Hernando was hit by a hard freeze Friday morning. In some areas, the temperature dipped into the mid to low 20’s. It stayed below freezing for at least six hours and that is enough to damage many plants and trees.
Across the area, people covered their vulnerable plants with sheets, blankets, and boxes, in the hopes of retaining enough heat to prevent major damage to the plants. Other people ran their sprinklers to protect their plants with warm water.
Citrus growers used smoke from smudge pots and water from sprinklers to try to protect their fruit and trees. Some Hernando strawberry growers used a newly developed spray called Desikote, to protect their strawberry plants. Desikote is a pine derivative which is sprayed on the plant and when it dries it forms a clear coat which lessens heat loss.
As it warms up Friday many people from Hernando will be assessing the damage to their plants and trees. It can take a few days before the plants and tree fully manifest their damage.