Farmers protect crops from chilly weather

FLORIDA CITY, Fla. (WSVN) -- The cold weather is bringing some crop concerns to South Florida farmers.

To ensure the survival of crops, farmers said they will continue to run their water machines throughout the day and night as freezing temperatures are expected Wednesday morning. "It helps keep the heat in the ground and keeps the heat closer to the ground, so it doesn't let the frost settle on the plant itself," explained John Alger of Alger Farms, located in Homestead.

Farmers said even a little bit of frost could cause major problems for Florida's multi-million dollar citrus industry. "Last year we lost 70 percent of our crops, and I think Miami-Dade County lost about $200 in agriculture loses alone," said Alger.

Farmers are not the only ones concerned, Flamingo Road Nursery in Davie is also working to protect their plants. "To make sure that we don't get damaged by frost we start the water at about 1, before it gets really cold, and it seals up the leaves so that they can't freeze," said Liz Huffman.

Huffman also said these temperatures are potentially dangerous. "We're always watching the temperatures," she said.

Farmers said they are not sure about what potential damages there may have been by Tuesday night's near freezing temperatures.

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