Field Update – 3/2/20

Posted on March 2, 2020 by Justin Ballew

Coastal

Zack Snipes reports, “The horticulture team got the opportunity to tour some really nice greenhouse/transplant providers last week. One point I’d like to bring up is transplant quality. Yes, quality transplants cost more upfront but healthy, quick-growing plants will help you recoup your investment. I see lots and lots of subpar transplants going into fields that come from transplant providers with disease and insect issues from the start. The plants will require more attention and cost more to fertilize and spray than healthy plants from the start. We also got to see some grafted tomato and melon plants. If you have been having trouble with a particular disease, cultivar, or area within your farm then grafted transplants may be an option for you. I have seen several farms in the past few years switch to using grafted plants and they are loving the results. Again they cost more but they are less likely to die with a full fruit load in late May.”

Grafted tomatoes with the appropriate rootstock can help battle diseases such as bacterial wilt and southern blight. Photo from Zack Snipes.

Mixed variety of very healthy and clean transplants ready to be picked up. Photo from Zack Snipes.

Midlands

Justin Ballew reports, “We had a little break in the rain over the weekend. Hopefully, strawberry growers have taken advantage of that to sanitize the fields and get a fungicide application out. Conditions have been perfect for Botrytis development (lots of moisture and temps in the 60’s) and we are seeing a ton of it. The MyIPM app is a great resource for determining which fungicides to include in your rotation. There are a few fruit out there that are ripening up, but they’re ugly and don’t taste great yet. This will improve with time as long as pollination is good and we get some sunny days. Keep in mind it’s still very early in the season. Start taking tissue samples now to make sure we get the fertigation right.”

Botrytis growing on decaying tissue is plentiful right now. It’s going to be a rough strawberry season if the rain doesn’t slow down. Photo from Justin Ballew

Misshaped fruit most likely caused by poor pollination. Boron deficiency can cause this appearance also and would show up on a tissue sample. Photo from Justin Ballew.

Sarah Scott reports, “Recent rains have caused a lot of erosion issues in orchards, especially those with trees planted on berms. With more heavy rain in this week’s forecast, farmers should focus on problem areas and consider erosion control methods such as coconut coir logs to help slow the movement of water through the orchard. Peach trees are progressing quickly but it is still too early to make predictions about this year’s crop.”

The recent rain has caused erosion issues in a number of orchards. Photo from Sarah Scott.

Pee Dee

Tony Melton reports, “Farmers are hurrying to get greens/cabbage/collards planted before the rain this week. Also, getting sweet potato beds in for transplant production. Growers are fumigating fields for tomatoes, peppers, and other summer vegetables.”

Upstate

Kerrie Roach reports, “Last week several S.C. agents toured two different grafting/vegetable transplant production operations in WNC. Grafting can translate some great resistance/tolerance traits to otherwise susceptible varieties of tomatoes we commonly plant in small scale production. Check with your agent to see if grafted tomato plants might benefit your operation. Meanwhile, in the upstate, it didn’t rain for a few days and growers have finally been able to get into the field to prep and plant some early crops. Temperatures have been typical for this time of the year. Hang tight because more rain is forecasted for this week!

Grafted tomatoes can be a good way to combat certain soil-borne diseases. Be sure to get the correct resistance trait for the diseases you’re battling. Photo from Kerrie Roach.

Field Update 2/24/20

Posted on February 24, 2020 by Justin Ballew

Coastal

Zack Snipes reports, “As probably guessed the topic of the day is the 2 nights of sub 32F temperatures. Most folks were able to cover their strawberries and hopefully, the row covers did their jobs. I know in some places temperatures lower than 25F were seen. The blueberry crop took the biggest blow. Many of our rabbiteye types were ahead of schedule with the warm weather and were almost in full bloom or close to it when the cold nights came in. I have seen several pictures from several farms that have a good bit of damage. It is important to get fungicides out sometime this week as we have the perfect storm for a disease outbreak (warmer temperatures, wet weather, dead plant tissue, disease inoculum). Recently planted brassicas are showing some damage but should grow out of it. Only time will tell the extent of the cold damage.

