturi­ west, data for selected stations follows. Some ty. Thus, grapes should be considered only by important wine-producing areas of Europe have those willing to cope with the vagaries of weather less than 2000 accumulated heat units (AHU) per and perhaps manipulate the environment in order season, i.e., Geisenheim, Germany 1700 AHU. to obtain satisfactory results. In marginal areas such as this, only certain early maturing varieties can be grown successfully. Even This publication will discuss some of the unique the earliest varieties will be difficult to ripen with features of growing grapes in the Puget Sound less than 1500 heat units.

Mgti® Puget Sound area for grapes

Cooperative Extension College of Agriculture & Home Economics Washington State University Pullman EB 0775 - Page 2

Weather Data for Selected Locations in Western Washington

Elevation Annual Heat Units* Temp. Extremes (°F) Location ft.) precip. (base 50°) Highest Lowest

Aberdeen 12 84.54 1348 104 6 Anacortes 30 25.70 1683 95 4 Bellingham 112 35.59 1321 94 -4 Buckley 685 49.28 1625 102 -3 Centralia 185 45.53 2005 104 2 Coupeville 50 17.73 1348 98 3 Concrete 270 65.21 2060 102 0 Everett 99 35.24 1574 98 1 Friday Harbor 100 27.40 1354 98 4 Longview 12 45.10 1862 105 1 Monroe 120 46.76 1801 101 -3 Mount Vern on 14 32.01 1521 98 -4 Olympia, Airport 190 52.37 1693 103 -1 Puyallup 50 40.50 1755 101 -3 Sea-Tac, Airport 386 38.94 1863 99 0 Sedro Woolley 56 46.07 1548 97 -2 Sequim 180 16.81 1288 99 -3 Vancouver 100 39.00 2404 105 -5 Yakima, Airport 1061 7.86 2279 108 -25

Source: Washington Climate Series, Washington State University Cooperative Extension, Pullman.

•Heat Units (base 50°)-Accumulated difference between mean daily temperature and 50° (base temp.) from March through October.

Cultivars (Varieties) than 1500 heat units, you might have success with the very early (VE) cultivars. If your location aver­ The first step is to select cultivars which have a ages 1500-1700 heat units, you could add the early chance of reaching satisfactory maturity (18-200Jo (E) cultivars. The midseason (MS) cultivars will soluble solids or sugar content). Based on the ex­ probably not be successful in areas with less than perience and recommendations of test locations 1700 heat units without special efforts to increase throughout the Northwest and other similar heat accumulation. (Windbreaks may be helpful.) regions, an experimental cultivar planting was made at the Washington State University Research Some of the fine wine cultivars, such as Char­ and Extension Unit, Mount Vernon, Washington, donnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, and in 1973. The average annual heat unit accumula­ White , will mature properly in only the tion in the area is 1521. The location is flat, ex­ warmest and most protected areas of western posed on all sides, and the soils are naturally fer­ Washington. tile. From many respects this is not a naturally good site for grapes. The most common blue Cultivar Descriptions grape, Concord, was not included in the trial Buffalo-Excellent midseason Concord-type because it does not mature satisfactorily in most grape, productive, good for table, juice, or wine; areas of western Washington. like other American grapes, should be trained to 4-cane kniffin system. Selecting a Cultivar for Your Site Campbell Early- Rather old variety formerly Refer to the weather data and find the heat units used for wine and juice. Will ripen only in the most likely to be typical of your site. If you have a warmest areas of the Puget Sound region. southerly slope and gravelly soil you may have up to 300 more heat units than indicated for that loca­ Canadice- Small, red, seedless, early maturing, tion. For north slope or heavy, fertile soils, esti­ with sweet, slightly foxy flavor; new introduction mate less. If you are located in an area with less from New York. EB 0775 - Page 3

Grape Cultivars for Western Washington (in approximate order of maturity within group)

Season' Cultivar Type2 Color3 Comments4

Used Primarily for Dessert and Juice

VE Interlaken Seedless Amer. Hyb. w Earliest white seedless grape VE Canadice Amer. Hyb. R Small berried, pink, seedless VE Perle de Csaba European w Med. size, yellow Muscat type for table or wine E Van Buren Amer. Hyb. B Earliest Concord type bunch grape E Schuyler Amer. Hyb. B Table and juice grape MS Buffalo Amer. Hyb. B Excellent quality for juice or table L Campbell Early Amer. Hyb. B Juice grape, formerly used for wine

