Gary Gao Introduction Figure 1. A beautiful grape arbor at Stan Hywet Garden in Akron.
Grapes are an excellent fruit for fresh use or processing into jam, jelly, juice, pie, or wine.
Well-grown grapevines of cultivars such as Concord can produce up to 20 pounds or more of the fruit per vine per year. Once established, well-tended grapevines can be productive for 40 years or more. Home fruit gardeners can be successful if they select the right cultivars, maintain a good fertility and pest management program, and properly prune grapevines annually. Cultivar Selection Grape cultivars may be of the American, European, or French hybrid types. American and French hybrid types are best suited to Ohio growing conditions because they tend to be more winter-hardy.