CLERMONT, Fla. – After several freezing nights across Central Florida, citrus farmers are now taking stock of what survived and what didn’t.
Earlier this week, growers ran irrigation systems overnight in an effort to protect citrus trees from plunging temperatures. Now, with ice melting and temperatures fluctuating, the focus has shifted to assessing the damage that has been left behind.
At Showcase of Citrus in Clermont, ice-covered trees remain a rare and unsettling sight. Heavy winds combined with repeated freezing and thawing cycles created conditions farmers say they haven’t dealt with before.
“This poor tree here, it’s split due to the weight of the ice,” said co-owner Tara Boshell. “This tree probably will not live at all.”
Farmers used irrigation systems to coat trees in water, a method designed to keep them insulated at about 32 degrees. While the strategy helped protect many trees, the weight of the ice proved too much for some.
Boshell said the damage is less widespread than she initially feared.
“We walked through yesterday, and there are a few — less than I actually expected,” Boshell said. “Because, I mean, if you look, even if we’ve come over here, you know, this tree, there’s a hundred pounds of ice probably built up over there. But this tree happened to be stronger.”
Beyond the fruit itself, farmers are closely watching the health of the trees and blossoms that produce future crops. Some blossoms remain frozen days after the cold snap.
“Because of the 12 to 15-hour consistent freezing temperatures, these blossoms probably won’t make it,” Boshell said. “Therefore, less fruit.”
Boshell said protecting the tree trunk — the core of the tree — was critical to survival.
“We want to protect the tree trunk just like humans,” she said. “We can get frostbite on our arms and legs and still survive. But if your core freezes, you’re not going to make it.”
Even with preparation, farmers say the uncertainty is the hardest part.
“Nerve-wracking because you just don’t know the outcome,” Boshell said. “We can only control so much. Mother Nature ultimately has the final say.”
For now, farmers must wait for the ice to fully melt before determining the full extent of the damage and what it could mean for this year’s citrus yield.