Florida strawberry growers breathed a sigh of relief following recent winter weather in the Plant City area. The Florida Strawberry Growers Association, reports no snowfall in west central Florida during the cold snap, where the industry is located.
The organizaation noted cooler temperatures are good for increasing flavor and sweetness, and the crop is used to thermal variations, making it sturdy in cold weather.
Strawberry fields benefit from a technique similar to citrus’s microjet sprinklers. The main difference is that in the former case, water is sprayed overhead to keep temperatures steady at 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
The weather forecast for central Florida indicates a return to warm temperatures, with thermometers expected to reach 79 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the week, and no significant showers until next Tuesday (January 27). As for South Georgia, temperatures will remain mild and climb into the upper sixties by Friday (January).
As the storm moves farther north, both states seem to be in the clear from freezing weather events in the foreseeable future.
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