I have a two part question. I bought a grape vine from Lowe's in 2007 that was labeled Seedless Concord Grapes. The vine beared fruit last year and I have an unbelievable amount of fruit this year. I've done my absolute best to take care of the vine throughout the past two years. Now to my questions... 1. When biting into the fruit, the center of each grape has a gelatinous consistency. I left them on the vine as long as I could thinking the extra time would firm them up. No luck. They have a good taste, but my kids can't seem to get past the unusual jelly like center. They just aren't crisp like store bought grapes. Any thoughts on why this is happening and if there is anything I can do to prevent it? 2. I made sure to purchase a seedless grape vine (I still have the plant tag from 2007 and it clearly says "Seedless") however, all of the grapes have seeds. I read somewhere that seedless grapes must be grafted to a seeded vine. Does that sound right? Is it possible that my graft didn't take hold and the seeded variety prevailed? Could this issue have anything to do with my first question about the consistency of the grapes? I plan on taking the plant tag along with a sample grape to Lowe's tonight to see if they have any thoughts. Hopefully they offer me a replacement, but I won't hold my breathe. My kids and I truly appreciate your help.
Concord grapes have a totally different consistency than the vinifera seedless table grapes normally sold in stores. I like the texture, but tastes differ. The vinifera varieties like Thompson Seedless are too tender to grow in Indiana. But you could try a green seedless hybrid like Interlaken or Himrod to get a reasonable approximation. Personally, I think that the taste of Interlaken is superior to that of Thompson. If you want a seedless Concord type, you could try Sovereign Coronation. It's seedless, but it still has the taste and consistency of Concord. These are varieties that I have had personal experience with, but there are many other varieties that would be suitable for your area. Try a Web search.
