Evaluating the Damage and Taking Steps Toward Recovery

The freeze event beginning January 31, 2026, was one of the most significant events in many years. Extremely low temperatures and dew points, along with high sustained winds, made freeze protection very difficult in many areas of the state, resulting in significant bloom and fruit damage.

Florida blueberry growers rely on overhead irrigation as their primary method of freeze protection. As water freezes, it releases heat and keeps plant tissues near 32°F. Under typical Florida freeze conditions — 26-28°F with light winds — properly designed systems can typically protect flowers and young fruit. Having only light winds is critical, since with high sustained winds it can be almost impossible to get effective coverage of the blooms and fruit and evaporative cooling will likely increase.

Average minimum temperatures across the state during this freeze ranged from 23 to 30°F (Figure 1), with very low dewpoints (a measure of how dry the air was), and average sustained winds of between 23 and 29 mph, with these conditions persisting for several hours. Research shows that when temperatures drop into the low 20s°F with sustained winds of 10–12 mph, the amount of water needed for protection increases sharply—approaching 0.4 inches per hour at 24°F and 0.6 inches per hour at 22°F (Gerber and Martsolf). During this freeze event, the simultaneous occurrence of below-freezing temperatures, sustained high winds, and dry air pushed many standard overhead irrigation systems beyond their protective limits.

Figure 1. Minimum lower temperatures during the February 2026 freeze event.

Credit: C. Fraisse, UF/IFAS; AgroClimate

Impacts of Freeze Event

There were significant impacts to Florida blueberry growers from this freeze event, ranging from immediate to long-term impacts.

Immediate/Short-Term Impacts

• Loss of fruit and flowers (initial estimates, varies by farm, subject to revision) (Figure 2)

• North – 30-50% (mix of floral buds, flowers, some fruit)

• Central – 70-100% (mostly open flowers and fruit)

• South – 20-50% (mostly open flowers and fruit)

Figure 2. Freeze damage to blueberry blooms and fruit

Credit: D. Phillips, UF/IFAS

• Damage to developing floral buds (Figure 3).

Figure 3. Freeze damage to blueberry floral bud

Credit: E. Conlan, UF/IFAS

• Damage to plants from ice load (canes and roots) (Figure 4)

Figure 4. Blueberry plant damage from ice load

Credit: D. Phillips, UF/IFAS

• Loss/death of plants from ice loads, or low temperatures, requiring replacement

• Damage to irrigation systems due to ice load, including broken irrigation risers, stress on well pumps from running continuously for 2-3 days, and wash outs that will need to be repaired

Mid-Term Impacts

• Plant disease from freeze damage (damaged plant tissue creates an entry point for disease)

• Botrytis (blossom rot) 

• Phytophthora (root rot)

• Anthracnose (fruit rot)

• Stem Blight (cane and whole plant death); this can appear up to months or a year later

• Increased risk of pest damage

• Increased SWD (spotted wing drosophila) risk due to presence of rotting fruit

• Increase in gall midge populations after cold temperatures

• Late timing of remaining fruit (early fruit and bloom lost) with potentially lower prices in the mid-late part of the season.

• Inability to get harvest crews to pick fruit due to late timing of the remaining crop and limited volumes at some farms.

• It may not make sense from a plant health and economic perspective for farms with only a small amount of fruit remaining to maintain and try to harvest that crop.

• There may also be impacts in associated industries, including 

• Packing houses (volumes will be down this season unless fruit can be sourced from other locations)

• Decreased availability of harvest labor late in the season

• Possible decrease in end of season projected purchases of new equipment and other items due to poor profits this season

Long-Term Impacts

• Possible decrease in productivity/yields in subsequent years due to plant damage

• Need for extensive replanting at some farms due to significant plant damage from ice loads

Freeze Recovery Actions

Some farms suffered total or near total crop losses in certain parts of Florida due to the extreme cold. Farms with varieties that had developed past the physiological stage of tight pink bloom, with only small amounts of less developed bloom remaining after the freeze, should consider taking action that includes righting lodged plants where needed and hedging (remove by pruning) freeze-damaged and broken canes of affected plants. This should be done to help preserve the potential future production of these plants not killed outright by the inclement weather. Growers are encouraged to carefully assess and document damage across the farm prior to taking action.

Growers may be tempted to wait and see if some of the small amount of remaining fruit could be salvaged from this crop cycle. However, for plants that incurred severe freeze injury, this could be a mistake that could result in unintended consequences of increased disease severity and additional plant losses. Once these blooms and fruit have been killed and only a small amount of less developed bloom remains, focus should be on preserving plant health for next season’s production. Any small amount of fruit that is allowed to remain and develop will put additional carbohydrate stress on the plants and would probably have been of poor quality. Also, in this situation, from an economic perspective, growers should consider if berries will be produced in sufficient quantity or quality to offset additional required input costs. Maintaining the crop would require many of the same pre-harvest expenses as in a normal year while significantly reducing picking efficiency and increasing labor costs per pound harvested. 

More Post-Freeze Recovery Actions

• Take pictures and videos to record damage for crop insurance purposes prior to beginning any repairs.

• Contact crop insurance agent.

• Make sure your acreage and other information is up to date with FSA (www.farmers.gov).

• Repair damaged irrigation systems.

• Make suggested fungicide and insecticide applications. 

• Reset and stake dislodged plants.

• Prune out broken or damaged canes.

• Replace dead or severely damaged plants.

• Decide whether to hedge blocks or farms where there is only a small amount of undamaged fruit remaining.

• If plants are hedged now, wait until 7 days after hedging to fertilize, and use a reduced rate from what would be used after hedging in May.

• If fertilizer or other soil applied chemicals were present before the freeze, be aware of the potential for leaching of these materials out of the root zone and assess if and when to reapply.

• Be careful not to add further stress to already weakened plants by misapplying fertilizer or other chemicals.

• Check cold protection system for future freeze events.

References

Gerber, J. F., and J. D. Martsolf. 1965. Protecting Citrus from Cold Damage. Cir. 287. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

J. Williamson, D. Phillips. 2023. Protecting Blueberries from Freezes in Florida, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences EDIS Publication HS968.

CREDITS:

DOUG PHILLIPS, Blueberry Extension Coordinator, UF/IFAS
& JEFF WILLIAMSON, professor, UF/IFAS