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BusinessBusiness

Farmers brace with Florida state under freeze warning

By: | TriCities.com
Published: January 03, 2008

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ORLANDO, Florida (AP) - Florida growers are hoping that frosty

overnight conditions won't take a bite out of their crops.

All of Florida, from Miami to the Panhandle, is under a freeze

warning and record lows are expected in some areas.

In addition to citrus crops, a wide variety of plants and

produce are at risk. Crops can withstand some cold, but not for

long. Thirty-two degrees for four hours will damage an orange, for

example, but 28 degrees for that long can actually ruin the tree.

Growers are doing two things , harvesting as many mature fruits

and vegetables as possible and trying to protect plants. It is done

by spraying them with water to ice the crop, insulating the

temperature at 32 degrees.