⛄️ These Avocados survived 3 nights of 25F hard freeze, Florida Record Freeze

⛄️ Recent winter freezes have once again raised the same urgent question among avocado growers - which varieties actually survive cold weather, and what does survival really look like afterward?

⛄️ After widespread freeze events, trees across many regions showed very different outcomes, from minor leaf burn to complete canopy loss.

⛄️ This video taken on February 4, 2026 at Top Tropicals BFarm in Sebring, FL, reflects what we observed in real conditions after 3 nights of hard freeze.

⛄️ The trees in the video had no protection.

❄️Weather data

Feb 1-6, 2026, Coldest in Recorded History (132 years of observations)
Top Tropicals Farm and Nursery at Sebring FL

🌡 Min temps: 25F, wind chill 14F
⏳ Duration of cold: 3 nights of 8-10 hour hard freeze, along with 7 days of cool daytime temps around 50F
🌀 Wind: 20 mph, with 40-50 mph gusts.

🛒 Explore cold hardy Avocado varieties

📖 Our Book: Avocado Variety Guide, Snack or Guacamole?
· Hard copy · PDF File Download

📚 Learn more:

· Avocado Variety Guide
· How to protect Avocado from cold and how hardy is it?
· Avocado that laughs at frost: Mexicola Grande for cooler climates
· Cold hardy Avocado Joey - you eat it with the skin
· Cold-hardy avocados: how cold-hardy are they?
· Cold-hardy avocado varieties - what freezing they really survive
· Cold-hardy avocado survival groups - what the numbers really mean

#Food_Forest #Avocado #Discover #How_to

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🎨 Collecting clerodendrums: big color, little effort

🎨 Collector hook

If you love plants that look rare, unusual, and a little dramatic - but do not want high-maintenance divas - Clerodendrums belong in your collection.
Clerodendrums are a surprisingly diverse group of plants, ranging from flowering vines to shrubs and even small trees. What they all share is bold, colorful blooms and an easygoing nature that makes them far less fussy than they appear. This combination of exotic looks and forgiving care is exactly why collectors gravitate toward them.
Many clerodendrums bloom repeatedly through the year in warm climates, and several tolerate lower light better than most flowering plants. That makes them flexible - happy in the garden, in containers, on patios, or even indoors near a bright window. Their flowers come in striking combinations of red, white, blue, pink, and purple, often with unusual shapes that stop people mid-walk.

🎨 Why clerodendrums earn collector status

✦ Uncommon, eye-catching flowers
✦ Long or repeat bloom cycles in many varieties
✦ Vines, shrubs, and small trees in one genus
✦ Excellent performance in containers
✦ More tolerant of lower light than expected

🎨 Clerodendrum care made simple

Give clerodendrums bright filtered light to partial sun, regular watering with good drainage, and light feeding during active growth. A little pruning keeps them tidy and encourages fresh blooms. That is it. No complicated routines, no constant fixing.

For collectors who want maximum visual payoff without constant effort, clerodendrums deliver exactly what the title promises - big color, very little work.

🛒 Start your Clerodendrum collection

📚 Learn more:
💋Clerodendrums in Plant Encyclopedia
💋Do you see Musical Notes in this flower
💋The shrub that smells like a royal bouquet and grows like a weed
💋Bleeding Heart Vine surprised everyone this year!
💋How to get a large, lush and fragrant bush in no time
💋How to add Music to your garden
💋Clerodendrum schmitii and Clerodendrum wallichii
💋What is the difference between Clerodendrum schmitii and Clerodendrum wallichii?
💋What is the most spectacular Clerodendrum
💋How to grow Clerodendrums
💋Fireworks of Winter
💋Fragrant Cashmere Bouquet
💋Fountain Clerodendrum
💋What is better - Blue or Pink
💋Why is it called Blue Butterfly
💋Clerodendrum paniculatum
💋Seaside Clerodendrum
💋Pink Bleeding Heart
💋Why is it called Musical Notes
💋Bleeding Heart Vine
💋Cashmere Bouquet

#Butterfly_Plants #Shade_Garden #How_to #Hedges_with_benefits #Container_Garden

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🍉 When do I get the fruit from my Dragon Fruit?