Strawberries are in their most vulnerable state when they are in full bloom as seen here. Photo from Zack Snipes.

Small green fruit are a little more tolerant of cold temperatures although this fruit has some freeze damage and will decay if left on the plant. Photo from Zack Snipes.

Midlands

Justin Ballew reports, “We had plenty of rain last week and two cold nights this weekend. It got to 28 Saturday morning and 29 Sunday morning at my house. Strawberries were all covered, so they were protected, but now we’re getting to where we need to get the row covers off to make a fungicide application. The rain and the threat of near-freezing temperatures this week is holding us back from getting that done. Bees won’t able to get to the flowers for pollination either until we get the row covers off. As soon as we’re able, we need to remove dead flowers, leaves, and fruit from the plants also.

Water pooling in a collard field during the rain Thursday (2/20). Photo from Justin Ballew.

Strawberries split open to show cold damage. The strawberry on the bottom is healthy and the two on top have varying degrees of discoloration and necrosis. If not removed from the field, these two damaged berries will become a source of botrytis inoculum. Photo from Justin Ballew.

Sarah Scott reports, “Wet weather is still prevalent and temperatures have dipped below freezing a couple of nights this past week. Warm weather earlier in the month began to push peach trees into a bit of an early bloom so we are watching for cold injury now. It is still too early to tell if the weather will affect the crop.

The left photo shows a brown pistil, most likely damaged by below freezing temperatures while the bloom in the right photo had a pistil that is still green and probably undamaged. Photo from Sarah Scott

Workers use flail mowers to grind up smaller pieces of pruned limbs in row middles throughout peach orchards. Breaking down the material is helpful in nutrient recycling as well as speeding decomposition to reduce spore production from fungal pathogens. Photo from Sarah Scott.

Pee Dee

Tony Melton reports, “Rain won’t stop for us to get greens/cabbage/collards planted. Transplants are having to be held back as much as possible so they won’t get too leggy. Some growers got their sweet potato beds planted in real sandy fields. Most strawberry growers have started covering to save fruit. Remember that covering encourages spider mites and fruit rots.”

Upstate

Kerrie Roach reports, “After a couple weeks with cooler temperatures, chill hours for the Upstate fruits crops (apples & peaches) are looking good. The dry weekend was too good to be true as we are getting more rain today. The forecast calls for dry weather the rest of this week. Hopefully, we can start getting into fields for prep work and early plantings for market growers.

Field Update – 2/17/20

Posted on February 17, 2020 by Justin Ballew

Statewide

Dr. Matt Cutulle reports, “Love is in the air, and your crabgrass (Digitaria spp.) PRE herbicides should be on the ground if you are in the Low Country. When soil temperatures reach 55 F for 2 to 3 days, which will usually occur before March 1^st in the Low Country, March 15^th in the Midlands and March 30^th for the upstate crabgrass germination is possible and can continue throughout the spring and summer. No matter how well crabgrass has been controlled in previous years, there is still a tremendous seed bank in the soil and open spots in crop canopy will allow this fast-growing summer annual to invade. Crabgrass’ rapid emergence and extremely fast growth rate make it a problematic weed in early spring to summer. One study by NC State showed that for every week large crabgrass emergence was delayed an increase in 373 watermelon fruit was observed. This relatively small grassy weed can cause a big problem in early season cucurbit crop plantings.”

Crabgrass seedlings. Photo from Virginia Tech

Coastal

Zack Snipes reports, “A wet week is coming to the Lowcountry. Most farms are discing up land and pressing beds in preparation for the season. I saw some potatoes going in last week on a farm or two. If you have strawberries and have started spraying, then keep spraying. Protectant fungicides applied before a weather event are the best measure at preventing disease. The weather coming is perfect for gray mold and Anthracnose to develop. If you have a smartphone download the MYIPM app (make sure to use WiFi) to key you in on diseases and preventative measures for small fruits.

Land being prepped for spring vegetables. Photo from Zack Snipes.

