How are our plants coping with these low overnight temps?
Like much of California and the country, our area has been experiencing below normal overnight temperatures. The temperature in our strawberry fields yesterday morning at about 7 AM was 34F/1C, certainly quite chilly for the central coast! Strawberry flowers can be damaged or killed at temperatures lower than 30F/-1.1C. Young green fruit will withstand 30F but be damaged at temperatures near 28F/-2.2C. Strawberry plants in general are able to withstand freezes and even benefit from the increased plant vigor that follows low temps. A freeze would be much more troubling during early fruit production.
Photos by our farm manager Drew Summerfield.