Author: Justin Ballew
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Can Biological Products and Soil Amendments Help With Bacterial Disease Management in Peaches?
From Guido Schnabel, Hehe Wang, Juan Carlos Melgar, Ayodeji Idowu, Junaed Ahmed, Rongzhong Ye, and Michael Vassalos I think we can all agree that peaches produced in commercial peach orchards in South Carolina are special. They are sold locally at farm stands and many retail stores along the East Coast. You may not know that…
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Weekly Field Update – 2/17/25
Growers have been busy making preparations for spring planting. With bitter cold coming this week, strawberry growers are expected to cover fields in most parts of the state. Spider mites and neopest are active in many places, so plan miticide and fungicide applications accordingly. See details below. Keep an eye on the Upcoming Events tab…
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Question of the Week – Cattail Seed
Where did this mass of fluff come from? This ball of “fluff” got my attention one day while scouting collards. I thought a bush hog had dismantled some insulation. To my surprise, when I approached the pile of fluff, I realized that it was not insulation but rather a large mass of cattail seeds. This…
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White Mold is Active so Spray Now
From Clemson Plant Pathologist Tony Keinath and Extension Associate Justin Ballew The freezing weather the week of January 21, 2025, was just what the Sclerotinia white mold fungus was waiting for. While cold temperatures discourage most animals from being active, freezing temperatures trigger Sclerotinia sclerotia (the survival structures in soil) to germinate, produce tiny mushrooms,…
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Fruit & Vegetable Price Data Project
From Kevin Burkett, Clemson Agribusiness Associate In 2025, Clemson University is coordinating a project to collect price data for direct marketed fruits and vegetables grown in South Carolina and sold at South Carolina farmers markets. This project aims to gather interest from farmers markets that may be willing to participate. Based on funding there may be…
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Weekly Field Update – 2/10/25
Warm weather last week really pushed some things along. Spider mites are showing up in strawberries all over the state. Strawberry growers will likely begin spring fertigation this week. Be aware of the potential for disease development as moisture returns this week. See details below. Keep an eye on the Upcoming Events tab periodically so…
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Question of the Week – Thrips and Mites
What is causing the discoloration on these strawberry plants that were found for sale at a popular chain store? The foliage of these plants shows symptoms of infestation of both spider mites and western flower thrips. Whether you are buying plants for large-scale commercial use or just for home, always check for pests—insects, mites, and…
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Weekly Field Update – 2/3/25
As temperatures warm up this week growers are keeping eye out for mite and disease issues. Agents urge growers to sanitize brassica fields to avoid secondary disease infections, like white mold, following widespread cold damage. Some strawberry growers are thinking about starting spring fertigation. See details below. Keep an eye on the Upcoming Events tab…
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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…
The South Carolina Grower 