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Florida Gardening

I surrender.

13 years ago

After covering the tomato plants yesterday and having to recover them and secure the covers better in that cold cold wind I just knew last night no matter what I did they were going to freeze so pulled and picked.........

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Comments (13)

amberroses
13 years ago
It's for the best. I surrendered too.
CaptTurbo
13 years ago
I don't blame you folks for throwing in the towel. I'm a good bit South (Ft, Myers) and I think I got through the night OK as far as frost and freeze but if I was any further North or inland I'm sure it would all be toast.

Yesterday was really frustrating. The wind was so powerful and trying to get sheets in place with only a one man show was rediculous. I'm glad it was so cold that the neighbors had their windows closed so they couldn't hear me cussing the wind. Clothes pins were popping off like popcorn, sheets slapping me in the face and blowing over my head...

My plants may have survived the cold but I know that some of them got beat to heck from the constant battering. One tomato cage came out of the ground from the force. Half my lights stopped working so maybe that will cost me some plants tonight when the temps are expected to be even colder.
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flyingfish2
13 years ago
Bambo, I'm with you except for 13 tomato plants in 5 gal buckets that I'm rolling into the hangar at night. Left everything else exposed last night. 27.5 degrees here at 6 am!

Cap, you lucked out on the west coast I think because you had a slight flow off the Gulf it appeared on NOAA this morning. Wife is making salsa with green tomatoes today.

The water in my chicken tractor was frozen solid the am.

bernie
whgille
13 years ago
Good morning everybody

It is so cold by my house! and I agree with Captturbo about the challenging wind that we had, I was afraid the coverings would fly to the neighbors yard.
Bamboo and Amber, I already surrender last week, I put bananas, papayas, star fruit and tomatoes in the laundry room. The citrus are all in the garage and I am making a lot of citrus preserves. Bernie, you are doing some good workout with the tomato plants. Still one more night to go...
Keep warm!

Silvia
amberroses
13 years ago
I was literally waving the white flag (sheet) in that windstorm.
User
Original Author
13 years ago
It is still BRRRRRRRRR I just came in from rabbit chores and the auto water system is frozen, rabbit water bowls frozen. I picked all the Valencia oranges, and will juice them, still tart but work great as a lemon juice substitute. Been having blood orange juice every day.....I tell ya there is no better juice on this planet. Gave a gallon to the neighbor yesterday but told her it was ruby red grapefruit juice as blood orange juice is the same color. She tried it and I enjoyed the confused look on her face until I laughed.
tomncath
13 years ago
Sink or swim here, I deal with more bugs and pest problems being so close to the water but that also means that my plants MAY survive. I contemplated pulling the green maters last night but decided not to, only time will tell.

Tom
saldut
13 years ago
I spent over an hour yesterday trying to cover everything, brought the orchids inside and picked the ripe 'maters and peppers, and ran the sprinklers, and this morning it waS down to 38, not the freeze expected..being so close to the water helped...... so this afternoon I have been picking up all the sheets and blankets from the ground and repositioning them over the 'maters and peppers and patience plants and other tender stuff, it is barely 40 out now so think we are going to get our freeze tonite.... doesn't look good.... sally
pabrocb
13 years ago
As I said on another post. When the TV weatherman across the street tents his trees and put a light bulb inside I start cursing. I brought everything in, covered what I could.

Last year I stocked up. I bought quilts at estate and yard sales, I bought heavy duty clips at Home Depot, clothes pins didn't work in the wind last year! And I had to take back the light system I bought. So no light bulbs.

Because I'm not a multi-generation Floridian (tomcath!), I don't know what "normal" is. This is my second winter here. I'm constantly perplexed.

Carol B.
User
13 years ago
"toast" here.....going to 25 tonight. see what happens...:)...no frozen pics.....:)
loufloralcityz9
13 years ago
"Going to 25 tonight"?? I wish it was going to be only that cold, at 8:15PM it's already down to 26.1 here!

Lou
jetstream
13 years ago
I feel everyones pain with the cold weather! I gave up on trying to protect plants from the cold many years ago. I just let nature have her way. If it survives it stays, If it dies it gets composted and something else will take its place...
loufloralcityz9
13 years ago
It's now a chilly 21.9F here a few minutes before midnight. This is going to be a very cold night. Time to curl up in bed.

Lou

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