Midlands

Justin Ballew reports, “More rain on the horizon. Lots of collards are bolting and fall brassicas, in general, are wrapping up. Some spring brassicas have already been planted. Black rot is showing up in some fields following the storms and warm weather, so if, you’re done with a field, get rid of it! It never got cold enough Friday to kill strawberry blooms, but lots of growers had their row covers on just in case. Growers are protecting blooms from now on. This will have us picking around mid-March. Make sure to sanitize the fields as soon as it stops raining and it’s safe to pull off the row covers and start your fungicide programs and fertigation now.

Black rot showing up in collards after the recent storms. Photo from Justin Ballew.

Workers busy putting row covers on strawberries. Photo from Justin Ballew.

Pee Dee

Bruce McClean reports, “We have been on a bit of a roller coaster for the last couple of weeks… warm temps separated by brief periods of cool, windy conditions. The cool weather has not been that severe or persistent, and the warmer weather has been much more dominant. This has caused crops like blueberries and strawberries to really start to push. Heavy flowering in both crops is very evident now. With strawberries, we’re not too worried about losing early blooms… the plant will make more. But with blueberries, persistent early warm temps can ruin the upcoming season’s crop quickly. Some growers have asked about frost protecting this early. The challenge is “do you have enough water to protect until all risk of frost is gone”… likely not. The only thing worse than losing a crop because you didn’t frost protect is frost protecting all winter only to run out of water on the last night of freezing temps. Try to assess how much water supply you have and try to make decisions based on that. If you need help, please reach out to Clemson Extension for assistance.

Some chores to be doing now – finish up pruning your vineyards and orchards over the next week, or so. Look closely for dead wood in your vineyard, especially on the cordons. Now is the best time to identify it and remove it. Also, if you are planning to do some hardwood propagation on blueberries, now is the time to select one-year-old canes for cuttings. Be sure to keep them bagged (with moist peat moss or pine bark) and refrigerated until you are ready to sprig in the spring.

Unhealthy muscadine condon that needs to be pruned out. Photo from Bruce McLean

Hardwood blueberry cutting. Photo from Bruce McLean.

Tony Melton reports, “Farmers wish the rain would stop so they can get greens planted. One way to keep plants from growing too tall in the greenhouse is blowing with a leaf blower every day it will harden them off and cause them to be shorter. Time to bed sweet potatoes for slips if not to wet. If you’ve started to save/protect strawberries, blueberries, peaches, etc. (some already in full bloom) get ready for Friday night.

Field Update – 2/10/20

Posted on February 10, 2020 by Justin Ballew

Midlands

Justin Ballew reports, “We had warm weather the first part of last week. Heavy rain came through Wednesday evening and again Thursday afternoon. Strawberries are continuing to push out lots of new blooms a little earlier than we would like and lots of folks are wanting to start saving them. According to the forecast, there may be a killing freeze coming Friday. It may be best to allow this freeze to take out any blooms that are there now and start protecting any new blooms that come after. This would have us picking towards the end of March rather than the beginning. Just remember to remove any dead flowers once you decide to start saving blooms. We’re already seeing grey mold develop on dead blooms.

Grey mold developing on a dead bloom. Photo from Justin Ballew.

Sarah Scott reports, “Storms brought heavy rainfall through some areas of the Ridge last week which led to some flash flooding. Ponding of water is occurring in some peach orchards. Warm temperatures are pushing bud swell/break on early blooming varieties. Copper and oil dormant sprays are going out as well as delayed dormant applications of chlorpyrifos for scale suppression. Pruning and planting continue.

Standing water in a peach orchard following last week’s heavy rain. Photo from Sarah Scott.

Peach buds are beginning to break on early blooming varieties. Photo from Sarah Scott.

Lalo Toledo reports, “Spider mite populations have decreased in numbers in strawberry production. Plants are still a little behind but still look okay. Remember to remove dead buds before spring. Most farmers have delayed land preparations due to weather. Collards were stunted due to low temperatures in some areas, especially young plants. Sclerotinia is still progressing in many areas and continues to spread. Please use protective fungicides if possible.”

Wet conditions have delayed field prep. Photo from Lalo Toledo.

