Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
puglvr1

Freeze Watch Saturday Night...

puglvr1
11 years ago

Just a heads up for people that live in these counties...
Citrus, Hernando, Pasco and Sumter, Freeze watch from late Sat. night till early Sunday morning, I'm guessing other counties north of that are included too? Probably more counties south of these will be added for Sunday night Monday morning since its suppose to be slightly colder with less wind...

Here is a link that might be useful: Freeze Watches Issued...

Comments (55)

  • scents_from_heaven
    11 years ago

    Only 36 in Orlando on Saturday and 37 Sunday and thanks to my microclimate it will stay in the high 40's with the exception of one small corner of my yard. I have my mini greenhouses that fit over each bed I put up when it is cold. PVC pipe and blankets with plastic over and Christmas kights. Makes for a toasty environment when it really gets cold. Easy up and easy down. Good luck everyone

  • puglvr1
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    "Sorry to disagree, I've seen this 'behavior' in Biloxi, MS and Shreveport, La. :)

    Thanks for posting that Leekle...guess I've lived in FL too long and I think its the only place that can happen to lol...I stand corrected :o)

    Scents from heaven...lucky you!! I had always thought how weird it is that I live almost 2 hours south of Orlando and I'm always colder that you guys during a cold snap :o(

  • writersblock (9b/10a)
    11 years ago

    Hmm, I see that for my area (Martin/St Lucie) the only advisories now are wind chill and lake wind, so maybe it won't be so bad.

  • shear_stupidity
    11 years ago

    36 tonight and 39 tomorrow here in Titusville. Thank God I don't have to cover anything!
    ;)

  • sun_worshiper
    11 years ago

    Yep, put up frost shelters this afternoon. I've got two mangos that have set fruit. Good luck protecting your trees puglvr!

  • wallisadi
    11 years ago

    Orchids are in heat, rest is just going to have to make it! So far this winter we haven't lost anything. Tonight could be the game changer, hope not. First time not covering(four hour process)! Have a great canopy of oaks, queen palms under them, it's windy and all is well hydrated. See what morning brings......:)

  • shear_stupidity
    11 years ago

    As I've said before on other threads, I have never covered anything. Not in 12 years of living in Titusville. Only ever lost Crotons... a lot of them... big, well-established ones. That stunk.
    Praying my "method" holds. I've got a lot of new stuff in the ground. (Planted young palms last Srping, etc...)
    Does anyone remember a product called "Wilt-Pruf"? I remember my grandmother and aunts using it throughout my childhood up in Michigan, and I used it myself back in the early 90's... now I can't find it anywhere, not even online. Not a mention of it!
    You'd attach it to your hose, spray all foliage (flowers, plants, tree leaves) and it made a sort of waxy "jacket" on them. The spring rains and sunshine would "melt" it back off. (Not a true wax, just waxy/tacky)

  • KaraLynn
    11 years ago

    Well, I went out to some thrift stores today and bought some ratty old blankets and now half the plants in the front flowers bed are covered. Including my big lions tail, fennel, daylilies, this big orange blooming plant tha I can't remember the name of, porterweed, some of the blackberry lilies, salvias, and big red leafed crinums which are blooming right now. I even wrapped a comforter around a smallish banana tree. Some of the plants also have shop lights or christmas lights in them. I haven't covered plants in years but with everything having broken dormancy so early I'm just worried a strong freeze will end up killing some of the plants. It is supposed to get to 30 here and I'm located in a cold spot. Here's hoping for the best.

    Kara

  • puglvr1
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks Sun!! Good luck to your trees also!

    Protecting plants are a LOT of work...Hope everyone fares okay. Some of my fruit trees are too large to cover so they will have to fend for themselves, I'll cover the small ones I just planted...I think I'll be fine tonight (no warnings other than wind chill ) but tomorrow night is a different story :o(.

    Hoping for the best is all we can do...

  • kayjones
    11 years ago

    Here in Panama City, Fl. - my yard - 33 degrees at 5:30 a.m.

  • fl west coast zone 10a
    11 years ago

    Here in Sarasota it's 41 at 7:20am, I'm afraid tonight
    it could get as cold as you are in Panama City.

  • Michael AKA Leekle2ManE
    11 years ago

    0700 - Woke up.

    0710 - Checked current temperatures. 32F

    0711 - Checked overnight low. 32F was lowest.

    0715 - Took the dogs out to do their thing.