Used Primarily for Wine

VE European w Earliest white wine type with slight muscat aroma VE Madeleine Sylvaner European w Most consistent, heavy yield E Madeleine Angevine European w Most consistent, heavy yield E French Hyb. B Earliest black grape, satisfactory for home winemaking E French Hyb. B Vigorous growth, needs shoot thinning E (Foch) French Hyb. B Vigorous, productive, protect from birds M Okanagan Riesling Unknown Hyb. w Riesling type, good vine and fruit set M New York Muscat Amer. Hyb. R Aromatic muscat wine, okay for table grape M Muller Thurgau European w Riesling type, good yield L Gewurztraminer European W-R Spicy, aromatic white wine L Pinot Noir European R-B Classic red wine grape of Burgundy (France)

'Season: VE=very early; E=early; M=midseason; L=late. For extreme coastal area, select only VE and E cultivars.

2Hybrids of European and North American species have originated from breeders primarily in France (French hybrids) and in New York and Ontario, Canada (North American hybrids).

3 W =white; R =red; B =blue or black.

4 More detailed descriptions from our trials and other experience follow.

Gewurztraminer- A white to pink grape with Leon Millot- Vigorous vine; may require cluster small compact clusters and having a characteristic thinning to prevent overbearing; fruit much like spicy flavor; makes a highly aromatic white wine; Foch; early, high sugar; wine similar to Foch; one sometimes blended with Riesling wines to increase of the better red wine grapes for cool areas. bouquet. Not productive. Madeleine Angevine-A very worthwhile grape Interlaken Seedless-Developed by the New York giving heavy crops of green-white grapes that yield Agricultural Experiment Station (NY AES) from large quantities of juice for wine and may be en­ Thompson Seedless and Ontario. The vine is ex­ joyed fresh; highly susceptible to birds and bunch tremely vigorous and in warm areas, highly pro­ rot (Botrytis); makes a light, fruity, Riesling-type ductive with fine quality grapes; in cool areas it wine with a minimum of amelioration (blending). often produces poor sets and many unevenly-sized berries; improved with gibbrellic acid (GA) dur­ Madeleine Sylvaner- One of the earliest matur­ ing bloom. ing white grapes; vigorous vine, consistent crop- EB 0775 - Page 4

ping but highly susceptible to yellowjackets, birds, Schuyler-Early, black grape, non-slipskin; good and Botrytis fruit rot; wine is light, sometimes for dessert or juice; apt to be cold-tender; has not quite aromatic but not complex; excellent for yielded well in cooler areas. Does have attractive blending with Gewurztraminer, or other wines foliage in fall. with more flavors. Siegerrebe-Fairly recent cross from Germany, Marechal Foch or Foch (Kuhlmann 188-2)­ Riesling x Traminer, has similar characteristics to Similar to Leon Millot with looser clusters, Scheurebe (Sylvaner x Riesling) but generally less matures about 10 days later in cool climates; acidity; wines have Muscat bouquet and are useful clusters below medium in size, long pruning for blending. Good table grape also. Better than recommended; acidity tends to remain high, re­ Csaba even though seedier. quiring some deacidification. Van Buren-Developed by the New York Marecha/ Joffre-Earliest of the red wine types, Agricultural Experiment Station at Geneva; a moderate vigor and yield, easier to manage than good, uniform setting bunch grape; good for or Millot. table; not good for juice-fresh only, though not on a par with well-ripened Concord; consistent Muller- Thurgau- A Riesling-type grape from producer. Germany; susceptible to mildew; vine vigorous and productive; clusters medium, compact; wine Not Thoroughly Tested but Worthy of Trial quality good considering its earliness. Alwood-Early, black juice grape with spicy New York Muscat-A fine, aromatic, Muscat­ flavor, may be superior to Van Buren. type for fresh eating or wine; medium vine with large-berried, loose clusters; moderately hardy; -American-hybrid, becoming very fruit pink to dark red; makes a pleasing red popular for white wine in the eastern United muscatel wine with American fruitiness and fair­ States. No foxy flavor. Ripens about one week ly low acid. before Muller-Thurgau.