Upstate

Kerrie Roach reports, “With the first full week of February bringing a high of 76 degrees F, a low of 27 degree F, tornado warnings, 4-6 inches of snow, 6 inches of rain, and a currently running flood watch with 2+ more inches of rain predicted, agriculture in much of the upstate has come to a screeching halt. Stay tuned to see how we float out the other side of this week!”

Bryson’s Apple Orchard, Feb. 8th, 2020. Courtesy of Gail Bryson.

Pee Dee

Tony Melton reports, “As my daddy used to tell me when he was about to whoop my tail – it’s too wet to plow. We need to be planting greens but just can’t. Looks like strawberries are going to super early this spring. Spider mites are loving this warmth.”

Field Update – 2/3/20

Posted on February 3, 2020 by Justin Ballew

Coastal

Zack Snipes reports, “Thanks to everyone that made it out to the Preplant Meeting in Charleston last week. We had standing room only for the program. We received a good number of questions on the single-use plastic ban in Charleston County. I have attached a picture that should explain most things. To recap: strawberry buckets, plastic clamshell containers, and plastic green produce bags are allowed. The “thank you” bags or carry out bags you receive at most, if not all, retail stores are no longer allowed in Charleston County. Some folks have ordered cloth reusable bags with their farm logo on them and are selling them. Dillion Way with AgSouth in Summerville has boxes of cloth reusable bags that he can make available to farmers during this transition period.”

Info on Charleston’s new single-use plastic ban. Photo from Zack Snipes.

Midlands

Justin Ballew reports, “We had more rain late last week and the weather has warmed up a bit since. Growers are picking what’s left of the mustard and turnip greens after the cold. Any that weren’t covered are gone. Strawberries look good considering they are still a little behind where we are used to seeing them at this time of year. The spider mites have slowed down for now, probably thanks to all the rain. Not as many blooms were killed by the cold in some fields as we expected, but there is plenty of damage out there. Just be sure to remove any dead buds and fruit when plant growth takes off in the spring. Winter weeds are likely to take off this week while it’s a little warmer, so if you have labor available, it would be a good idea to pull as many weeds as you can from the plant holes.”

Young strawberry fruit cut in half so show the cold damaged tissue (browning). Photo from Justin Ballew.

Winter weeds in the plant holes will see good growing conditions this week. Photo from Justin Ballew.

Sarah Scott reports, “Peach trees are being planted and cover crops are being seeded in the row middles. Pruning continues on established peach trees. Copper sprays before the next rain event could lessen the spread of inoculum from disease present in the orchard.”

Peach trees being planted on berms in Edgefield County. Photo from Sarah Scott.

Pee Dee

Tony Melton reports, “Second cut processing collard and third cut turnip harvest is finishing up. Land prep is in full swing for spring greens where land is dry enough. Cold temperatures have set strawberries back to ground-zero in flowering and fruiting which may keep down misshapen fruit at first harvest.”

Upstate

Mark Arena reports, “Recent unseasonably warm and wet days catch Christmas tree growers off guard as needle blight diseases infect trees. The two most common are Needle Blight and Needle Cast. Watching the weather conditions, scouting the trees weekly, and applying appropriate fungicides is the best practice for control.”

Damage caused by needle blight. Photo from Mark Arena.

Needle blight damage. Photo from Mark Arena.

Field Update – 1/27/20

Posted on January 27, 2020 by Justin Ballew

Coastal

Zack Snipes reports, “As the weather dipped last week I had lots of calls about covering strawberries. Some growers thought they had enough plant and blooms that they should cover while others left them exposed to the cold. On most farms, the frost damage was very minimal with only blooms facing upwards having damage. Whether you covered or not, it is imperative that you sanitize your plants by removing dead fruit, blossoms, and leaf tissue. Start clean this year. Now would be a great time to get an application of boron in. Boron is used in fruit and flower development. Many times gnarled fruit can be attributed to boron deficiency. 1/8 of an actual pound of boron is recommended and can be applied via drip or spray. Be careful to mix correctly as boron is an excellent herbicide if rates are too high. Don’t forget about the Preplant Growers Meeting at the USDA in Charleston at 8:30-lunch on Wednesday.”

