Wild Grape Seeds

Gathering Seeds

• Wild grapes that ripen on the vine produce the most viable seed. Clean viable seed dropped into a glass of water will sink. Seeds that float are dead and will not germinate.

Stratification

• Wild grape seeds require 60 or more days of freezing weather before germinating. After gathering the seeds, wrap the cleaned seeds in a paper towel moistened with water containing a small amount of fungicide and place in a plastic bag. Store the wrapped seeds in the freezer for a few months and then move them to the refrigerator compartment until spring.

Germination in the Wild

• Wild grape seeds sometimes remain dormant in the soil for years, waiting for the right conditions to germinate. In addition to a period of cold weather, they need full sunlight to sprout. Seeds on the soil surface have a better chance of sprouting than those buried beneath the surface or covered by leaves and debris.

Genetics

• Most wild grapes are hybrids, the result of cross pollination from two different vines. The resulting seeds are a mixture of the male and female plants and will have characteristics of each. The new plants may not produce as well as the parents.