Exciting New Exhibition!

October 15th was an exciting day for the Florida Citrus Community. The Exhibition: Plant City and the Agriculture, Food Processing, and Supermarket Revolution; 1939 - 1975, opened to the public with a flourish. The exhibition dictates the changes in Plant City agriculture and has several unique exhibits. The exhibition has a lot of interesting information regarding all-things agriculture, specifically citrus distribution, scientific experimentation, and even how super markets came to be the way they are today. Sponsored by Publix Super Markets, this exhibition is running until November 4th, 2018.

Below is a photo from the ribbon cutting ceremony which took place on October 15th, 2018. In the background is the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Exhibit and prominently displayed within this exhibit are numerous citrus crate labels.

If are interested in attending this exhibit, here is a link to the Plant City Chamber of Commerce website where you can find more information. Feel free to send us any photos you take while attending the event, and it just may get featured on our social media.

Written By: Emma Morton

Student Fellow at the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame

In partnership with Florida Southern College’s McKay Archives Center

DIY Citrus Frost Prevention

Here in Central Florida temperatures can vary drastically. While this is not particularly

damaging to most native plants, citrus trees can suffer if the temperature is not stable enough.

Citrus plants have been known to survive temperatures of about 20 degrees fahrenheit, but this

is not without damage to the tree. Many small citrus trees lack cold hardiness and can suffer

damage during the chilly winters and brisk spring months.

When the temperatures start falling, many large citrus groves warm their plants with

warm water sprayers, or semi-flammable products to ensure that their groves stay at a constant

temperature. This process ensures that the trees in their groves suffer less shock when the

temperatures plummet, and is said to help keep the plant alive for longer. This is a remarkably

effective process for large scale growers, but what about those of us who have citrus trees at

home? How can you ensure the health and safety of your own trees when you do not have access

to the large scale warming methods that are used at the nearest grower?

Luckily, this is a fairly simple task, and with a little help from tools you likely have

around the house, you can ensure that your trees remain strong, tall, frost damage free, and

bearing fruit for years to come.

If you happen to grow a lemon, orange, grapefruit, or lime tree in your yard, you may be

concerned about how to ensure that it continues to gain cold hardiness during its juvenilicy. One

of the easiest ways to prevent the frost build up and minor injuries that can result from chilly

weather is by watering your tree with copious amounts of warm water in the days before a

freeze. This will help your plant face the rough weather with well hydrated roots, which will help

to keep the plant flushing out toxins, as well as keeping the plant tissue at about 32 degrees

fahrenheit. It is also a method to ensure that the roots remain warm, since moist soil usually

radiates more heat than dry soil.

Another common at home method, is to wrap the trunk of your tree in plastic wrap. This

will also help your tree retain heat, as well as keep the frost off the physical trunk of the tree. If

you are still concerned about the impending weather, try wrapping the trunk in christmas lights

as well, for additional warmth (if you choose to utilize this method, please ensure you are using a

functioning outdoor plug so that you do not suffer a nasty shock, or risk lighting your tree on

fire). This method is highly effective, but it only protects the trunk of the tree. Unfortunately, this

will not protect the fruit your tree has born.

Unfortunately, fruit is very susceptible to damage via inclement weather. Since oranges,

grapefruits, lemons, and limes are primarily made up of sugars and liquid, they freeze and spoil

very quickly. The best way to salvage your fruit is to just harvest it immediately. While it is

unfortunate that you plant will no longer have any fruit on it, the more important thing to

remember is that doing this will ensure that your plant will still be able to bare fruit in the future.

Large, mature trees usually withstand cold damage better than young samplings, although

this is not always true.

Overall, citrus trees survive best in warm, stable weather, but this does not mean that you

cannot have a citrus tree of your very own. As long as you are able to keep the temperature

relatively stable, you can enjoy fresh fruit right from the comfort of your own backyard. Just

make sure to take a tip from your local growers and keep your trees wet, wrapped, and warm.

If you’re interested in learning more about the citrus industry, and the history behind it, please feel free to stop by the Mckay Archives Center at Florida Southern College, as we currently have an exhibit case dedicated entirely to citrus frost, as well as an entire gallery of citrus history.

Do you have any at home tips for keeping your trees warm throughout the last few weeks

of chilly weather? If so, let us know in the comments section below!