Midlands

Justin Ballew reports, “The first part of last week was cold. There were a lot of blooms and small green fruit on the strawberries that were damaged, but it was too early to be saving those anyway. Just make sure to remove the dead fruit and blooms by the time we start saving blooms in the spring. Brassicas made it through the cold with little damage, but Sclerotinia white mold continues to progress in some fields.”

Strawberry blooms turning brown from cold damage. Photo from Justin Ballew

Sclerotinia white mold infection on a collard stem. Photo from Justin Ballew

Sarah Scott reports, “We are still harvesting cabbage, kale, collards, and other greens at this time. Wet weather is causing some rot issues in fields especially in low spots with heavy soils. Peach trees are being planted. The Ridge area has not accumulated enough chill hours at this time for higher chill varieties but the extended forecast looks promising for that to happen. Weeds are popping up in strawberry fields from the warmer temperatures. Henbit growing in the holes with strawberry plants needs to be hand pulled as there is not an effective herbicide to use that will not cause injury to the strawberries.

Lalo Toledo reports, “Spider mite populations in strawberries have been steady in our area. This cold weather has put them behind, but they will recover. Remember to start spraying your protective fungicides on strawberries as soon as possible. Processing greens are doing great with some bacterial spots here and there. Fresh market collards are presenting cold damage across the county. Sclerotinia is still prevalent in many brassica crops such as cauliflower and cabbage. Please refer to the vegetable handbook for proper fungicide recommendations.”

Cold damage on collard foliage. Photo from Lalo Toledo.

Pee Dee

Tony Melton reports, “Cold temps set flowering/fruiting of strawberries back to ground zero. Growers got some land for greens bedded.”

Field Update – 1/21/20

Posted on January 21, 2020 by Justin Ballew

Remember to keep an eye on the “Upcoming Events” tab for new meeting and workshop announcements from around the state.

Statewide

Dr. Tony Keinath with more on white mold. “Growers who grow sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima, syn. Alyssum maritimum) as a nectar source for beneficial insects should be aware that sweet alyssum is susceptible to white mold. Diseased alyssum could increase the level of the pathogen in soil if the white mold fungus forms sclerotia on diseased plants. Growers who have alyssum in or along their fields in winter or early spring should check for symptoms of white mold. Symptoms include collapse of part or all of the plant and yellowing or blackening of tissue.”

Sweet alysum is increasingly being grown in or around vegetable fields as a nectar source for beneficial insects, but is also susceptible to Sclerotinia white mold.

Coastal

Zack Snipes reports, “The cold weather (at least a few days of it) has showed up. This cold weather might slow our strawberries down which wouldn’t be a bad thing. I have seen ripe berries on some farms. The question I keep getting is should we start fertilizing to push our berries and cover them. Most farms I have been on do not have a plant that is large enough to support bearing fruit. Most farms have 3-4 crowns right now per plant and I would personally like to see that 4-5 before we really start pushing them. Keep in mind that if we begin to fertilize and cover this time of year we will be picking in about 35 days. Here are a few questions you might want to ask yourself. Do you plan on opening the last week in February? Do you plan on covering each night the temperature dips into the low 30’s? Are you ready to apply protective fungicide sprays starting now? Another question I have gotten recently is when to cover and when to not cover. The chart taken from Strawberry Plasticulture: A Grower’s Guide shows the critical temperatures for each of the bloom and fruiting stages.”

Midlands

Justin Ballew reports, “Last week was fairly mild, but it turned cold over the weekend. Lows have been in the upper 20’s the last couple of mornings. We’ve seen a lot of blooms developing on strawberries over the last two weeks and this cold is going to take them out. I’ve been getting a lot of questions about covering, but it’s still too early to start protecting blooms. Letting them die right now is the best thing to do and it won’t hurt yields. More blooms will develop when the weather begins to warm up. Just be sure to sanitize the plants well in the early spring to remove all the dead blooms that can become inoculum for Botrytis.

