Planting Muscadines

Research your growing region to make sure you can support muscadines before you plant. These grapes need warm, humid summers with at least 150 days of frost-free growing. They die in temperatures under 0 degrees F, according to the California Rare Fruit Growers Association, and will not thrive in areas that drop below 10 degrees F in the winter. The best growing regions are Southern California, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas

Plant muscadines in early spring, once the ground thaws, to give them the longest possible growing season. Choose a site that gets full sun all day and good drainage; planting muscadines on a slightly south-facing slope is a good option for both sun and drainage. Mix a combination of 1/3 gravel, 1/3 loam and 1/3 organic compost into your planting sites for nutrition and drainage. Amend the soil to a depth of 3 to 4 inches.

Prune broken or damaged roots off a rooted muscadine cane before planting. Plant the canes at the same depth as their previous planting, or deep enough to cover the entire root ball. If you're planting unrooted canes, put the bottom inch of the cane into the soil. Give each muscadine cane at least 9 feet of space, as these plants can grow up to 60 feet in length. Pack soil firmly around each cane and give them 2 inches of water to help them establish.