Category: Question of the Week
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Question of the Week – Sclerotia
What are the black structures developing inside the stem of this dying bupleurum? These black structures are sclerotia, which are signs of the disease sclerotinia stem rot, and resting structures for the pathogen, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. Sclerotia are hardened masses of mycelia, which enable the fungus to survive environmental stresses, such as a lack of a suitable…
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May Grower Spotlight – Gurosik Berry Plantation
Where is Sarah and her family picking strawberries this week? In this month’s grower spotlight, Ophelia is filling her bucket with tasty strawberries from Gurosik’s Berry Plantation in North Augusta, SC. Clyde and Marilyn Gurosik started with a small u-pick field in 1981 and have grown their operation from there. On the 100-acre farm, you…
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Question of the Week – Whiteflies
What is on the underside of this kale leaf? These white-colored, oval-shaped things are the immature stages of whiteflies. Whiteflies are an occasional pest of brassica crops. They have piercing-sucking mouthparts used to suck sap from their host plant. Feeding from large populations may slow plant growth and leave deposits of “honeydew” (excreted as they…
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Question of the Week – Thinning Peaches
What is this piece of equipment used for? This is piece of equipment is used for shaking excess fruit off of peach trees. This year, the peach crop is plentiful, which can make it time consuming to thin only by hand. Some growers use these tree shakers to aid in removing some of the fruit…
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Question of the Week – Growing Under Plastic
What is going on with this strawberry plant? This plant was growing under the plastic where it was deprived of sunlight. It seems that with each strawberry season we find new issues with the crop. Whether it is a disease, virus or new insect pest, strawberries keep us on our toes. From a distance this strawberry…
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April Grower Spotlight – Atkinson Farms
Where is Christiana this week? In this month’s grower spotlight, Christiana is visiting Atkinson Farms, a roadside fruit and vegetable stand in Mullins, SC. They one of the only commercial strawberry growers in Marion County, making them a beloved choice among locals. Atkinson Farms has operated for over 100 years through several generations of Atkinsons. Like…
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Question of the Week – Opossum
What happened to this strawberry? This strawberry was eaten by a possum, or more accurately, opossum. Opossums are the only marsupial native to the US. They are another common wildlife pest that loves strawberries, though unlike deer, they prefer the fruit. In this field they left tracks on several rows of plastic while they foraged. This…
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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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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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Question of the Week – Spinach
What are these seedlings that are just beginning to emerge from the ground? These are spinach seedlings. This spinach was direct seeded into growing beds. We see in the photo the cotyledons popping up through the holes in the plastic mulch in, what appears, to be a healthy stand with good germination. Spinach germinates in…
The South Carolina Grower 