Last winter started with a huge BANG in October. Typically we have a gentle hardening off period, but last year Arctic air poured through the Hellgate canyon suddenly and hit everything hard with a couple 5 degree nights.
The grape leaves were still green! I managed to harvest half the grapes while the temperature plummeted, but didn't mulch the trunks. I hadn't ever had to protect these Concorde vines before. They leaf out late, so I wasn't worried until I noticed the bark coming off the big trunks.
May 1, no leaves. May 15, no leaves. May 20... Oh wait, buried in the remains of the grass, a few stray vines are budding out! One vine is alive, barely. From a massive plant eight feet tall and completely covering a 4-foot-wide trellis, only a few small branches.
I'll take it!!!
The craziest thing is this: there are four blooms coming on.
We are gonna have some grapes after all.
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