    0717 - Unplugged fountain pump because bird bath was empty for some reason

    0718 - Opened shed and checked temperature under the sheet tent. 50F

    0720 - Came in and started working on this report. As well as getting coffee started.

    0727 - Clicking the Preview Message button.

  • Michael AKA Leekle2ManE
    11 years ago

    And now they're saying tonight's low is going to be 30F. Whee!

  • Lowellzone9
    11 years ago

    28 in my Lake Helen garden this morning. I think I'm in a cold spot microclimate. Why?

  • shear_stupidity
    11 years ago

    So far, so good here. One more night to go!

  • whgille
    11 years ago

    No frost or freeze for my area, it is very cold today but sunny! One more night to go...

    Silvia

  • marcia_m
    11 years ago

    My thermometer (with memory) said it was 39.4 last night in my North Port yard. I brought in some potted plants yesterday afternoon, as well as an anole hiding in one of the planters. Luckily, I was able to do a safe trap-and-release.

    And here I thought we were done with frosts for the rest of this winter--shows how little I know. We may get our frost late tonight/early tomorrow.
    Marcia

  • judyk_2008 9a DeLeon Sprs. (NW Volusia)
    11 years ago

    On my screen porch it was 32 at 7:00. Looks like the covers have blown off today and I get to rewrap for tonight and remember to turn the lights back on my lime tree.

  • Michael AKA Leekle2ManE
    11 years ago

    Most of my plants came through the night fairly well. Some of the pentas cuttings that were in-ground got a little burned, but seem to be okay. My firebush got nipped again though. I KNEW I should have done the boiling water trick again... I will have to do it tonight as the forecasted low keeps getting lower and lower every time I check. It looks like the day-old growth on my wife's mandarin made it though. Which is good news... for me.

  • shear_stupidity
    11 years ago

    Boiling water trick? Please share!

  • Michael AKA Leekle2ManE
    11 years ago

    Basically, you boil a couple gallons of water and, using old milk jugs, surround any frost sensitive plants with the hot water. The heat from the jugs of water will 1) warm the plant and 2) will warm the area under the cover. It won't keep the plant toasty warm all night long, but it gives it a better chance of the plant not dropping down to the same temps as the outside air. When I saw that my firebush had new growth a while back, I started using this little trick on the few cold nights we've had. Last night I took a gamble that with a forecasted low of 36, that the firebush would be fine with just the frost blanket over it. I lost with an actual low of 32. I fully expect the firebush to come back again, but it sucks to have lost a good 6 inches of new growth to a bad forecast.

    On the upside, when I saw that the bush was actively growing, I took three cuttings and potted them. They seem to be doing fine, so with luck, the main one will come back and I will have at least one more to plant somewhere on the east side of my house.

  • shear_stupidity
    11 years ago

    That's a good tip!
    I, too, have Firebush cuttings growing. They're on the screened porch fending for themselves right now. Hope they make it!

  • TampaBull
    11 years ago

    Hello,

    I have a Gulf Beauty plum tree that has very small fruits forming. Do I need to protect the tree from tonight's cold?

    Thanks.

  • beachlily z9a
    11 years ago

    This is funny! I bounced out of bed at 5:30 and found it to be 39.5 degrees last night. I predicted 40, so I wasn't off by much. This evening? I don't know! This is on Daytona's barrier island, on the sound end near the inlet.

  • puglvr1
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Leekle...I love your minute by minute summary, too funny!!

    It was 32 degrees for about a total of an hour and a half for me. The good news is it wasn't continuous. It bounced above freezing off and on from around 2 am to 5:30 am. When I woke up at 6:30 it was 35.9 degrees.

    I do have some frost on my lawn and the rooftops...but doesn't look too bad. I'll check on the fruit trees and plants later this morning once it warms up.

    I'm very happy...it definitely could have been worse!

  • shear_stupidity
    11 years ago

    The Milkweed is a bit saggy, but everything else looks fine so far.

  • whgille
    11 years ago

    Nancy, we have some frost here but like you I don't think it was that bad or for long time. It is sunny now but still cold, I will check the plants when it is warmed up.

    Silvia

  • shuffles_gw
    11 years ago

    Here in West Tampa, it was 37.8 at seven this morning. It dropped for the next 40 minutes down to 33.1. Since then it has been climbing. Lots of frost though. I am glad I covered my pole beans and tomatoes.

  • annafl
    11 years ago

    35 degrees in Sarasota at 7 a.m. Hoping everything is ok. Don't see any frost.