Okanagan Riesling-Thought by Canadian viti­ Einset- New, early red seedless grape from New culturists to be a Teleki hybrid rather than true vi­ York. Fruity, crisp berries with slight strawberry nifera; medium to small compact clusters of flavor, very promising. medium-sized white berries; fruit is of high quality for wine; especially good on light soils; produc­ Glen ora-New black seedless hybrid from New tive; may overbear; quite resistant to birds and York, ripens in late midseason. Productive and mildew. attractive with good fall color. ·

Perle de Csaba- Properly managed, this early Pinot Meunier- Black, vinifera wine grape similar white Muscat grape is fine for eating or for a light to Pinot Noir but easier to manage. Possibly bet­ Muscat wine. It is highly susceptible to powdery ter than Pinot Noir for this area. mildew. May set poorly in rainy weather and is very attractive to birds. Sources of Planting Stock

Pinot Nair-Classic red wine grape from the Until a few years ago, one could buy two-year­ Burgundy area of France, small, compact clusters, old grape plants from nurseries located through­ vigorous vine, tender to cold, susceptible to out the United States. Then a quarantine was mildew; variable ripening; grow only in warm placed on the importation of noncertified grape favorable locations; when well grown, produces stock from other states to protect our developing excellent light-bodied red wine. grape industry in eastern Washington. There are a EB 0775 - Page 5

number of nurseries and individuals who are pro­ will also enhance maturity and increase quality. pagating certified and non-certified grape plants for their own use and for sale. Check with your Exten­ Weed and Pest Control sion office for a current list of possible sources. Grapes, in most regions, are clean cultivated. A Location cover crop may be grown temporarily between the rows, but no vegetation should be allowed to grow In general, grapes require full sun and soils with in the vine row. Unless the planting is a large-scale good drainage and moderate fertility. In such commercial venture, no herbicides should be us­ limited heat areas as the Puget Sound region, one ed until vines are well established (three years old). must use all the "tricks" for trapping heat. Selec­ A number of herbicides are recommended for tion of a southern to western exposure, protec­ established plantings as outlined in EB 0762, tion of the plants from the chilling effects of the Spray Guide for Grapes in Washington, available wind, training vines close to the ground, and the from your county Extension office. use of black mulching materials, rocks, or even heating cable to warm the soil are some of the sug­ Powdery mildew is usually the most serious gested methods. If you can plant against a reflec­ disease problem in grapes. Certain varieties, par­ tive wall or fence, you may gain enough extra heat ticularly the European types, will require an in­ to mature marginal varieties. Placing a material tensive spray program. Various bunch rotting like aluminum foil around the base of the plants diseases are also a problem as the grapes mature, may hasten maturity by reflecting light and heat especially if the fruit is covered by a canopy of to the undersides of the lower leaves. leaves. Keep the fruit exposed to good air move­ ment by leaf and shoot pruning. Recommenda­ Culture and Fertilization tions for insect and disease control are given in the Spray Guide for Grapes in Washington, EB It is important to appreciate that in our cool, 0762. Also, see EB 1202, Powdery Mildew of maritime climate, grapes have a tendency to be Grapes in Washington, and EB 0722, Symptoms overly vegetative at the expense of fruit produc­ of Grape Disorders in Washington. tion and maturity. Thus, after the first year or two, avoid nitrogen fertilizers or manures until Additional Information on Growing Grapes in the you can detect a definite need for them. Nitrogen Northwest deficiency is characterized by pale, yellowish green foliage; premature, reddish fall coloring; weak Ahmedullah, M., and D.F. Mayer. 1980. Symp­ and spindly shoot growth. Once this condition has toms of Grape Disorders in Washington, EB 0722. been noted, a small amount of nitrogen fertilizer Washington State University, Cooperative Exten­ or manure can be applied in early spring for the sion, Pullman, WA 99164. $3.50. next year's crop. If the soil is moderately fertile before the grapes are planted, a small amount of Ahmedullah, M. 1987. Trellising and Training balanced fertilizer applied in early spring should Grapes for Production in Washington, EB 0637. be adequate for normal production. If shoot Washington State University, Cooperative Exten­ growth is too vigorous even though no nitrogen sion, Pullman, W A 99164. $.50. fertilizer is used, try planting a rye cover crop in early August to help slow growth and hasten Growing American Bunch Grapes, revised 1978. maturity. Tipping the new growth from midsum­ Farmers Bulletin 2123. Government Printing Of­ mer on and limiting the clusters to two per shoot fice, Washington, DC.

By Robert A. , Horticulturist, WSU Research and Extension Unit, Mt. Vernon.

Issued by Washington State University Cooperative Extension, F.L. Poston, Director, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture in furtherance of the Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914. Cooperative Extension programs and policies are consistent with federal and state laws and regulations on nondiscrimination regarding race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, dis­ ability, and gender preference. Trade names have been used to simplify information. No endorsement is intended. Revised January 1989. 50¢ i' I

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