Lots of blooms developed over the last two weeks, but will die in the cold this week. Photo from Justin Ballew

Pee Dee

Bruce McLean reports, “The weather has returned to a more seasonal pattern… for at least a little while. Collards and cabbage are still looking very good (for the most part). Sclerotinia is being found (localized) in fields – effecting cabbage more than other brassica crops. Strawberries are looking good. Other than some early flowering (due to the recent heat), no problems are being seen in the field. Muscadines are currently being pruned, as well as blueberries and blackberries. The recent warm weather has begun to push some early bud break and flowering on some blueberries, on both highbush and rabbiteyes. Hopefully, the return of colder temps will delay any further growth until a little later into the season… because it is still a bit early for them to wake up.

Sclerotinia showing up in some brassica fields. Photo from Bruce McLean.

Collards are still looking good in the upper Pee Dee. Photo from Bruce McLean.

Tony Melton reports, “Greens including collards are damaged severely by cold. Demand for greens has dropped drastically but some small growers have covered to maintain supply. Most strawberry growers are not protecting from cold and allowing cold to kill flowers and fruit.”

Upstate

Kerrie Roach reports, “With almost 16.8 inches of rain recorded for January so far at the Oconee Airport, the Upstate is soggy to say the least. Cold temperatures have finally arrived, and pruning has commenced in full force for tree fruit growers. Apples are just about finished with most growers waiting a few more weeks to start any peach pruning. We are finally significantly adding to chilling hours.”

Before (left) and after (right) pruning of semi-dwarf variety apple.

Field Update – 1/13/20

Posted on January 13, 2020 by Justin Ballew

Spring fruit and vegetable meetings are being announced daily, so keep an eye on the “Upcoming Events” tab over the next several weeks.

Coastal Region

Dr. Matt Cutulle reports, “I have been seeing a lot of Henbit in the coastal area this year (A big chunk of it in Dr. Brian Ward’s research fields). Don’t be deceived by the pretty flowers. We don’t really have any options for selectively controlling the weed POST in most vegetable crops. Mowing before viable seed head formation is a good way to reduce the weed seed bank deposit of this problematic winter annual. More description of the weed can be found at (https://www.clemson.edu/cafls/research/weeds/weed-id-bio/broadleaf-weeds-parent/broadleaf-pages/henbit.html)”

Henbit flowers. Photo from Dr. Matt Cutulle.

Dr. Tony Keinath reports,”White mold (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum) is active in the Charleston area. The two nights of freezing temperatures December 18-19 likely stimulated sclerotia to germinate and produce ascospores. Warm, overcast weather with mist and light rain is ideal for spread and germination of the airborne ascospores. Weather conditions likely will remain favorable for white mold over the next 3 months. Growers will need to rotate conventional white mold fungicides due to limits on the number of applications that can be made per crop.

For organic crops, Sonata at 8 pints per acre may offer some protection. See pages 185 and 222 in the 2020 Vegetable Crop Handbook for Southeastern United States.”

Zack Snipes reports, “Warm and muggy is the only way to describe the past week. I was out in a blueberry patch and noticed some low chill hour varieties already blooming. We have gotten very few chill hours to date in Charleston. Chill hours are the number of hours below 45F and are required for proper fruiting of perennial fruits. For a normal year in Charleston we should get anywhere from 400-600 chill hours. I have also seen strawberries pushing out some blooms. Growers should not worry as that is normal for this time of year. I think it is still too early to starting pushing strawberries for fruiting. Remember that it takes 35 or so days to go from bloom to picking a strawberry. It we let our plants grow and develop more crowns right now (rather than fruit), then we will have greater production this spring.”

Low chill hour blueberries are already showing some blooms. Photo from Zack Snipes.

Strawberries starting to push out a few blooms. Photo from Zack Snipes.

