| Every year we get these beautiful dark sweet eating grapes from the store. They are seedless huge in size and oh so sweet that they are even sticky to the touch. When I ask at local nurseries they keep guiding me to concord grapes. I know that isn't the right kind. These are large, oblong and a dark purple with a slight red tint unlike concords which have a blue tint. They are sold in the grocery stores as "Black grapes" and I would swear they are some kind of cross between a Red Flame and Concord grapes. If anyone can tell me what varieties fit this discription I would be very grateful. I have a postage size yard which leaves me little room for experimentation in plant varieties. |
| Grapes require certain amounts of accumulated heat units in order to ripen. Different cultivars have different requirements so not all kinds of grapes can be grown in all areas. Most of the grapes sold in stores have traveled a long way to reach their destinations, and most have higher heat unit requirements than you can provide in your Portland area garden. There are two grape cultivars that will grow in your Pacific Northwest garden and produce fruit similar to your descriptions: 'Glenora' is a blue-black seedless grape that's sweet and spicy. 'New York Muscat' is an oval reddish-blue, almost seedless, sweet grape. These plants are available from Raintree Nursery, 391 Butts Rd., Morton, WA 98356, phone (360) 496-6400, or from Northwoods Nursery, 27635 S. Oglesby Rd., Canby OR 97013, phone (503) 266-5432. |