    Anna

  • Michael AKA Leekle2ManE
    11 years ago

    As of 0800 the current outdoor temperature here is 32F with an over-night low of 28F.

    Even though my firebush already got nipped the previous night, I went ahead with the boiling water trick last night. Hopefully I prevented the new 'wood' from getting frozen and only the new leaves have been burned. But I'm not keeping my hopes up too much. Once the temps get up to the 40's I will go uncover things and see how they faired.

  • bamboo_rabbit
    11 years ago

    Icy

  • thetradition
    11 years ago

    It was slightly below freezing when I woke up this morning at 6:30. Didn't rise above 32 for maybe another hour. LOTS of frost in my neighborhood :(

  • KaraLynn
    11 years ago

    It was 28 on my front porch when I left for work at 7:00 this morning! The birdbaths were frozen solid and everything that wasn't covered and was frost sensitive was burnt to a crisp. Of the covered plants the only ones that I can be sure are okay are the big crinums that were not only covered with a heavy blanket, they had a shop light under the covers with them. At least the dianthus, violas, pansys, and sweet alyssum are all going strong!

    Kara

  • Michael AKA Leekle2ManE
    11 years ago

    Wow BB, I haven't seen anything like that since moving down from Michigan. I bet that would have made for an awesome shot if taken from the west with the sun refracting through the entire field of ice.

    I've seen a few singular citrus trees around here that have been frozen over like that, but never really understood the purpose. Then I read that some fruiting plants actually benefit from having their fruit frozen like that and it helps with flavor later on (don't remember where I read that). My Key Lime definitely did not benefit from it last year as it ended up dying down to just above the graft point. As the Blueberry Guru, what did this do to your crop? Is the ice a bad or good thing?

  • marcia_m
    11 years ago

    My thermometer said the low in my yard (right next to the house) was 33 but there was definitely frost on the grass. The leaves on my two banana trees (no fruit) definitely took a hit. Won't be sure what else was affected until I walk around the yard. I don't have any veggies planted, but my lemon tree was in full flower :(
    Marcia

  • bamboo_rabbit
    11 years ago

    Leekle,

    The ice is self imposed:) I use ground level misters for irrigation but that ice was from an overhead impact sprinkler in the middle of the blueberry bed that ran all night. Each of my 3 BB beds has an overhead sprinkler.

    Some people say that covering the flowers and fruit in ice insulates them from the cold air but that is just an old wives tale. What happens is a lesson in physics.....as liquid water applied by the sprinklers changes from one state to another..in this case liquid to frozen heat is created/released. That heat is what keeps the BB protected. As long as you can keep the ice wet....and constantly freezing you create heat from the matter changing states.

    BB fruit and flowers are damaged at 27 degrees. That constantly wet ice will give you 8-10 degrees of added protection so in theory down to 17 degrees you can protect them. If there is wind though the protection is reduced. You also have to have the sprinklers on before it gets too cold because when you first turn the sprinklers on the water will actually cause the air to temporarily get a few degrees colder, is is called super cooling. This icy protection works for any plant that can tolerate 32 degree temps. That bed in the picture is partially surrounded by plumbago and they are fine as well bathed in the icy blanket of over spray.

    This post was edited by bamboo_rabbit on Mon, Feb 18, 13 at 9:38

  • Michael AKA Leekle2ManE
    11 years ago

    So mine might have gotten nipped by last night's chill. I was looking over my plants just now and it didn't pass my notice that ALL the berries on my Emerald have turned blue over-night. I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing yet.

    Of the damage I noticed:

    • Tender growth on Bearss Lime is droopy and some of it is definitely burned.

    • Day-old growth on the wife's Mandarin is burned (please don't tell her, I don't want to be sleeping with her Mandarin tonight!)

    • Wild Plumbago got burned at the tips, but the majority of the plants seem to be fine.

    • Covered Pentas planted at the NW corner of the house got burned a little, but still show signs of protected growth.

    • All cuttings and seedlings on my grow-rack in the lanai look fine, even the firebush cuttings in there seem to be okay, even though the thermometer on the rack says it got down to 32F at the rack.

    • In-ground firebush definitely took a hit. The leaves, which got burned the previous night, are already black.

    • Firecracker plants, which are right next to one of the Wild Plumbagos and the Firebush seem to have faired pretty well, which is a little surprising.

    • All the elephant ears are toast. Which really doesn't bother me much.

    • Blooms on the un-planted Walters Viburnums 'Whorld Class' took a hit, but the plants themselves look fine.

