It’s a little tricky in Central Florida to know what to do in order to protect edible trees and plants when it comes to a frost or freeze. We can get away with planting some heat-loving plants like tomatoes and peppers in the fall, when we have a warmer season. When the rest of the country is packing up their gardens in September and October, we are just getting going for the fall and winter grow season. 2018 was a warm winter, and we got away with growing tomatoes and peppers with a decent production rate nearly all season long. In 2017, we got our first frost at the end of November. Then, that was followed by several other frosts and a hard freeze. It was the coldest winter in the last decade. The production for vegetable plants like eggplant, tomatoes and peppers slowed near the beginning of the season and never picked back up due to all of the cold weather that year. It’s just the risk that we take at the beginning of each season.  

For edible fruit trees like citrus, they can withstand some cold snaps or frosts with minimal damage. It can just cause them to go through a period of dormancy. If the tree started out healthy, it will typically be able to bounce back and continue to thrive in the spring. It is important to harvest as much of the mature fruit as possible before the freeze to prevent fruit damage. It also helps the tree to bounce back more quickly. Any fruit not harvested can drop early or late due to damage as well. After the frost or freeze, be sure to resist the urge to prune the fruit tree right away. It can take a couple of weeks for the tree to show the full extent of the freeze damage. Thus, early pruning can actually cause more damage and stress to the tree.

For vegetable plants, be sure to harvest all tomatoes and peppers that are of size before the freeze or frost, even if they are not fully ripe. The green tomatoes will ripen on the countertop within two weeks. When tomatoes are exposed to the cold temperatures, like when we put them in the refrigerator, they can get mushy and grainy. The peppers can be harvested early as green peppers to avoid the freezer burn that can occur. 

Cold-loving fall vegetable plants like carrots actually get sweeter with a frost. The cold weather enhances the growth and flavor of broccoli and cauliflower as well. Greens and herbs really thrive in the cooler weather.

I like to be safe rather than sorry, so I cover my plants that are not frost-tolerant when temperatures are predicted to be in the mid-low 30s. The forecast can vary significantly, so it’s safer to just cover when there’s any chance of hitting 32 degrees. 

My first choice to protect plants and trees from the cold is agriculture fabric. It’s sold in rolls and is designed to cover plants for extended periods of time. The fabric allows sunlight and air to flow to the plants. This way, they are protected and can continue to grow and thrive during the difficult conditions. My second choice is to use a fitted sheet with clamps and posts to cover and protect plants and trees. The fitted sheet seems to form better; then I secure it with plastic clamps. Before covering, be sure to water the garden. It’s a bit counterintuitive, but it actually can create a protective layer that acts as a buffer from the cold. 

As we watch the weather ping-pong around this month, be sure to be prepared to protect your trees and plants from whatever cold weather conditions may arise. Happy Gardening!

Amber Harmon is the owner of My Nona’s Garden, where they sell and service low-maintenance, elevated, organic vegetable gardens. Their mission is to bring health, promote growth, and provide vegetable gardening education to local communities, one garden at a time. 

Visit www.MyNonasGarden.com for more information. 

“We make organic vegetable gardening easy!”