2026 Cold Weather [Megathread]

[bovine421]

Because of my optimistic personality I'm thinking this cold front could potentially keep any unwelcome visitors to Central Florida. I'm pretty sure the iguanas and the pythons find South Florida crowded and are looking for a new Homestead. This is the only positive aspect of the cold front I can think of.🙂
Advisory anyone in South Florida should wear a hard hat in case iguana falls out of tree

[Galatians522]

It's more the anacondas that worry me. They got that big one over in Hardee county a few years ago. There's always a bright side to everything.  maybe this cold will kill off mites and wevils. 😜

[Greater Good]

If there is a lake, pond or canal, they will survive 🦎 🐍

[baccarat0809]

Well, IIRC, the band Taco had a wonderful use for them back in the 1980s .... eating bar-b-que Iguana .... never tried it personally but I'm sure I've eaten worse.

[Fruit Jungle]

Everglades pythons RIP!

[pineflatwoods]

Too bad it won't freeze out the developers- they'll still continue to pave the entire place.

[bovine421]

Looks like from noon Saturday until noon on Sunday the winds will be 15 to 20 mph. Thank goodness I'll be home to monitor my Frost cloth blankets. What weather underground's not telling me is the potential wind gust Saturday as the front moves through. What's the predicted wind for your area? For the South Floridians crying to Squam about 36° go to the dollar store and buy a noogie🤣

[Sevastopol]

They just said possible gusts as high as 40 knots for Saturday around Sarasota.

[FL Boy]

They just said possible gusts as high as 40 knots for Saturday around Sarasota.

Snow flurries are forecast for mid-gulf coastal (your area) as well.  What a wacky winter this year!

[Galatians522]

The weather this year certainly has not been cooperative, but this is the weather I remember from when I was a kid--2 freezes average and half a dozen frost events. I remember an entire week when we never got above 60. I've gotten very spoiled the last couple years when everything was perfect. 

[Sevastopol]

They just said possible gusts as high as 40 knots for Saturday around Sarasota.

Snow flurries are forecast for mid-gulf coastal (your area) as well.  What a wacky winter this year!

Yep. Yard was down to 27* at 7 this AM, so don't know how any snow would affect at that point. So far, the wind from a week or two ago's cold snap is what caused the most damage, but that was from the drop cloths flapping and hitting the panicles.

[TheVeggieProfessor]

I am just wondering if anyone in south FL is doing anything to prepare for the cold. I was thinking of a deep watering on Friday morning and letting it be. If my breadfruit does not make it, so be it. My main concern would be the jackfruit or mangoes dropping fruit. I can probably cover the pickering and jackfruit with a big sheet of plastic. Anything touching the plastic will get the cold, but would perhaps held the tree as a whole. What say you? And what are your plans, if any?

[johnb51]

Is there anything better than plastic sheets you should cover your trees with?

[nullzero]

Going to flood the second lot with groundwater. Will have it run for +4 hours. Start on Saturday.

[Greater Good]

I've started hand watering underneath mango trees that have fruits or panicles.
Today, tomorrow and Saturday.
The areas with no fruit trees are getting a soaking with a sprinkler head.  Hopefully we trap some radiant heat coming  off the soil.

[roblack]

Planning on watering trees, especially Saturday afternoon. May cover some mango branches holding fruit, and perhaps some smaller trees. Worried about my breadfruit too.

[TheVeggieProfessor]

Planning on watering trees, especially Saturday afternoon. May cover some mango branches holding fruit, and perhaps some smaller trees. Worried about my breadfruit too.

How are you going to cover the branches? I'd like to do the same.
Plus my jackfruit are on the trunk by the ground. Would covering them with a blanket help? Or is it more the tree itself getting stressed and then dropping the fruit?

[Rico_Kryptic]

I'm covering up a few things and bring some of them delicate inside

[Darcizzle]

Is there anything better than plastic sheets you should cover your trees with?

You don’t want to cover any trees or plants with plastic in my opinion. Creating a warmer air pocket is what you're trying to achieve. Plastic directly on the leaves will still allow frost burn. Freeze cloth, landscaping fabric or bed sheets s better. The warmer air inside is what you're going for. Covering will only help for a night or so if it's really cloudy or very cold temps. The ground temperature helps keep them warm when covered too.

[Augustiner]

I'm going to be bringing in potted plants that are smaller such as jackfruit, atemoya seedlings, soursop, and longevity/okinawa spinach. The forecast is predicting higher-ish on this coast, but you never know.

I'm then going to water my in ground trees Friday and Saturday deeply. My biggest concern is a 25 gal breadfruit tree that's in the ground from Fruitscapes.

[FruitGrower]

I am just wondering if anyone in south FL is doing anything to prepare for the cold. I was thinking of a deep watering on Friday morning and letting it be. If my breadfruit does not make it, so be it. My main concern would be the jackfruit or mangoes dropping fruit. I can probably cover the pickering and jackfruit with a big sheet of plastic. Anything touching the plastic will get the cold, but would perhaps held the tree as a whole. What say you? And what are your plans, if any?

I'm kind of the opposite, I'm less concerned about losing fruit and more concerned about my breadfruit and marang. Unfortunately, my breadfruit is too big to practically cover but I will at least wrap the trunk. The marangs are getting covered with a heat source.

[fliptop]

I'm forecast to get cold rain tomorrow followed by (depending on the source) persistent wind gusts into the 40mph range overnight.

Low overnight temperature ranges from 31° to 33°f, again depending on the source.

Debating whether or not it's worth battling the winds to put the frost cloth up again Saturday night.

We're forecast to break the record low Sunday into Monday. At least the winds will have died down to where I can definitely put up the frost cloth.

Fun times. Good luck to all!

[TheVeggieProfessor]

I'm kind of the opposite, I'm less concerned about losing fruit and more concerned about my breadfruit and marang. Unfortunately, my breadfruit is too big to practically cover but I will at least wrap the trunk. The marangs are getting covered with a heat source.

My breadfruit put out its first sucker a few days ago (at least, that is when I found it). I take it as a sign; pot it up and start over    I will wrap the trunk though, that is a good idea! thanks.
The breadfruit is cool to grow - it is beautiful and productive. But also more of a novelty IMO. If I could do it over again (which it seems like I may have to!) I would rather grow something that I would otherwise purchase, like more avocado, mango, mamey, etc.

[JBRO]

Everyone is saying plastic is bad. I think they mean tarp type plastic is bad for plant leaves?

But what about foam, like pipe insulation and dish packing foam to protect tree trunks? Also OK to use Home Depot type house insulation around tree trunks?

[quinoah]

you can put a barrel filled with water next to the tree and cover them with fleece or something else. I think the water will buffer short temp. drops, but not prolonged freezes. good luck!