Category: Question of the Week
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July Grower Spotlight – Phil Sandifer and Sons Farms
Where is Anna Sara visiting this week? For this month’s Grower Spotlight, and in celebration of National Watermelon Month, Anna Sara visited Phil Sandifer and Sons Farms. They are a third-generation family-run farm that specializes in commercial watermelon and cantaloupe production. The beautiful 2,300-acre farm is bordered by the South Fork of the Edisto River and…
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Question of the Week – Potter Wasp Nest
What has Tom found on stuck to this collard leaf? This deft clay creation is the work of a potter wasp. Potter wasps are a diverse group of wasps in the subfamily Eumeninae (which is part of the large and diverse wasp family Vespidae), although only a handful of species make the elegant clay pot-like…
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Weekly Field Update – 7/7/25
After some rain and wind in the Pee Dee from Tropical Storm Chantal on Sunday, the week is off to a hot start. Watermelons, peaches, tomatoes, peppers, etc. are being harvested. Disease and insect pressures are climbing. See details below. Keep an eye on the Upcoming Events tab periodically so you don’t miss any of…
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Question of the Week – Squash Virus
Did Zack find a hybrid squash-cucumber this past week? What is going on here? No, this is not a new hybrid squash-cucumber. And no, just because these two crops were planted beside each other, they did not cross-pollinate and create a unique baby. This squash fruit is showing symptoms of a virus. Most viruses in cucurbits are…
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Weekly Field Update – 6/30/25
Keep an eye on the Upcoming Events tab periodically so you don’t miss any of our winter/spring meetings. Also, check out the latest episode of the SC Grower Exchange Podcast below. Don’t forget to look at our Resources tab for links to crop handbooks, helpful websites, and related blogs. Be sure to scroll all the…
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Question of the Week – Congaree National Park
Where is Justin this week? Justin is doing some kayak fishing on the Cedar Creek in the Congaree National Park. Congaree is South Carolina’s only National Park. Located just southeast of Columbia, the park is day-trip distance from just about anywhere in the state. The park is over 26,000 acres and is the largest remaining…
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Question of the Week – Hornet Nest
Why did this blueberry grower put a purple martin house in his blueberry bushes? This is not a purple martin house. This is a hornet’s nest!!! Hornets, wasps, and yellow jackets look a lot alike. There is one true species of hornet in South Carolina (and North America), the European hornet. The European hornet is an introduced…
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June Grower Spotlight – J. Mac Produce
Where is Phillip visiting this week? In this month’s grower spotlight, Phillip is visiting J. Mac Produce in Gable, SC. Owner and operator Johnny McNair grows peas, butter beans, sweet corn and okra. He is most famous for his butter bean production and grows the varieties ‘Jackson Wonder’, ‘Thorogreen’, and sometimes ‘Bridgeton’. His operation is…
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Question of the Week – Stem Gall
What is going on with this blackberry shoot? This is the gall of a blackberry gall midge. A client recently brought in a blackberry stem, which was swollen and distorted, appearing to be a gall on the stem. Notice how the gall has an overlarge blackberry-type appearance. The shoot tip and blossoms are beginning to…
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Question of the Week – Rootstock Growth
Why is this young peach tree developing shoots with purple leaves? The purple growth on this peach tree is coming from below the graft union. To help with disease resistance and other issues, peaches grown commercially in the US are always grafted. The rootstock (bottom portion of the tree) used may depend on the variety…
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