Growers Marshal Forces to Ward Off Big Chill

North County citrus and avocado growers are gearing up for an arctic front from Canada that could drop overnight temperatures below 20 degrees in areas this weekend.

Some growers in Pauma Valley, Fallbrook and Escondido have spent over a month preparing for the anticipated chilly weather. But Friday, after a countywide agricultural frost warning was issued by the National Weather Service, many anxious growers scrambled to make last-minute preparations.

Diesel-fueled smudge pots, wind machines, charcoal blocks, chemicals and water are some of the munitions growers will be using to ward off the crop-damaging cold.

Doug Anderson, manager and part-owner of Water Mountain Ranch near Rincon, said he was “going 90 m.p.h.” Friday afternoon trying to get ready for the cold front.

Got Helicopter

“I was lucky to get a helicopter to spray the trees with chemicals,” he said. “Now the helicopter services are swamped with requests.”

Anderson said the chemicals used are frost-retardants. He said this year he has a no-holds barred approach and is using everything he can to try to lessen damages.

Wind machines are set to stir the air above the crops to prevent them from freezing. Some growers will be using charcoal blocks to heat orchards while others will use water sprinklers to keep the soil warm.

“For example, if the soil is 30 degrees and the water is 60 degrees, you will be keeping the soil warm,” said Vincent Lazaneo, a farm adviser for UC Cooperative Extension.

But this is only effective for a couple of days since the soil becomes too water-logged and the cost per acre is prohibitive, said Kathleen Thuner, agricultural commissioner for San Diego County.

Times for Decisions

Some growers spend thousands of dollars on diesel fuel to heat smudge pots. The individual grower must take into consideration what crops might be in danger, the location of the crops and the money spent to keep crops from freezing compared with the market value. In some cases, it is simply not worthwhile for some growers to spend huge sums on saving crops when the market for that produce is sluggish, Thuner said.

In January, prolonged cold spells caused nearly $30 million in crop damage in the county, she said. Ten percent of the avocado crop was lost.

“Last January, people were not as prepared for the weather because it had been 10 years since we’d had a damaging frost,” Thuner said. “So people now are interested in doing what they can to minimize crop damages. I’ve had several calls from concerned people. There is a sense of urgency.”

Strawberries, tomatoes and assorted vegetables could be damaged if temperatures plunge, particularly if accompanied by frost and a high wind-chill factor.

Temperatures in Teens

Temperatures in the low to mid-20s are expected by Sunday morning and are likely to drop to the high teens in the coldest locations, said Wilbur Shigehara, chief meteorologist for the National Weather Service at Lindbergh Field.

Rincon, Pauma Valley, Bonsall, El Cajon and “all river bottoms” in the county should expect the lowest temperatures, he said. Coastal areas will have nighttime temperatures in the mid-to-upper twenties through the weekend, he said.

“Next week, the temperatures should moderate very, very slowly,” Shigehara said. “But frost and dangerous temperatures for agricultural areas are expected all next week.”