Removed the frost blankets and
all the bananas survived - including all the pups, the shortest of which were not covered!
Ran the irrigation every night before the frost low temps hit and that probably helped.
The tomatoes, swiss chard and pigeon peas all are good with minor damage to the tomatoes and pp's. The 6 basil are toast - that was expected, but I covered them anyway.
Banana leaf damage per plant ranged from 30% to 60% burnt up - and most stayed partially green. The innermost leaves, the latest growth, were protected by the oldest. The latter took the hardest hit.
Here are pics showing the most, average and least damaged by nine days of at or below freezing temperatures.
Least damaged, the SH3640
Average damage, Dwarf Brazil
Worst damage, the poor Ae Ae
I'm happy! Should get bunches of different fruit this year. Unlike 2008, which produced one bunch of decent, but stunted, Goldfingers with 15 different cultivars in the ground. Oh, yeah - one small bunch of Hua Moa too.
Commercial vegetable crops were a near-total to total loss in the following south coastal Florida counties -- Indian River, St lucie and Martin. All saw major losses to the tomato, strawberry, cabbage, pepper, lettuce, arugala, sweet corn and potato crops. Most would have been ready to harvest in a month or so.
Did Bananas Foster tonight. Myers dark rum and " 99 Bananas" banana schnapps liqueur (this stuff is 99 proof). When I flamed the sauce it took over 30 secs to extinguish. Used Alton Brown's recipe and am still trying to gather all my brains - they fell out - it was so good!!!!!!!!
Wishing everyone a better spring and summer than this terrible winter season has been.
Dan