Month: January 2025
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Question of the Week – Cold Damage
What is wrong with the leaves of this Lacinato kale? This kale is showing symptoms of cold damage on the older leaves. Lacinato kale seems to be a little more sensitive to the cold than curly varieties like Winterbor or Darkibor. Luckily, the new growth is fine, meaning the plant will grow out of this…
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Weekly Field Update – 1/27/25
Snow fell over most of the state last week with the Costal and Pee Dee regions seeing the most accumulation. Cold weather make for icy conditions over much of the week as the snow melted slowly during the day, then turned to ice overnight. While the weather held up a lot of work, growers will…
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Question of the Week – Minute Pirate Bug
What is the tiny critter on this pumpkin blossom? This tiny black and white insect is a minute pirate bug (Orius insidiosus.), also called the insidious flower bug. Minute pirate bugs are beneficial insects and are excellent predators of small soft-bodied pests, such as thrips, mites, aphids, whiteflies, scale, and even small caterpillars. They are…
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Weekly Field Update – 1/21/25
The Weekly Field Updatesare back for 2025! We hope the year is off to a good start for everyone. This week, growers are preparing for the cold and some possible snow/ice in parts of the state. Strawberries are a mixed bag with root rot, crown rot, and Neopest showing up in places. Brassicas are showing…
The South Carolina Grower 