Trópico Posted January 4, 2008 Report Share Posted January 4, 2008 I was able to assess some damage last night under cover of darkness (work during the day). Seems like my yard took the hit and others were spared! First off, I found that most of my sheets were blown off by the wind. There is a lesson to be learned here. The bananas look and SMELL like "pasteles" (christmas food made out of plantain, wrapped with a leaf and BOILED). A FLOWERING/FRUITING plantain was hit pretty hard. After a 3 year wait, the darn plant decided to fruit last week. The papaya leaves melted exposing the small papayas. Brugs melted too. Leaves that were under cover of protection made out OK. Experimental or in the ground palms left outside look ok Adonidias possibly with cosmetic damage. R. borinquena untouched. H. verschaffeltii untouched. 95% of my collection is still indoors. Possibly my yard hit 30°F. Frank Zone 9b pine flatlands humid/hot summers; dry/cool winters with yearly freezes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbean Posted January 4, 2008 Report Share Posted January 4, 2008 (Jimbean @ Jan. 04 2008,08:23)QUOTEI got 34 as well I meant that as in 34 was the minimum temperature in this freeze. Brevard County, Fl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spockvr6 Posted January 4, 2008 Report Share Posted January 4, 2008 (Jimbean @ Jan. 04 2008,13:34)QUOTE (Jimbean @ Jan. 04 2008,08:23)QUOTEI got 34 as well I meant that as in 34 was the minimum temperature in this freeze. What freeze Larry Palm Harbor, FL 10a / Ft Myers, FL 10b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KatyTX Posted January 4, 2008 Report Share Posted January 4, 2008 Frank, I started using bungee cords to wrap the sheets around mine. The wind usually blows so hard with a cold front that evern the bricks & rocks won't hold them down. 33.1 F was my low so far (according to my thermometer 18" off the ground). NWS had it at 29F. Looks like the wrapped Archontophoenix's had some frost damage (40%) - unwrapped, no damage (slight canopy from oak tree though). Schefflera had no damage (no protection either). Everything else of consequence was in the garage. Matt R - Katy, TX Elevation 100ft (30m) - Zone 9a Gumbo (clay) soil Summer (May-Sep) Highs - upper-90'sºF (37ºC) Hot Humid Winter (Dec-Jan) Lows - upper-30’sºF (3ºC) Mild/Cool Humid Yearly Minimum - 26º (-4ºC). 1989 Record Low 6º (-14ºC). 50-60 inches rain annual Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
osideterry Posted January 4, 2008 Report Share Posted January 4, 2008 Hard to believe blackened bananas and burned kings could happen at temps 30-33F. My bananas have seen below 29-32F a lot lately, and are still mostly green. My kings look unaffected as well. Must be the amount of moisture/frost you have in Florida. Zone 9b/10a, Sunset Zone 22 7 miles inland. Elevation 120ft (37m) Average annual low temp: 30F (-1C) Average annual rainfall: 8" (20cm) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobra2326 Posted January 4, 2008 Report Share Posted January 4, 2008 (spockvr6 @ Jan. 04 2008,07:22)QUOTE (cobra2326 @ Jan. 03 2008,18:13)QUOTESo whats the deal with tonight? Forecast for Larry's place is 41 and it's 46.4 there right now. I'm forecasted for 35 and I'm 45 already...? I hope we don't have a repeat of last night. Cobra- It ended at 38.8F in my yard earlier this AM. Yeah, saw that. I ended up hitting 36.6. It's extremely rare that my temp low is this close to yours. You're almost invariably 6F warmer than me. Either way, I hit my low temp well before you did. Glad this is all over, the king fared well, but it was heavily protected. The leaves that had any exposure are burned, so no doubt 5 hours at 27F would have fried it. I thought A. cunninghamiana was supposed to be hardy at LEAST this low unless it saw frost? Jon Brooksville, FL 9a Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gsytch Posted January 4, 2008 Report Share Posted January 4, 2008 Although my back yard (open) hit 27.9F, nothing in my front is damaged. I have a huge Mango Tree, in full bloom that towers over the house. Nothing. 30' Trainagle untouched. All my bromeliads fine, and I have about 100 varieties. Copperleafs were burned but that is expected, as I prune them anyway in Feb. Crotons 10' high with thick trunks, fine. Archontophoenix under pine trees, fine. The back - tomatoes frost cloth blew off partially, all fried. Heliconia and Banana leaves toast, but they come back anyway. Looks like undergrowth of Heliconia is ok. Areca (10' or so tall) near the house under a huge Fishtail is fine. Top two fronds of fishtail burned. Landscape begonias in the front, fine. Back, burned but not bad. Trees make ALL the difference! Greg in New Port Richey my front is a cheap Home Depot therm that read 29.9F while back is a special digital in the coldest, shadiest spot almost 5' off ground in deep shade... Begonias are my thing. I've been growing and selling them for three decades, nearly two in Tampa Bay. NPR is an bhour N of St Pete, coast Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spockvr6 Posted January 4, 2008 Report Share Posted January 4, 2008 (osideterry @ Jan. 04 2008,15:03)QUOTEHard to believe blackened bananas and burned kings could happen at temps 30-33F. My bananas have seen below 29-32F a lot lately, and are still mostly green. My kings look unaffected as well. Must be the amount of moisture/frost you have in Florida. The cold front was dry dry dry. The dewpoints were 0 to 10F! I think the cold dry winds just dessicated things. My Kings (alexandrae, cunninghamiana, illwara, purpurea) are all fine...no damage at all. Larry Palm Harbor, FL 10a / Ft Myers, FL 10b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spockvr6 Posted January 4, 2008 Report Share Posted January 4, 2008 (cobra2326 @ Jan. 04 2008,15:04)QUOTEGlad this is all over, the king fared well, but it was heavily protected. The leaves that had any exposure are burned, so no doubt 5 hours at 27F would have fried it. I thought A. cunninghamiana was supposed to be hardy at LEAST this low unless it saw frost? Cobra- How long has the cunninghamiana been in the ground? 