BY LUKE HARLOW
UF/IFAS Bradford County Horticulture Agent
Comparatively, we are in a pretty good location to deal with freezes in Northeast Florida. We don’t have to deal with icy roads causing accidents or getting hit in the head by iguanas falling from trees. Our average annual lows for Bradford County are generally in the 40’s and 50’s for the winter season. Freezes are not something we really have to be concerned about for the most part. However, we have currently had some very cold weather events within the last weeks and if you have sensitive plants, fruits trees or crops on your property, they may have felt the sting of the winter frost. Here are some tips for trying to keep your ‘leaf babies’ alive during the next cold night.
First, know which of your plants is at risk of damage when temperatures dip below 32 degrees. Any plants that are labeled as tropical (citrus, mangos, papayas, avocados, etc.), tender veggies, and annual flowers may need some extra care during the winter. If you have any tropical or sensitive plants, think about keeping them in nice planters that can be moved indoors for the freeze and then moved back out. Second, even before wrapping them in blankets, give your plants a good healthy watering at least 24-48 hours before the frost hits. Moist soil retains heat better than dry soil and will help protect the roots during the night. Make sure to water only the soil and not the leaves of the plants or to allow overwatering, which can damage the plants during the freeze.
Freeze cloth is a great method to protect your plants quickly. You can absolutely buy freeze cloth from the stores, or a simpler material can be bed sheets, old blankets or burlap. Make sure not to use materials such as tarps or other plastics. While these make sense from keeping cold wind at bay, they do not insulate and can transfer the cold directly to the leaves of the plant, causing freeze burn. Make sure your freeze cloth is completely covering the plant all the way to the ground, so the ground heat can be trapped inside.
One practice we do not recommend is using your irrigation system to try to insulate your plants from the freeze. You might see our local strawberry growers doing this because their irrigation systems are designed to continually apply water with accurate coverage over the crops. This practice keeps the plant tissue from dropping below freezing, preventing colder air temperatures from causing plant damage. Most home irrigation systems are not designed for this practice and can cause more harm than good.
If you do have damaged plants due to the cold weather, we recommend waiting until the spring to prune. Any new growth will be more sensitive to upcoming cold weather. For more thoughts, you can contact me directly at the extension office at 904-966-6299.
