LATEST POSTS
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Weekly Field Update – 4/7/25
The warm weather has made strawberries, peaches, and blueberries jump. Strawberries are in full swing now and it’s a great time to visit the U-Picks. Moisture in the forecast this week is likely to bring an increase in disease pressure. See details below. Keep an eye on the Upcoming Events tab periodically so you don’t…
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Cucurbit Downy Mildew Fungicide Trial Report for Fall 2024: Part 1, Pickling Cucumber
From Clemson Plant Pathologist Tony Keinath In fall 2024, fungicide programs were tested on ‘Gershwin’ pickling cucumber to find out which programs worked best. Eight fungicide programs (plus a non-sprayed control) were used with various combinations of chlorothalonil (Bravo), Ranman, and Orondis Opti (Orondis + Bravo pre-mix). Cucurbit downy mildew (CDM) symptoms were noticed on…
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Question of the Week – Pawpaw
What tree makes this unusual-looking flower? This is the flower of the Hoosier banana. Not familiar with the Hoosier banana? Well, you may be more familiar with the pawpaw. The pawpaw is one of my favorite trees for several reasons. First, it is the largest native fruit to North America and a must have for any gardener…
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Weekly Field Update – 3/31/25
Spring is off to a warm start. The weather has been dry, but we finally have some rain in the forecast. Strawberry picking is beginning in parts of the state. So far disease has been low, but spider mites are present in places. Other crops are growing well. See details below. Clemson Extension is working…
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Question of the Week – Chinese Mantid Ootheca
What is this thing that looks like a piece of foam stuck to a blueberry cane? This is the ootheca, or egg mass, of the Chinese mantid (Tenodera aridifolia). Chinese mantids are nonnative predatory insects that much larger than the native Carolina mantid. Mantids are generalist predators that will prey on just about any insect…
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Field Scouting and Identification of Diseases on Cucurbits in South Carolina
From Clemson Plant Pathologist Tony Keinath For anyone who missed the Preplant Cucurbit Meeting on Feb. 7, 2025, at the Edisto Research and Education Center, here is a recap of the main points on scouting fields for cucurbit diseases. Table 1 shows which diseases are most likely to show up on different crops. Use this…
The South Carolina Grower 