Works Cited

Dan Gill, The Times-Picayune garden columnist. “How to Protect Citrus Trees from Freezes.” NOLA.com, NOLA.com, 10 Dec. 2016, www.nola.com/homegarden/index.ssf/2016/12/how_to_protect_citrus_trees_fr.html.

Data, US Climate. “Temperature - Precipitation - Sunshine - Snowfall.” Climate Florida - Temperature, Rainfall and Average, www.usclimatedata.com/climate/florida/united-states/3179.

“How to Cover a Citrus Tree in Freezing Weather.” Home Guides | SF Gate, homeguides.sfgate.com/cover-citrus-tree-freezing-weather-59756.html.

“Q&A: How Can I Protect My Citrus Tree from Frost?” Horticulture, 13 July 2010, www.hortmag.com/weekly-tips/citrusfrostprotection.

“Http://Ljournal.ru/Wp-Content/Uploads/2017/03/a-2017-023.Pdf.” 2017, doi:10.18411/a-2017-023.

Written By: Emma Morton

Student Fellow at the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame

In partnership with Florida Southern College’s McKay Archives Center

Days of Citrus Past - Elfers, Florida

Before being enveloped in the latter half of the 20th Century by its neighbors (New Port Richey and Holiday), Elfers, Florida participated in the citrus industry in West Florida.

“Elf,” “Gulf,” “Tavern,” “Whoopee,” and “Elfers Winner” fruit labels came from Elfers citrus groves owned by two main companies, the Elfers Citrus Growers Association and Sans Souci Growers. The farmers and growers of the Elfers area made up a tight-knit community in the early 20th Century, which outsiders viewed as little more than a small crossroads-town at the west end of Florida Highway 54.

Early on, Elfers was characterized by the richness of the soil in the area, a mixture of Norfolk Sand and muckland. The soil was so good for citrus, one paper claimed, that Elfers was a “poor man’s country for citrus fruit growing,” and that “The people of this section of Florida do not know how to grow citrus fruit; it grows simply because it can’t keep from growing.”

In 1966, however, the Elfers Citrus Growers Association packing house was destroyed in a fire that reportedly caused over $250,000 in damage; less than a third of it was insured. Following the destruction of the packing house, the citrus industry declined in Elfers. Today, while citrus plants still grow in the area, almost all of the town has been developed into residential communities.

The name ‘Elfers’ originated from the former name of the area, which was a Native American hunting ground called Alafia. Sam Hope surveyed the land in the 1840s, allowing the land to be sold to white settlers. Soon after, the Baillie family settled the area. The land was subsequently referred to by several names (Baillie’s Bluff, Alfiers, The Neck, and Sapling Woods, among others) until the residents of the area organized.

The foundation of an official municipality was assisted by the establishment of the Elfers Post Office in 1909, the connection of a railroad in 1913, and the Association of Elfers Citrus Growers in 1920.

Elfers as it is known today contains several historic sites within its limits: Perrine Ranch Road Bridge, which crosses the Anclote River; the Elfers Historical Marker, which recognizes the town as a whole; the Baker house, the oldest “cracker house” in western Pasco County (restored in 1993); and the First State Bank of Elfers Building. 

In 1925, the City of Elfers was officially incorporated, but only lasted for eight years. In 1926, during the Florida land boom, the State Bank failed, and in 1932, during the Great Depression, taxes were bad enough for growers that they filed to abolish the City of Elfers, a motion which passed the Florida Senate and took effect in July of 1933.

Today, while Elfers still exists as a census-designated place and not an incorporated municipality, addresses north of Moog Road—which runs east-to-west through the lower two-thirds of the town—have New Port Richey addresses, and those south of Moog Road have Holiday addresses.

According to public maps, the most easily-identifiable borders of contemporary Elfers are Interstate 19 as the western edge and the Anclote River and surrounding forest on the south and east edges. The north border aligns with neighborhood borders and may have to do with school district zoning, as public schools lay on or near those limits.

The boundaries of Elfers can also be imagined through county district maps. Comparing public maps to the regional, government-zoned regions, Elfers can be seen taking up most of Precincts 15 and 57, as well as roughly half of Precinct 58. Elfers is dominated by school District 3, but its northeasternmost neighborhoods are part of District 4.

Written By: Peter Edgar

Student Fellow at the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame

In partnership with Florida Southern College’s McKay Archives Center