Florida
How to save your Florida plants after a winter freeze: A guide
Tallahassee Nurseries offers plant protection tips for winter freeze
Tallahassee Nurseries experts share suggestions on how to save your plants during freeze events in the Sunshine State.
Provided by Tallahassee Nurseries via Facebook
Recent freezing weather may have damaged plants in your yard, but not all damage is permanent.
Some plants may look worse before they get better, according to Sara MacDonald at the St. Lucie County Extension office of the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
We compiled a list of things residents should do with their plants after freezing temperatures to help them recover and avoid causing more damage, along with some tips for preventing damage before the next freeze. Here’s what to do to tell if your plant has been killed, and how to save it if it still has a chance.
How to tell if a plant is killed by freezing temperatures, or just damaged
Scratch the bark of a plant lightly with a fingernail or a coin. If the revealed area is green, the plant is still alive. If it is brown or black, the plant is likely dead.
Guidelines for watering Florida plants before and after a freeze
Here are some things to remember when watering plants:
- Moist soil holds more heat than dry soil and releases it slowly overnight
- Cold, windy weather can dry plants out
- Water plants to help thaw soil and rehydrate roots
- Container plants may need extra attention
- Suspend irrigation during freezing conditions
What NOT to do after plants are frozen
Here are some things to avoid if your plants suffered during low temperatures.
- Avoid heavy pruning right after a freeze. Cutting too early can remove living tissue and stimulate vulnerable new growth.
- Don’t fertilize right after a freeze. Wait until warmer weather and active growth return
- Don’t over-water. Watering is important to help plants that dried out in the cold, dry air, but drowning the plants will cause more harm than good.
How to protect Florida plants from the next freeze
Another cold front is moving through Florida on Thursday, Feb. 5., so here are some tips to protect your plants.
Cover your plants to trap heat from the soil, and make sure the cover reaches the ground, said Maria Quirico Bautista, a UF/IFAS Lake County residential horticulture agent via email Jan. 29. Secure the cover with bricks or pins, especially this weekend since very gusty winds are expected.
Recommended covers include:
- frost cloth
- burlap
- old bed sheets
Additionally, apply 2 to 3 inches of mulch to insulate roots, but avoid piling mulch against the trunk.
You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://tcpalm.com/newsletters.
Florida
Louisville Defeats Florida State 88-65
The signature of this team is a balanced attack and that is exactly what the Cards used to wear down Florida State tonight. The end of the first quarter Louisville held a 19-12 lead but they subsequently took control of the game. Coach Walz said, “The first half I thought we defended extremely well. Offensively we weren’t as efficient. I thought we played a little too rushed.”
He was more pleased with the second half, “Especially in the 3rd quarter offensively we got things going. I thought we shared the ball extremely well. We had twenty-something assists [19] and 7 turnovers going into the fourth quarter which is really impressive. So overall I thought a really good performance for us but I’m quite aware that it’s going to get tougher.
Laura Ziegler seemed on pace to get a triple-double early but she finished with 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists. Imari Berry, Skylar Jones, and Reyna Scott all came off the bench to score 11 points apiece. Grace Mbugua had 10 points and 4 rebounds. Elif Istanbulluoglu played limited minutes. Coach Walz said that she’s a little banged up so he wanted to rest her when he could.
Coach Walz praised Grace’s play. “She’s going to be a really, really good ball player for us… We’ve had some games where we can put her out there but not enough to where I can get her in to get her feet wet. Right now when she’s open and she has the ball she’s shooting it because I’m not sure she knows what else to do with it at this point. I think the game’s going really fast.” However he added, “Her upside is really high.”
Louisville has a bye week before coming back to the Yum next Sunday to take on Virginia. The game is at noon and can be seen on The CW. It is the annual Pink Game.
Florida
Severe Storms Roll Across The Southeast – Videos from The Weather Channel
Florida
Exclusive | Florida couple proves it’s never too late to find love — no matter the age
True love never gets old — especially for 102-year-old WWII vet Harold Terens and his 98-year-old bride, Jeanne Swerlin.
The lovebirds, who tied the knot in 2024 and still gush that they feel like teenagers together, had some Valentine’s Day advice for the lovelorn.
“Never give up.”
“It’s never too late to find love, especially a great love — look at us,” Swerlin, a New York native who lives in Florida, told The Post. “You have to be open — love will find you.”
Terens is among the last of the Greatest Generation, surviving a series of harrowing series of close calls during the war. After enlisting in 1942, he served as a radio repair technician in Great Britain attached to a P-47 Thunderbolt fighter squadron.
He went on to repair planes on D-Day, returning from France to survive a secret mission that led to a robbery that left him naked in the desert of Tehran and fearing death until he was miraculously rescued by an American military police patrol.
The native New Yorker — who lost his first wife of 70 years in 2018 — declared he’s grateful “for every day I’m alive,” and swore he never looked at another woman until he met Swerlin.
The two were set up on a blind date in 2021 and the nonagenarian became instantly smitten.
“It’s the greatest love I’ve ever known, by far,” said a vibrant Terens, who’s written a book, “Tomorrow Will be the Best Day of my Life.”
Life was “beyond remarkable,” even before Terens met his plucky bride.
“My whole life changed. It went in a totally different direction,” he said, adding in French, “I regret nothing.
“All the adjectives in the world can’t describe how I feel about her.”
The feeling is mutual.
“He always tells me, ‘I don’t know how I ever lived without you,’” said the youthful-looking bride.
The canoodling couple, who say they can’t keep their hands off each other, recalled their magical wedding day.
The extraordinary couple said they’ve never experienced so powerful a connection.
“The day of our wedding is the greatest day I’ve ever experienced in 102 years of life,” Terens said of his June 2024 Normandy beach-area wedding that had thousands of well-wishers cheering them on.
Terens, who plans to be bar mitzvahed this year, said finding life-changing love is about sticking to the basics.
“Remember why you fell in love with a person, and don’t try to change them,” said Terens, who still drives and meditates daily.
Yet there’s another secret ingredient to their passionate romance:
“The best secret about a successful love affair and marriage is that we don’t live together,” quipped Terens, who maintains a home 30 minutes from his his sweetheart in south Florida, where they see each other about four days a week. “We live happily ever after.”
As for Valentine’s Day, he surprised his wife with two dozen pink roses with a love letter attached.
“Every day is Valentine’s Day,” said Terens, who plans to make his sixth visit to Normandy to mark the 87th D-Day anniversary in June.
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