Author: Justin Ballew
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Question of the Week – Bad Chickens
This week, the question was: What happened to this poor collard plant? I routinely scout the collards in my yard for insect pests and enjoy watching wasps parasitize worms and aphids. I walked out the other day and thought the wasps must be taking a break from parasitizing because I have serious damage. Upon further…
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Black Rot Review: How to Manage this Disease on Brassica Crops
From Clemson Plant Pathologist Tony Keinath. Black rot is the most common disease caused by bacteria on brassica crops. It was widespread in the Lowcountry in fall 2022, so it’s time for a review of this serious disease. Recognizing Black Rot Most often, black rot starts at the edges of the older leaves on brassicas.…
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Weekly Field Update – 2/6/23
We have lots of fruit and vegetable meetings over the next couple of months, so check out the Upcoming Events tab for the complete lineup. This week, we have the Ridge Peach Meeting on 2/9 in Edgefield and The Back to Basics of Vegetable Production webinar on 2/9. Don’t forget to look at our Resources…
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Question of the Week – Phytophthora Crown Rot
This week, the question was: What has caused the dark brown discoloration in the crown of this strawberry plant? This dark reddish/brown discoloration in the crown is a typical symptom of Phytophthora crown rot. The first observable signs of this disease include wilting and browning of the leaves in the field. Phytophthora is most serious…
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Weekly Field Update – 1/30/23
We have lots of fruit and vegetable meetings over the next couple of months, so check out the Upcoming Events tab for the complete lineup. This week, we have the Coastal Preplant Vegetable Production Meeting on 2/1 in Charleston and a Small Fruit Production Meeting on 2/2 in Columbia. Be sure to scroll all the…
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Question of the Week – Sunlight Exposure
This week, the question was: What has caused parts of this cauliflower head to purple? This cauliflower has some purpling/reddening caused by exposure to sunlight. It is important to have enough healthy leaves on the plant to cover the head as it develops. If for any reason the leaves do not cover the head (poor…
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Weekly Field Update – 1/17/23
The Weekly Field Updates are back for 2023! We hope everyone had a great holiday season and is off to a good start this year. We have lots of fruit and vegetable meetings over the next couple of months, so check out the Upcoming Events tab for the complete lineup. This week there will be…
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How Seedless Watermelon Cultivars React to Fusarium Wilt: Average Results of 2021 and 2022 Trials
From Tony Keinath, Extension Vegetable Pathologist. As part of a large USDA Specialty Crop Research Initiative grant, I have been working with Dr. Jonathan Schultheis, Horticulturist at NCSU, to evaluate seedless watermelon cultivars grown in plots naturally infested with the Fusarium wilt fungus. The South Carolina trials were done in my Fusarium-infested field at the…
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Question of the Week – Citrus
This week, the question was: What is this plant that is blooming right now (late fall) and providing forage for bees? This is a Meyer lemon tree. This tree is part of an ongoing trial at the Coastal REC to evaluate the cold tolerance of several citrus varieties. In a tropical environment, this variety of…
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Weekly Field Update – 11/28/22
Today’s update will be our final update of 2022. With things slowing down in the field, we will take some time to focus on other projects, and the Weekly Field Updates will resume in January. One of the things we will be focusing on for the remainder of the year is evaluating the SC Grower.…
The South Carolina Grower 