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grape vine dried up


Question
We are in Arizona and had a slightly colder night last week (around 32 degrees)When we woke up we found some dead leaves on our rose bushes, lemon tree and apple tree. Our young concord grape vine instead was completely wilted and dried up with crunchy, brown leaves. We purchased it last month and it was nice and green and ready to climb the night before the cold. Is this plant dead for good? Any chances for recovery? Should I remove the dry leaves? Any ideas appreciated!

Answer
Good morning, Adrienne -
The weather is really crazy, isn't it? Spring is always a bit unpredictable, but this year it seems like it is especially wacky.
You say you are in Arizona, but it's really important to know what USDA hardiness zone we are talking about.  Your state has the distinction of having zones ranging from 5b (central) - which is really too cold for most citrus - to 9 and even 10a - practically tropical.  That stuff matters, as I am sure you know.
First, hats off to you for growing grapes - it is quite an undertaking, but you will reap the rewards ... eventually. Concord grape vines are especially resistant to cold temperatures, so I do think your young vine will be ok. Since you're not expecting to harvest anything significant this year (it usually takes at least 3 years for a good grape harvest), it should recover and bounce back for next year. Keep an eye on your primary, secondary, and tertiary buds and consider using grow tubes for insulation next year.  Some people swear by them, although I have never tried them because my own growing area is not ideal for grapes.
Now, on to roses. A few dead leaves is nothing to worry about after a frost. You did not specify what kind of roses you have, but - as with the grape vines - I believe they'll be okay. Tea roses may not produce as many blooms after a frost, but one or two late frosts generally won't kill an established bush.
As for your fruit trees, the apple tree should make it. You don't say how established it is, how many years it has fruited, etc., and this is kind of getting out of my area of expertise (which is vines), but our own apple tree has withstood more than a decade of early (October) and late (early May) frosts and freezes with no real ill-effects.
With respect to your lemon tree, I'd like to recommend an excellent article published by the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension on the subject of cold-hardiness, called "Protecting a Citrus Tree from Cold." It discusses what to do after a frost or freeze, and the pdf can be found at:

http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/crops/az1222.pdf

Adrienne, hang in there and let me know how everything goes!  

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