Grapes Miss Blanc
Interspecific Hybrid ‘Galibert 261-12’ x (‘Extra’ x ‘Marguerite’ Seedling)
Characteristics
- Type: Deciduous
- Zone: 5 – 8
- Sun: Full Sun
- Soil: Loamy, Well-Drained, pH 5.5 – 6.5
Culture
Miss Blanc grapes are an American hybrid. Best grown in deep, loamy, humus-rich, medium moisture, well drained soils in full sun. The more sun the sweeter the fruit. Tolerates a wide range of soil conditions, including average garden soils, but must have good drainage. Best sited in a location sheltered from winter winds (preferably a southern facing slope) and well removed from frost pockets. Young growth may be damaged in spring by late frosts. This grape is self-pollinating. For quality fruit production, it needs a support system, training, regular spraying, and regular pruning to maximize fruit production.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Miss Blanc is an extremely tough hybrid from Mississippi that does well in East Texas. It loves heat and humidity and has low pest disease susceptibility. It does succumb to magnesium deficiency quite easily but often a dose of Epsom salt will take care of this. Miss Blanc grapes sport glossy, dark green foliage and yields heavily with fruit that has a Moscato-like aroma and flavor, which makes sense because Muscat grapes are in the parentage of Miss Blanc. This vine is a good one for growing over a pergola or trellis since the grapes won’t stain hard surfaces. The green grapes turn amber gold when ripe in mid-July. The grapes are smaller, giving them an intense, fruity flavor.
Problems
Grapes grown for fruit production are high maintenance plants that require regular chemical spraying and pruning. Grapes are susceptible to a large number of diseases, particularly in humid summer climates such as East Texas, including anthracnose, black rot, downy and powdery mildew, gray mold, crown gall and botrytis bunch rot. Insect pests include phylloxera, grape berry moth, Japanese beetle, leaf hopper, leaf roller, mealy bugs, spotted wing drosophila and flea beetles.
Uses
Miss Blanc grapes make excellent juice, a fruity clear jelly and a good wine. Grapes are primarily grown for fruit production in home fruit gardens where ornamental interest is not a concern. However, grapes do in fact have good ornamental value: bold summer foliage, some fall color, showy fruit and shaggy, twisted trunking and branching often best seen in winter. When grown on fences, walls, trellises, arbors or other structures, grapes can be quite attractive year-round and can provide good cover, screening, or shade to areas around the home.