Dealing with the FL deep freeze - Not exactly

[Orkine]

For folks actually seeing freezing temperatures, so sorry 

Temperatures are dropping this week in South FL, We have low 50s tonight.
It will warm up after today but I have a few seedlings that I started outdoors, should I bring the potted ones into the garage where it will be a couple of degrees warmer.  What are you going to protect young plants, please share.

By the way, the potted seedling varieties include:
1) Abiu,
2) torta ssp. glabra,
3) Garcinia brasiliensis,
4) Pitomba,
5) cherimoya/atemoya (for rootstock)

[Jaboticaba45]

Going to 21 here for about 6 hours . Since my greenhouse heater isn't installed I had to make some adjustments to keep my ultra tropicals alive. For pedalai, I moved it in the house. Breadfruit is in the grow tent inside the greenhouse. I moved my seedlings of garcinias (bacupari and lemon drop), euginias, an abiu, and some others near the heater and they seem to like it. I guess with your seedlings you could either bring them into the garage, or make some sort of makeshift greenhouse. I think that the seedlings could take the low 50s for a short time. I personally think that bringing them into the garage is a wise decision though.

[Kuhyay]

Here in San Diego 10a we've been averaging high 40's at night. My Garcinia seedlings (Intermedia, Brasiliensis, Achachairu, and Luc's) have all been happy enough outside without protection. Some of them have even continued to push out new growth.

If it gets much cooler I will need to bring them inside with their more tropical brethren. Not saying this is great practice, but just another data point to consider.

[bsbullie]

For folks actually seeing freezing temperatures, so sorry 

Temperatures are dropping this week in South FL, We have low 50s tonight.
It will warm up after today but I have a few seedlings that I started outdoors, should I bring the potted ones into the garage where it will be a couple of degrees warmer.  What are you going to protect young plants, please share.

By the way, the potted seedling varieties include:
1) Abiu,
2) torta ssp. glabra,
3) Garcinia brasiliensis,
4) Pitomba,
5) cherimoya/atemoya (for rootstock)

Projected low here in Wellington tonight is 44.

[Jagmanjoe]

Here in Lakeland, FL we are projected for mid 30's for the overnight low.  Right now 38.8 degrees but doesn't seem to be dropping much at this point.  While I set up existing frames and frost cloth from last year, I also had to build new ones for the additions this past spring and summer.  Just hoping we get lucky and dodge the freeze bullet.  Another 4 or 5 hours and we should know.  Nurseries in the area were pumping the water over the plants at 5 last evening and I would guess by now the local strawberry fields are being sprayed as well to be safe.

[Tropheus76]

For weather that wasn't supposed to leave the high 30s, we ended up in the mid 30s. I had frost on my truck when I put the dogs out last night, as dry as it is, I wasn't expecting that. I had brought my most tropical potted trees into the garage along with a few light weights that were iffy. My only preps for the trees left outside though, not expecting anything really rough was some incandescent Christmas lights in my mango and perfume trees. Hopefully that was enough to protect from the frost. The rest of my trees had to rely on ground heat since this was unexpected. 9 times out of 10 the weather overstates how cold it will be.

[Kevin Jones]

My yard Satsuma is covered in ripe fruit right now.
It took yesterdays 26 degrees with no protection like a trooper... last night went down to 25... still looks fine.
Had a bunch of potted Surinames and COTRGs that took yesterdays OK too... surprising.

Kevin

[EddieF]

PSL 50F was low, 58F now.  Heat pumping, sweatshirt & fuzzy hat on.
Not retrieving my garbage pail till temp hits 60 lol.

[kalan]

Southwest Ranches had a predicted low of 46-47F never dropped below 51F. Minimal winds too.

[shot]

Orkine I have all those plants ,the only one that I would at least protect from cold wind is abiu

[Fishinsteeg234]

After last night reaching down to about 37 in Orlando, it appears only my banana tree leaves have some frost damage. Uncovered mangoes, Carambola, guava, dragon fruit seems to be OK. I was surprised to see the amount of frost on top of all the roofs this morning.

[TnTrobbie]

I'm in 9B as well. It hit 37oC yesterday in my area. Only mild leaf damage so far is my hog plum and some banana leaves. Young coconuts look fine. Both in ground caimitos look fine and my young in ground Jackfruit. Brought in my sensitive seedlings though.

[Orkine]

Orkine I have all those plants ,the only one that I would at least protect from cold wind is abiu

Thanks.  I planted 10 abiu seeds (courtesy of a fellow forum member)  and have at least 6 of the abiu that germinated.  I moved in 2 of them and will be putting them back out until the weekend.
We did not drop into the low 40s as was projected for some areas south of us, but we might have cracked 49 in the wee hours of the morning.  Looks like we will see low temps again this weekend.