LATEST POSTS
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Weekly Field Update – 2/9/26
The weather is finally warming up a bit. Strawberry growers are pulling off row covers, sanitizing fields, and beginning to think about injecting fertilizer. Peach growers are bedding fields and planting new trees. See details below. Keep an eye on the Upcoming Events tab periodically so you don’t miss any of our winter/spring meetings. Also,
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Question of the Week – Parasitism
What is happening to this polyphemus moth cocoon? Unfortunately, I’ll not be rewarded with a large, beautiful Polyphemus moth this spring, as this caterpillar was parasitized by a Tachinid fly. Most of the time, when you hear about caterpillars being parasitized it is by small parasitoid wasps. Tachinidae is a diverse family of parasitic flies that
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Weekly Field Update – 2/3/26
After a second weekend in a row of winter weather, the forecast shows a warming trend. Snowfall of 1 to 7 inches was reported around the state, and temperatures were well into the teens for multiple nights. As temperatures warm up and row covers are removed, damage assessment will begin. See details below. Keep an
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Strawberry Row Covers, Spider Mites, and Predatory Mites
Tom Bilbo, Extension Entomologist “How are row covers affecting my spider mite pest problems?” There is a short and easy answer to this question: we don’t really know. I will be submitting a research grant proposal to tackle this problem and if you are interested in lending your support please read until the end on
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Question of the Week – Goumi Berry
What kind of fruit is this? This unusual fruit is a goumi berry (Elaeagnus multiflora). Goumi berries are native to Asia and have a sweet and somewhat tart flavor that has been compared to rhubarb. The berries are harvested in the summer and are best used fresh, as they are fairly soft and do not
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Hold Off on Second White Mold Sprays in South Carolina
From Tony Keinath, Clemson Extension Plant Pathologist Last week, I advised South Carolina brassica growers to spray brassica crops to protect them from white mold, based on symptoms seen on kale and stock, a brassica winter annual, in Charleston. The initial symptoms were triggered by the cold temperatures of Dec. 16 and 17 that completed
The South Carolina Grower 