Midlands

Justin Ballew reports, “It was unseasonably warm this past week and we had a couple significant rain events over the weekend. I’ve seen a few daffodils and forsynthia blooming already. Strawberries are growing a little faster right now and that’s good new for fields that are a little behind. The weather conditions we have right now are very conducive to Phytophthora development, so now would be a good time for a Ridomil application through the drip, especially in fields with a history of Phytophthora. Winter weeds are really exploding now. Make sure to pull any weeds coming up in the plant holes so they aren’t competing with the strawberries. We’re still harvesting brassicas and they look good other than a little Sclerotinia here and there.”

A likely Pytophthora infection in a strawberry crown. The tip of the crown near the roots has turned reddish/brown. Photo from Justin Ballew.

Cabbage in the midlands is looking nice. Photo from Justin Ballew

Sarah Scott reports, “Wet and overly warm temperatures have set in along the Ridge over the past week. 2.5 inches of rain have fallen but with soil already wet it is making for difficult working conditions. Fields are still being prepped for peach tree planting and pruning should begin this week. With temperatures reaching into the 70s there is a concern that higher chill varieties of peaches may not get adequate chilling requirements to produce optimum yields but we will have to wait and see what the weather continues to do. Cabbage, collards, and kale are still being harvested along with a few other late winter crops. Strawberries are putting on a lot of growth with the warm temperatures. Some spider mites in the field but very minimal observations.”

Strawberries are growing fast in this warm weather. Photo from Sarah Scott.

Lalo Toledo reports, “Spider mite populations are begging to increase in our area. Most brassica producers are selling out. Remember to disk in remaining plant material as soon as possible, this reduces the chance of disease in your following crop year. Sclerotinia white mold has been very prevalent in our area. Remember to rotate for a minimum of three years if disease emerges. Weather has not allowed for spring bedding to begin.”

Pee Dee Region

Tony Melton reports, “Last week, folks hurried before rain to get land bedded for greens to be planted the first of February. This will allow weeds to emerge so they can be killed before planting in stale-bed-culture. Strawberries are loving this warm weather.”

Upstate

Kerrie Roach reports, “We have some growers who are finished pruning apples and peaches, some who have just started, and others who haven’t touched their orchards yet. We will see who fairs the best… I have concerns with what I would consider to be early pruning, combined with continued warm temperatures creating a perfect storm for when cold temperatures finally arrive. Heavy rains have plagued the area, with more than 13 inches recorded at the Oconee airport in January thus far.”

Apple trees after pruning. Photo from Kerrie Roach.

Field Update – 1/6/20

Posted on January 6, 2020 by Justin Ballew

Statewide

We hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Year! Please keep an eye on the Upcoming Events tab for several spring production meetings and conferences coming up around the state.

Midlands

Justin Ballew reports, “We’ve gotten a lot of rain over the last 30 days, including around an inch and a half late last week. The weather was warm in the afternoons for most of the week also. Our corps are going well, though spider mites seem to be picking up in strawberries. Mites are easy to forget about this time of year, so be sure to get out there and scout. We should have 3 branched crowns on our strawberries at this point, but we are a little behind in several fields. Caterpillar populations remain low and the brassicas we are harvesting look great. Sclerotinia white mold is showing up in some brassica fields following all the recent moisture we’ve had. This is a good reminder to use a crop rotation of at least 3 years.

Sclerotinia white mold developing on collard leaves. Photo from Justin Ballew

A cluster of spider mites on the upper edge of the underside of a strawberry leaf. Photo from Justin Ballew

Lalo Toledo reports, “We have seen ‘Sclerotinia stem rot’ on brassicas increase in the last couple days. This moist weather helps promote stem infections that spread rapidly downward to decay roots and expand upward wilting leaves, resulting in plant collapse. We have observed a white, cottony growth near the soil line. Disease development is generally favored by abundant soil moisture and temperatures ranging from 10-25°C (50-77°F). It is important to implement good sanitation practices and long rotations to non-host crops. Cultivate to help promote good soil drainage. Fungicide application are also available. Refer to Vegetable handbook. Remember to rotate fungicide groups.

Wilted collards caused by Sclerotinia development on the stem. Photo from Lalo Toledo.

