honeybells, this is the prime time of year for them. people love to ship them north. >> reporter: louis' family has been growing citrus in vero beach for 60 years. it is a small family operation. they've done what they can to protect the crop, flooding the ground between each row of trees will keep the temperature up a couple of degrees. that's all it might take to save the fruit. >> if it stays just above freezing, it can really help sweeten the fruit and be fine and really tie the season a little bit farther for us. but it is a fine line to walk. if it gets too cold, you can definitely have some damage. >> reporter: the feared number is 28 degrees. below that for more than four hours would freeze the fruit right on the trees and could wreck florida's $9 billion a year citrus industry. strawberry growers are not in a good players either. the fields have been watered to allow an insulating coat of ice to form over the tender berries. >> nothing you can do but try to do your best to protect them and make the best out of it and say a few prayers to watch over them and keep going.