Ruskin Florida. Winter has hit us.

@roadkill❄❄ clever idea❄❄. 

❄❄Always need ideas to improve the survival rate in North Florida. 🌡°27F...It's going into the upper 20s here this weekend ❄❄  ( this wont end well.)

                  my windshield ice. lol                            and tomorrow night will be worse? Time to cover them well, especially their lower stumps. Save the bark and lower trunk☃️

last edited by peteypyro

This wind cuts right through my coat. Looking at 34 here tonight. 

Forecast is still the upper twenties for me

Dark sky now shows a low of 35 for me. A bit warmer than it had been. 

Little ones should be fine in here. 

@roadkill omg look at that frost. It looks like they have a hard border around each leaf. That's absolutely I sane. 

@roadkill hope everything recovers quickly once this is over 🙏🙏🍃🙏🙏

wow keep the pics coming. Absolutely insane

@peteypyro OUCH!!!! Wrap some blankets and some tarps around the base. Start a fire near them. I hope they will be ok. Only have to go thru 6 hours of chill. 

roof was reading 24f. Bowls of water already below freezing. In almost 9 years i’ve never seen a frost. Unbelievable 

last edited by will

roof is now reading 20f. road is 28, leaf is almost at freezing but yet to frost over. although it seems that will happen real quick. I can only imagine what its like up north of here

been checking temps since 3am. Started nose diving hard but temps are creeping back up a few degrees. Just enough to halt frost hopefully. sunrise will be in about an hour. It was a good 8 to 10f below reports, the roof temps were extraordinarily low. 

I have been in ground for eight or nine years and have never not been home and safely say wtf 

on a side note i found a snake crawling up the door, and alligators frozen in place

last edited by will

@guywithtrees They're iced up. Sprinklers left on to save them... chunks of ice are falling off of the branches,  hopefully indicating that the water from sprinklers froze first, covering the unfrozen branches and buds.  I hope 😓

Frozen only on the outside, not inside that ice cocoon. I hope. 😕

last edited by peteypyro

Success....  Tree trunks maintain the temperature of 50's and 60's  and the temperature dip down to 28゚ in my area

@roadkill That looks good. So far. I wonder of the roots get hot from the coals? Just curious, as a Pyro. Lol

 The pumelos are iced up outside, but unfrozen inside. Hopefully sweeter now.❄❄ Sprinklers helped.

last edited by peteypyro

@peteypyro OMFG LOOK AT THAT ICE HANGING OFF!!!!! If they do make it those are some tolerant trees. 

@roadkill NICE that is incredible you were able to keep the base in the 50's. it should be fine then right? 

icicles??? thats insane. They look fantastic considering what they went through. i think damaged plant tissue shows its self pretty quickly. The ground stayed well above freezing, especially in areas that were well mulched.

I used to water when it got down into the low 40s but i was afraid of shock or providing more water for freezing. Even today i waited for it to warm up as the ground water never dips below 70

Now i will just focus on mulching and planting more banana and coconut to cut exposure to the north.

@peteypyro said:

  Heat he doesn't transfer through sand very well only down  An inch or so

@guywithtrees The aftermath is ok.

the leafless ice covered stems thawed and the buds under their protective sheathes are green and happy 

last edited by peteypyro