FORECAST. WE’LL SEE. WITH EVERYTHING COMING UP GUYS. ALL RIGHT CHRIS THANK YOU. FLORIDA’S AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY FACING $3.1 BILLION IN ESTIMATED LOSSES AFTER TEMPERATURES DIPPED BELOW FREEZING TWICE ALREADY THIS YEAR. STATE OFFICIALS SAY THIS COULD BE ONE OF THE MOST DESTRUCTIVE WINTER SEASONS IN FLORIDA’S HISTORY, DAMAGING EVERYTHING FROM CITRUS AND SUGAR CANE TO STRAWBERRIES AND SWEET CORN. AND WITH MORE COLD AIR MOVING IN, FLORIDA’S FARMERS ARE ONCE AGAIN TAKING PRECAUTIONS. OUR REPORTER, ANGELA ROZIER SPOKE WITH THE PALM CITY FARMER, WHO IS DOING EVERYTHING HE CAN TO KEEP HIS CROPS ALIVE. LOCAL FARMERS ARE BRACING FOR THAT NEXT COLD SPELL THAT’S EXPECTED TO HIT OUR AREA. THIS IS ALL COVERED WITH PLASTIC AND ALL SMALL STUFF UNDER HERE THAT WILL PLANT LATER. DOWN AT THE OTHER END, THERE’S A LITTLE SMALL SPACE HEATER. MICHAEL LUCIANO IS THE OWNER OF TREES AND MORE HERE IN PLANT CITY. HE’S HOPING THE TEMPERATURES DON’T DIP TOO LOW TONIGHT, BUT JUST IN CASE HE’S TAKING PRECAUTIONS. WE WENT AHEAD AND COVERED OUR TABLES. I TOOK ALL MY PLANTS THAT ARE TENDER AND PUT THEM UNDER THE TABLES, COVERED THEM WITH PLASTIC AND I HAVE A LITTLE HEATER IN THERE WITH THEM, SO THAT’LL KEEP IT UP PROBABLY ABOUT 50 DEGREES. IT MIGHT EVEN KEEP IT WARM BECAUSE IT’S NOT GOING TO BE 24 THIS TIME. WORKERS ARE BUSY HERE AT BOTANICS WHOLESALE OF MARTIN COUNTY. COVERING PLANTS WITH A SPECIALIZED FABRIC THAT TRAP HEAT FROM THE SOIL AND KEEP THE AIR AROUND THE PLANTS WARM. AND HERE AT 714, NURSERY POTTED PLANTS ARE BEING BROUGHT INSIDE. THE OWNERS AT ALL THREE NURSERIES ARE STILL DEALING WITH THE LAST COLD FREEZE. LUCIANO SAYS HE LOST ABOUT 95% OF HIS CROPS. THE WHOLE PLACE GOT PRETTY WELL DEVASTATED BY THE FIRST FREEZE. HE SAYS. THOSE GREEN TREES YOU SEE WERE FROM FELLOW NURSERY OWNERS WHO ARE HELPING HIM OUT. THERE’S $7,000 WORTH OF MANGOS THERE. THEY LET ME TAKE THEM. THESE AVOCADOS. THEY CAME FROM A FRIEND OF MINE ON THE WEST COAST FRUIT SCAPE. STEVE. HE LET ME TAKE THEM. HAVEN’T PAID HIM MONEY. I WILL, BUT, YOU KNOW, THEY’RE LETTING ME TAKE THE STUFF. THEY KNOW I’M HURTING. AND HE SAYS HE’LL BE KEEPING A WATCH OVERNIGH
‘I’m hurting’: Palm City nursery owner still hurting from recent freeze while bracing for another
Updated: 8:06 PM EST Feb 23, 2026
Nurseries on the Treasure Coast are taking measures to protect their plants after a recent cold snap caused significant damage. Workers at Botanics Wholesale of Martin County are busy covering plants with specialized fabric to trap heat from the soil and keep the air around the plants warm. At 714 Nursery, potted plants are being brought inside to shield them from the cold.Michael Luciano, owner of Trees N More in Palm City, is still dealing with the aftermath of the last cold freeze. COLD SNAP: ‘Complete devastation’: Freeze wiped out acres of sweet corn in Palm City; more cold expected Friday”This is 200, three gallons smaller mangos. I think out of the 200, I think there’s ten in here we can find that are okay,” Luciano said.He noted that the first freeze devastated his grove, resulting in a loss of about 95% of his crops.”Friday night, I think we were about 38. Saturday morning, 6 o’clock in the morning, pretty while for a few hours, we were at 24, we hit 24 again on Sunday night. Monday morning, the frost at 24 it all froze, so it all turned to ice,” Luciano said, describing the conditions that led to the damage.Your neighborhood: Local coverage from WPBF 25 NewsLuciano is attempting to trim back what he can and save what is left. He is hoping temperatures don’t dip too low tonight, but he is taking precautions just in case.”We went ahead and covered our tables. I took all my plants that are tender and put them under the tables, covered them with plastic, and I have a little heater in there with them. So that’ll keep it up, probably about 50 degrees, it might even keep it warmer because it’s not going to be 24 this time,” Luciano said.Despite his efforts, Luciano acknowledged the limitations of protecting larger trees in the grove. He reiterated that he lost about 95% of his crops due to the cold snap.Stay up-to-date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25
PALM CITY, Fla. —
Nurseries on the Treasure Coast are taking measures to protect their plants after a recent cold snap caused significant damage.
Workers at Botanics Wholesale of Martin County are busy covering plants with specialized fabric to trap heat from the soil and keep the air around the plants warm.
At 714 Nursery, potted plants are being brought inside to shield them from the cold.
Michael Luciano, owner of Trees N More in Palm City, is still dealing with the aftermath of the last cold freeze.
COLD SNAP: ‘Complete devastation’: Freeze wiped out acres of sweet corn in Palm City; more cold expected Friday
“This is 200, three gallons smaller mangos. I think out of the 200, I think there’s ten in here we can find that are okay,” Luciano said.
He noted that the first freeze devastated his grove, resulting in a loss of about 95% of his crops.
“Friday night, I think we were about 38. Saturday morning, 6 o’clock in the morning, pretty while for a few hours, we were at 24, we hit 24 again on Sunday night. Monday morning, the frost at 24 it all froze, so it all turned to ice,” Luciano said, describing the conditions that led to the damage.
Your neighborhood: Local coverage from WPBF 25 News
Luciano is attempting to trim back what he can and save what is left.
He is hoping temperatures don’t dip too low tonight, but he is taking precautions just in case.
“We went ahead and covered our tables. I took all my plants that are tender and put them under the tables, covered them with plastic, and I have a little heater in there with them. So that’ll keep it up, probably about 50 degrees, it might even keep it warmer because it’s not going to be 24 this time,” Luciano said.
Despite his efforts, Luciano acknowledged the limitations of protecting larger trees in the grove. He reiterated that he lost about 95% of his crops due to the cold snap.
Stay up-to-date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25