    • Tomato plants in the shed look weepy but otherwise fine. Thermometer in the shed read 46F. They're now out along the fence-line soaking up the sun.

    • A few milkweed plants got nipped, but for the majority of them are fine.

    • All my tropical salvia seem to have come through unscathed.

    • Italian Parsley and Italian Oregano, which I forgot to protect, look to have also come through fairly untouched.

    • Gopher Apple, which I felt fairly sure would drop its leaves after last night seems to be fine. Though, I'll keep an eye on it through the day. It is usually one of my first to drop leaves in a chill.

    • All the growth on the Sweet Potatoes and Grape vine got burned.


    That's it for now.

  • bamboo_rabbit
    11 years ago

    Sorry to say but the blue berries are ruined......you dropped below 28 degrees.

  • Michael AKA Leekle2ManE
    11 years ago

    Oh well. It's a little bit of a bummer, I was kind of hoping to make some blueberry pancakes for the family, but I won't cry over it. Tomorrow I'll be heading down Tavares/Howey way and looking to get a Jewel from a grower down there, if they have it. Maybe I will get lucky and they will have a better protected Jewel that has berries.

  • sun_worshiper
    11 years ago

    I think I got off lucky. Just a light frost. No damage evident yet.

  • cenflagirl
    11 years ago

    in Melbourne, the low Sunday night/ Monday morning here was 35. My sweet potatoes are slightly burned on the new growth. Can't tell yet on the tomatoes. all else was cool crops, so no damage.

  • jctsai8b
    11 years ago

    Is this the last hard freeze of the season? My new Zone map is 9A. Thanks

    This post was edited by JCTsai on Mon, Feb 18, 13 at 17:02

  • puglvr1
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    "Is this the last hard freeze of the season?"

    Probably not for your zone (8b)? Actually even for me 9b, I think I'm not safe till the first or second week of March if I'm not mistaken...

    Anyone have a link or map that shows when its safe for the different zones in FL? Thanks !!

  • Michael AKA Leekle2ManE
    11 years ago

    Well, looking at my Bearss Lime now that the day is pretty much done, I can say that all the new leaves on it are toasted. They have gone beyond simply being droopy to being discolored and wilting. Time will tell if it was just the leaves that got killed or if it was the new stems as well. On the plus side, it made for a pleasant day in the garden with the smell of lime wafting through the area.

    From the looks of the crape myrtle, it also had some young buds on it, but they've been done-in as well. Everything else seems to be rebounding a bit.

  • bamboo_rabbit
    11 years ago

    Leekle,

    Drop me a email.

  • shear_stupidity
    11 years ago

    So, Leekle.... another fellow Michigander. We're really quite a-plenty down here! (The smarter ones, anyway *wink*)

  • Michael AKA Leekle2ManE
    11 years ago

    Eh, I'm not a 'true' Michigander. I'm an honorary one (I even have my own collection of flannels) having spent 7 winters there and walking around in the snow in shorts and a t-shirt (dry cold is sooooo much easier to deal with than wet cold), but I'm really a southern boy at heart. Prior to Michigan it was 20 years in South Carolina and then 10 years bouncing from Louisiana to Alabama to Mississippi and back.

  • shear_stupidity
    11 years ago

    Ok, but that's even funnier.

    1. I spent all day yesterday and all day today in a quilted flannel.
    2. I used to walk around in the winter in shorts and a hoodie up north.
      3. I agree wet cold is worse... as evidenced by the chill you get when stepping out of the shower no matter HOW warm the room is.
    3. I'm a Florida girl at heart. Even though I was born and raised in Michigan, for the first 18 years of my life, I never belonged there. Even as a kid I hated snow.
    4. I lived in Mississippi for a year.
    5. I lived in South Carolina, too. For three years.

    Small world... er... east part of the country.

  • stpete_mango
    11 years ago

    It got down to 45 degrees Sunday and Monday mornings around my house close to the south end of St. Petersburg. No sign of damage to my newly planted fruit trees ( 3 mangoes, a mandarin and a lychee) and ornamentals (crotons, Ti and variegated schefflera "trinette.")

  • puglvr1
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    stpete...Happy to hear the fruit trees survived with no damage. I'm so envious of your zone,lol...I used to live in Bradenton about a mile from the beach. How I miss not having to protect my fruit trees then, didn't know how good I had it till I left and moved here. I think in the 12 years I lived there...I only remember twice having frost or freeze? At least that's what I remember,lol...