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Diamond is one of the few white American grape varieties prized for producing sweet, dry, and sparkling wines. Though largely replaced by Niagara for white grape juice production, Diamond grapes remain a superior wine variety. Developed by Jacob Moore in 1885, this vigorous, trailing vine offers mid-season harvests with white and sparkling wines that showcase its versatility.
Diamond grapes thrive in USDA hardiness zones 5-12 and are best suited for the Top Wire Cordon training system, with a planting distance of 6-8 feet between vines.
Diamond is one of the few white American varieties that has been used to produce sweet, dry, and sparkling wines. Although largely replaced by Niagara for white grape juice production, Diamond is considered a superior wine variety.
Disease Susceptibility
Disease Susceptibility
Black Rot
Highly susceptible
Downy Mildew
Slightly susceptible
Powdery Mildew
Highly susceptible
Botrytis
Moderately susceptible
More Information
More Information
Grape Color
Blue, Black
Primary Use
Wine
Wine Color
White, Sparkling
Variety Origin
Jacob Moore
Parents
Concord x Iona
Pseudonym (Tested As)
Moore's Diamond
Year Released
1885
Harvest Season
Mid Season
USDA Hardiness Zone
5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Black Rot
Highly susceptible
Downy Mildew
Slightly susceptible
Powdery Mildew
Highly susceptible
Botrytis
Moderately susceptible
Sulfur Sensitivity
Slightly susceptible
Vine Vigor
Vigorous
Growth Habit
Trailing
Suggested Distance Between Vines
6 ft, 7 ft, 8 ft
Vine Training System
Top Wire Cordon
Bud Break
2-3 Days after Concord
Training System
Top Wire Cordon (TWC)
Top Wire Cordon is arguably the most efficient training system for
grapes, especially for procumbent or downward growing cultivators,
especially those not prone to late season fruit rots due to shading of
the fruiting zone. Summer labor is much less than that required with
Vertical Shoot Positioned (VSP) training as shoot positioning and leaf
pulling are generally not required.
At planting, one or two buds are retained near the graft
union on grafted vines, or near the crown of the vine on
own-rooted vines. Support is provided with a bamboo stake or
other support. For grafted vines, the graft union should be
planted above the ground so the scion variety does not
produce roots. Where winter graft union protection is needed
in order to prevent winter injury, it is critical that the
graft union be planted close to the ground (1-2" above final
ground level), with graft unions covered with soil or other
insulating material during the winter months.
One cane is retained from the previous year's growth. This
can be pruned and tied to the bottom wire, or a longer cane
can be trained up to or on top (fruiting) wire if first
years growth was vigorous. A second trunk can be started by
leaving a short spur at the base of the vine, just above the
graft union on grafted vines, or just above ground level on
own-rooted vines. In Year Two, crop should be limited by
cluster thinning or defruiting in order to encourage
vegetative growth.
A single cane can be pruned and trained in each direction
from the head of the vine (left side diagram), and cordon
establishment can be initiated by retaining spurs on second
year wood (right side of diagram). Spurs should be spaced
about 6" apart. For highly fruitful varieties such as most
French-American hybrids, spurs can be pruned to two to three
buds. For Vitis labruscana species such as 'Concord' where
basal buds (nodes one to three on one year canes) tend to be
less fruitful, vines are short cane (long spur) pruned to
five to eight buds. Shoots emerging below the top wire are
removed unless they are needed for leaf area needed to
develop the vine's reserves - generally speaking, a minimum
of three shoots per foot of row should be retained. As shoot
growth progresses during the season, shoot positioning is
generally not needed but vigorous shoots that grow over
neighboring vines should be positioned downward so as not to
interfere with sunlight exposure of the neighboring vine.
Third year vines should yield between one-half and a full
crop, depending on the amount of trellis fill achieved.
Vines that achieve full trellis fill can be fully cropped
(as appropriate for the variety and desired wine quality
attributes), while weaker vines may require some fruit
removal by cluster thinning so that vines are not
over-cropped.
Canes or cordons should be fully established and annual
growth should fill the available trellis space. Depending on
the variety, wine quality may be improved by reducing crop
load, usually by removing second and/or third clusters on
developing shoots. In regions where winter injury to trunks
is anticipated, new trunks can be trained by retaining one
or more suckers annually, and used to replace older,
winter-injured trunks.