Tag: Question of the Week
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Question of the Week – Fava Beans
What is this crop that is growing on John’s Island in Charleston? Fava beans or broad beans are grown in small acreages in South Carolina. They are grown in the cooler times of the year and have a similar growing cycle to a sweet or English pea. They are a legume, so they add nitrogen…
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Question of the Week – Blueberry Pruning
This week, the question was: Of these two shoots that were pruned from a blueberry plant, which would have produced larger, higher quality berries? Blueberries, like many perennial crops, need pruning for maximum yield and fruit quality. I was in the field recently and saw a bush full of buds (material on the left). However,…
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Question of the Week – Cold Damage
This week, the question was: What is wrong with the leaves of this citrus tree? These leaves are showing symptoms of cold injury. This tree is part of a study at the Sandhill REC in Columbia looking at 9 varieties of citrus that are believed to have improved cold tolerance. So far this winter, we…
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Question of the Week – Jelly Fungus
This week, the question was: What is the dark-colored thing growing on this branch? This is a jelly fungus. Jelly fungi are usually found growing on dead or dying branches. Jelly fungi often swell when there is plenty of moisture in the air (pictured) and shrink when the air is dry. Lichen (the light greenish-grey,…
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Question of the Week – Asian Persimmon
This week, the question was: What is this fruit that was harvested in Charleston this past week? These are Asian persimmons. There are many Asian varieties of persimmons that are typically much larger than our native persimmons. A few varieties of Asian persimmon that lack seeds and are also non-astringent. This means that the persimmons…
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Question of the Week – Swinecress
This week, the question was: What is this weed that was found coming up in a mustard field? This is a cool-season weed called swinecress (Coronopus didymus). As a seedling, swinecress grows in a rosette, as seen here. As it matures and and begins to flower, it takes on a more spreading form. Tiny, white…
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Question of the Week – Wireworm Damage
This week, the question was: What’s wrong with this sweetpotato that was found in a grocery store? While picking out the ingredients for my Thanksgiving sweetpotato cassarole, I found this sweetpotato full of holes. The holes are tell-tale signs of wireworm feeding. Wireworms are the soil-dwelling larvae of click beetles (Family: Elateridae). There are at…
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Question of the Week – Armyworm Egg Mass
This week, the question was: What is this on this tomato leaf? This is an armyworm egg mass, possibly from the beet armyworm (Spodoptera exigua). The beet armyworm is a pest of vegetables across the Southern US. In warm weather, these eggs will hatch in only 2-3 days. Young caterpillars are slow to disperse and…
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Question of the Week – Corn Earworm
This week, the question was: What caterpillar is this that was found boring into a tomato? This is a corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea). This common caterpillar pest is known by other names, including tomato fruitworm, cotton bollworm, and soybean podworm. Corn earworms are considered to be one of the most economically important insect pests in…
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Question of the Week – Vetch
This week, the question was: What is this weed that is starting to show now up in vegetable fields? This is common vetch (Vicia sativa). Vetch is a cool-season weed that begins germinating in the fall and begins blooming in the winter, peaking in the spring. Vetch is in the legume family, making it capable…
The South Carolina Grower 