How to Prune and Fertilize Muscadines to Produce a Good Crop

Fertilizing

• 1

  Sprinkle 1/4 pound of 10-10-10 fertilizer in a ring 18 inches from the base of each muscadine plant in the first year when you plant and every six weeks until July. The numbers indicate the percentages of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the fertilizer product.

• 2

  Apply 1/2 pound of 10-10-10 fertilizer 21 inches away from 2-year-old muscadines every two months from March through July.

• 3

  Cover the ground under vines older than two years with an even layer of 1 pound of 10-10-10 fertilizer in the middle of March and June.

Pruning

• 4

  Train the muscadine in the first year to grow up a trellis. Tie the main vine to the vertical portion of the grape trellis and cut off any branches that grow horizontally from the vine every two weeks until it reaches the cross wires at the top of the trellis. Tie a horizontal branch to each of the trellis wires to create the fruiting branches.

• 5

  Prune the fruiting branches so only three or five spurs are on each fruiting branch. Wait until February of the first and second year to prune the branches to encourage growth during the coming season.

• 6

  Trim mature muscadine grapes older than three years in the winter when the vines are dormant. Cut off any tendrils wrapping around the vine or fruiting branches. Remove from the fruiting branches any spurs more than the three to five needed for growth. This concentrates the growing strength on a few branches, enhancing production.