27F shouldnt have affected it too terribly badly. I have many Kings of various sizes and none were affected. This is why I asked how long the palm has been planted. If its relatively new, its certainly less hardy than if its been there awhile. I had some Kings I planted a few years ago and about a month after I planted them they saw low 40's...and they spotted! This is unheard of for a cunninghamiana. Larry Palm Harbor, FL 10a / Ft Myers, FL 10b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunnyFl Posted January 5, 2008 Report Share Posted January 5, 2008 (spockvr6 @ Jan. 04 2008,18:14)QUOTEThe cold front was dry dry dry. The dewpoints were 0 to 10F! I think the cold dry winds just dessicated things. My Kings (alexandrae, cunninghamiana, illwara, purpurea) are all fine...no damage at all. Congrats on your kings - glad they were undamaged. That dryness, and the wind, really helped. We had no damage at all - except under the @#$@#$#@$ frostcloth! It acted as a nice big sail and the wind blew around like crazy, twisting everything inside, grrrr The wind also may have damaged my potted D. Fine-Leaf. (Well, it WAS in a pot) It was too large to bring in so I left it in a protected (I thought) spot on the back steps. The wind blew it off the steps and rolled it across the yard with most of the soil coming out. Argh! It's still green, no cold spots, but that can't have been good for it. OTOH, spindle looks fine (huge sigh of relief) except fronds twisted by being in what looked like a giant green tootsie-roll-pop. St. Pete Zone - a wacked-out place between 9b & 10 Elevation = 44' - not that it does any good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruskinPalms Posted January 5, 2008 Report Share Posted January 5, 2008 Actually, both Alexandrae and cunninghamiana are coming out pretty good. I agree Larry, I think that a lot of this damage came as dessication from the very low dewpoints and strong winds. Really, I am surprised how well Adonidia has done so far at my house and throughout the neighborhood. Hyophorbes are hit and miss. I have a spindle, I realize now in a cold spot, that may eventually take a 100% defolatiation maybe even death. Yet unprotected bottles, and other spindles throughout my yard seem to be relatively OK. Biggest surprise so far are my V. arecina. They seem to have a little foliar damage, especially on the north side of the house, but even those are rock solid and healthy in the trunk and growth bud area so I think they will survive another year...As long as this is as cold as it gets. Hey, recovery starts tomorrow. We are looking at an extended period mid to upper 70's with lows in the 50s and even low 60s starting tomorrow. Hell, My more protected A. alexandrae seems to be actually opening a new frond right now Parrish, FL Zone 9B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gsn Posted January 5, 2008 Report Share Posted January 5, 2008 I hate to sound like RAY,but it ain't over until it's over! This is only 1/05/08 we have a good 2 full months before we can breathe a sigh of relief! Scott Titusville, FL 1/2 mile from the Indian River USDA Zone COLD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gsn Posted January 5, 2008 Report Share Posted January 5, 2008 (spockvr6 @ Jan. 04 2008,18:14)QUOTEThe cold front was dry dry dry. The dewpoints were 0 to 10F! I think the cold dry winds just dessicated things. My Kings (alexandrae, cunninghamiana, illwara, purpurea) are all fine...no damage at all. This is just an anecdotal observation. But unlike our Cali brothers who worry alot about COLD WET roots in the winter. I think that a deep watering the day before the freeze really helps here in Florida,especially in an advective event like this one was. I think it generates heat,with the added benifit that it gives moisture to the plants caused by drying winds. Unlike Cali we don't have to worry about it staying 40 or 50 degrees for the next 4 months. Our events are usually 2 days at most ,maybe 3,then we are on to a warm trend 70's and 80's. so the ground really warms up here fast! Just my thoughts, it has worked well for me! Scott Titusville, FL 1/2 mile from the Indian River USDA Zone COLD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinzyjr Posted January 21, 2021 Report Share Posted January 21, 2021 Managed to compile some old records from some of the personal weather stations in town. Map: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1mnpH9leuTp3xb0ojkMrw3RoH2DdbfH5g&usp=sharing Raw Data: See attached sheet. For comparison, these were recorded at the airport (KLAL): Wunderground (27F), NOAA (26F), AccuWeather(26F) 20080103_LakelandFreeze.xlsx Lakeland, FL USDA Zone (2012): 9b | Sunset Zone: 26 | Record Low: 20F/-6.67C (1985, 1962) | Record Low USDA Zone: 9a | 30-Year Avg. Low: 30F | 30-year Min: 24F Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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