by Darlene Ison-Evans What do you see when you look at the “Ole Mule Barn” in the pictures? I know, it’s just an old barn….   When I look at it, I see a dream, I see a young farmer with a vision, I see hope for a bright future. As he considered where to […]

Our vineyards are located about two miles from the nursery and our retail location. To get to the vineyard one would have to drive down a winding dirt road that I have probably driven down or rode shotgun thousands of times. Down this road is where our Aunt Vivian lives, Aunt Mildred lived, and the […]

The primary diseases that affect muscadines are Black Rot, Ripe Rot, and Powdery Mildew. The primary insects are Japanese Beatles, Aphids, and leafhoppers. When managing the vineyard we should think preventive versus reactive, it is easier to prevent diseases and insects versus reacting to disease pressure and insect pressure. Follow these guidelines to ensure healthy […]

The following are where I see opportunities for growers to take advantage of the increasing demand for the muscadine grape. Most of the larger vineyard operations with acreage over 30 acres are focusing on the wholesale distribution of clamshell containers in national chains. The clamshell holds about a pound of fruit and allows growers to make more […]

Many people who grew up in the South have memories of muscadines, whether they ate them off the vine in their backyard or remember their grandmother making jelly with the Southern fruit.  Full Article

Many Southerners have a cherished childhood memory or two involving muscadines. But few can top the memories of the Isons. As the third generation of Ison’s Nursery & Vineyards, the four children of Bill and Leola Ison were put to work early. Back in the ’70s, in the late summer and early fall, when the […]

Farming is an unpredictable business. If it’s not one thing, like the weather, it’s a whole host of other things: lagging markets, soaring fuel prices, limited labor availability and opportunistic pests and diseases. But then there are the good days. Oct. 8 was one of those days for Ison’s Nursery & Vineyards. The Ison family […]

About 2 months ago I was on the phone with a muscadine grower in South Carolina. He had a very good crop the fall of 2018, but his vines had not put out this spring. The varieties he had planted are vigorous plants and rarely over-crop, so I was perplexed on why his vines failed […]

Are your vines producing too much fruit, yes there is such a thing. On ideal bloom conditions or on some varieties of muscadines the vines can over crop or over produce themselves. In my opinion I believe the ideal fruit load is around 60 pounds per vine, if your vine has more fruit than this […]

The vineyard floor consists of the area that is on the ground directly under the main arm of the vine and has a width of about 24 inches. Muscadines have shallow roots that are typically 8-12 inches below ground level and run parallel to the top wire about 5 feet on either side of the […]