Pee Dee Region

Tony Melton reports seeing spider mites in most strawberry fields. “Fall strawberries covered in hoop houses or just covered outside are doing well and producing well. Selling out the few remaining regrowth collards and greens. This week should be dry enough to start bedding land for spring greens to allow weeds to emerge and kill using stale-bed-culture. Stale-bed-culture is my favorite way to destroy most of the weeds before planting any crop.”

Bruce McLean reports, “Even though the calendar says January, it’s been feeling a bit more like April here lately. The remaining brassica crops look really good (for the most part). Cabbage, collards, turnips and broccoli are still in good supply. Pest pressure has been extremely low this season. Strawberries are looking very good as well. The recent heat is pushing blooms a bit. I haven’t seen anyone dragging the row covers out yet, so blooms are getting bitten on these coldest nights. No worries… they’ll be plenty more blooms to take their place. I’ve not seen any significant pests on strawberries, either.

The recent heat has really pushed the broccoli out. Photo from Bruce McLean.

Strawberries are looking very good this season in the Pee Dee. Photo from Bruce McLean.

Upstate

Kerrie Roach reports, “We’ve had cold weather along with lots of precipitation in the Upstate over the last few days. There were even some flurries up in the mountains. Pruning for apples is going to commence over the next few weeks. The SE Apple Growers Association Meeting is this week Tuesday and Wednesday in Asheville, NC, and many of our SC growers will attend.”

Field Update – 12/16/19

Posted on December 16, 2019 by Justin Ballew

Statewide

Dr. Matt Cutulle shared the photos below of a direct seeded collard weed control study. “Below is the untreated check (Left) and a plot treated with Treflan (Pre-plant incorporated) and Dual Magnum (Post-applied when collards are at least 3 inches in height). This is approximately 9 weeks after seeding. Main weed is corn spurry.”

Treflan PPI and Dual Magnum POST (right) provided good weed control in direct seeded collards as compared to the untreated check (left). Photo from Dr. Matt Cutulle.

Coastal Region

Zack Snipes reports, “The mild temperatures and rain have helped our crops out. The collard crop is looking great for the Christmas and New Year’s harvest with very little insect or disease damage. Strawberries are looking good as well with excellent fall growth and color. Strawberry plants should be about the size of a baseball cap this time of year. Blueberry plants have turned a beautiful deep red color and are beginning to get some chill hours going into winter dormancy. I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season spent with family and eating lots of SC GROWN products.”

Strawberries should be about the size of a baseball cap this time of year. Photo from Zack Snipes.

Midlands

Justin Ballew reports, “We had decent growing weather again last week. Steady rain fell all day Friday and we saw 6.5 inches at my house. Luckily, the sandy soil soaked most of it up. Growers are continuing to harvest brassicas and they look great right now (very little insect damage). We are still battling spidermites in some strawberries.”

Collard harvest is looking great in the midlands. Photo from Justin Ballew

Yellowing and mottling on strawberry leaves from spider mite feeding damage. Photo from Justin Ballew

Sarah Scott reports, “4-8 inches of rain fell across Aiken and Edgefield Counties last week causing standing water and some flooding. Collards, broccoli and root crops are still being harvested. Fields are still being cleared and prepped for peach tree plantings.”

Flooded peach orchard following the rain Friday (12/13) Photo from Sarah Scott.

Pee Dee Region

Tony Melton reports, “Fresh Market collards are selling rapidly. Many growers are re-growing the first cut collards of September/October to have them ready for second cut for New Years because they are running out of first cut collards. Turnip roots are getting large and need to be sold if tops are to remain. Turnip roots alone are a cheap commodity. The last of the processing turnips tops and mustard are being harvested this week and all that will be left is second cut collards to be harvested. Hopefully the rain helped to control spidermites on strawberries.”

The South Carolina Grower

Fruit and Vegetable News for Growers and Agribusinesses in South Carolina

Author Archives: Justin Ballew

Field Update – 3/2/20

Field Update 2/24/20

Field Update – 2/17/20

Field Update – 2/10/20

Field Update – 2/3/20

Field Update – 1/27/20

Field Update – 1/21/20

Field Update – 1/13/20

Field Update – 1/6/20

Field Update – 12/16/19