🌵Dragon Fruit (Pitaya) is one of the most rewarding exotic fruits to grow. Sweet pulp, striking looks, and plenty of health benefits make it a favorite. You'll see it in three main types: white-fleshed (Hylocereus undatus), red-fleshed (Hylocereus costaricensis), and yellow-skinned (Hylocereus, or Selenicereus megalanthus).

🌵Don't want to wait years for fruit? Here’s the good news: unlike many tropical trees that test your patience, dragon fruit is a fast-fruiting, easy-going cactus. With the right care, you can harvest in just 1-2 years from a cutting - or even the same season if you plant a well-established specimen.

🌵 How to get Dragon Fruit faster

Give it strong support - trellis, fence, or post. This cactus loves to climb.
Full sun and good drainage - sandy or well-draining soil works best.
Smart watering - water deeply in hot weather, then let the soil dry. Dragon fruit loves water during active summer growth, but remember it's still a cactus - don’t keep soil soggy.
Pollination matters - flowers open at night. Some varieties are self-fertile, but planting a few different types boosts fruit set. This is why it helps to keep several varieties close together.
Feed well - use organic liquid fertilizers like Sunshine Boosters C-Cibus with every watering, or Green Magic controlled-release fertilizer every 6 months.

With these steps, dragon fruit quickly rewards you with flowers, followed by colorful, delicious fruit. Few exotics are this easy - or this fast!

🛒 Start your fast-growing Dragon Fruit production

📚 Learn more:

· Pitaya vs Dragon fruit - what is the difference and how to grow it. Varieties.
· The secret to abundant dragon fruit harvests
· How to grow Dragon Fruit from a cutting - Quick Guide
· How to grow Dragon Fruit 📱
· Planting your own Dragon Fruit plantation
· Do-It-Yourself Support Structure for Dragon Fruit
· Grow Your Own Exotic Dragon Fruit Garden
· Top 10 fruit you'll ever need for your health benefits: Dragon fruit
· What does Dragon Fruit Flower look like?
· Why you need to grow your own dragon fruit
· Do red, white and yellow Dragon fruit taste differently?
· What to do with a lot of Dragon Fruit

#Food_Forest #How_to #Dragon_Fruit

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🍴 Banana cinnamon fritters: Quick-n-Fun exotic recipes 🍌

🟡Dip banana slices in a light batter, fry quickly, then dust with cinnamon sugar.
🟡Sweet street-food style snack!

Banana Cinnamon Fritters recipe

Ingredients

• 2 ripe bananas
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 cup water (or milk)
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• Oil for frying
• Extra cinnamon sugar for dusting

Instructions

1. Slice bananas into thick rounds.
2. Mix flour, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and water to form a light batter.
3. Dip banana slices in batter and fry in hot oil until golden brown.
4. Remove and drain on paper towels.
5. Dust with cinnamon sugar and serve warm.

🛒 For home grown ingredients you will need:
Banana trees
Cinnamon tree

#Food_Forest #Recipes #Bananas

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🌸 How this breath-taking flowering tree stays so compact

🌸 Ceiba hybrid - Dwarf Pink Princess - is one of the #Nature_Wonders that takes your breath away!

🌸 A compact marvel of nature that redefines beauty in small spaces, this exquisite hybrid of the Pink Silk Floss Tree (Ceiba speciosa) grows to a manageable height of just 8-12 feet, making it perfect for small yards or container gardening.

In bloom, the tree is a spectacle: nearly leafless, with its crown exploding into tens of thousands of pink flowers, creating a vibrant, colorful mass.

🌸 Its spreading crown and profusion of blossoms make it a showstopper, proving that you don’t need a giant tree to make a big impact.

🛒 Order Pink Princess

#Trees

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