Here it comes! This weekend is forecasted to be one of the coldest weekends of 2026 in South Florida. Temperatures are predicted to dip into the low 30’s and, in some areas, the upper 20’s. These kinds of forecasts send tropical gardeners into a tizzy over their precious specimens (we understand completely).
Here’s what we’re doing to protect our tropical fruit trees from cold damage (in sequential order):
1. Determine Your Devotion
The first step is to take stock of your trees. Do some cold tolerance research to determine which trees truly need protection + decide subjectively which trees you are the most devoted to. (We know it’s hard, but they’re not kids in a house fire.)
As you begin your panic spiral, consider that many tropical plants are more cold-tolerant than you might think. Fruit trees like jaboticaba, loquat, peach, sapodilla, avocado, and even mangoes can withstand low temps down to freezing for a short time.
Trees that are well-established are likely to hold their ground, so focus on potted plants, ultra-tropicals, and those in the most exposed placements.
2. Prep the Plants
As a rule of thumb, healthier plants resist low temps handily because their cell structure is more robust, allowing for rapid uptake of nutrients and hydration. Remember that a dehydrated plant is a stressed out plant.
With that in mind, we recommend foliar-spraying your plants the week before cold weather with liquid calcium, vitamin B, ocean minerals, zinc, and copper. Trace minerals are essential to a plants’ ability to stand up against a freeze, even offering a few more degrees of cold tolerance.
Secondarily, ensure that your plants are well-hydrated. You should water your plants deeply for at least a few days before low temps.
If you have access to mulch or manure, dump mulch around your trees. The thermal feedback from decomposition is valuable. You can mound mulch up around the grafts of your baby trees (but don’t forget to remove it after the cold snap.)
3. Move or Cover the Most Sensitive
Plants that are under canopy in a food forest system are already under protection. For any exposed or distinctly tropical plants, covering may be necessary.
Consider that a successful covering requires both a vapor barrier AND a thermal barrier element. A vapor barrier keeps moisture out, preventing frost from settling on leaves. A thermal barrier insulates the tree by retaining heat from the ground.
You’ll need to ensure that your barriers don’t come in to direct contact with your trees’ leaves AND that they drape all the way to the ground to lock in geothermal heat.
For smaller plants, an inverted pot or bucket over the plant will do the trick.
What To Do DURING Cold Weather:
Folks with overhead irrigation might consider using water to their advantage by watering *during* the cold weather. Water coming from the ground is warmer than the air PLUS, if temps are headed toward freezing, a thin layer of ice can insulate a fruit trees’ limbs.
Some may use fans to circulate air, mixing cold with warm for less severe reactions.
Still others may use buckets of water or even large drums of water placed near plants. The thermal mass of the water operates like a heat bank.
What NOT To Do:
DO NOT toss a sheet over your trees. This tactic is a classic beginner move that serves almost no purpose by failing to retain heat from the ground. No bueno.
DO NOT cut back your plants before a freeze or frost. More canopy = more protection for the lower portions of the tree.
What to Expect The Next Morning:
If your plants are left to fend for themselves in the cold weather, most will not die even if they are damaged.
Veggie gardens may suffer momentarily, but tend to bounce back quickly. More sensitive plants may exhibit a bit of leaf burn (which looks like someone took a torch to the tips of the leaves for a few seconds). Some trees like mangoes may drop their flowers, but they’ll bloom again!
If you are the proud owner of any ultra-tropicals like cacao, soursop, or breadfruit, you may just be out of luck. Hugs to you!
