Midlands Region
Justin Ballew reports, “Last week we saw a few nice, warm afternoons and about a half-inch of rain Thursday night. In strawberries, the warm weather will soon have plants pushing out new blooms. A few have already popped out. Growers have row covers set out and are ready to start protecting blooms from any future cold events. I expect to see some berries ready to pick around the end of March. Folks are planting brassicas for spring harvest now. Be sure to look your transplants over really well and do not plant any that look diseased or generally unhealthy. Also, be sure we aren’t bringing diamondback moth caterpillars (DMB) to the field on transplants. We’ve seen some recent instances where we strongly suspect DMB populations with resistance to multiple MOAs were brought in on transplants.”
Great looking brassica transplants ready to go to the field.
Justin Ballew, ©2022, Clemson Extension
Phillip Carnley reports, “Warmer weather in Orangeburg and Calhoun Counties is spurring on a few fungal issues, mainly Angular leaf spot, and a little sclerotinia in the field margins. To treat angular leafspot, copper tends to work well. Usually, angular leafspot is a non-issue; just keep an eye on it as it can affect the fruit. Sclerotinia has been found in strawberries before hanging around the crown. Make sure to check the soil line, especially in lighter sandy soils. Typically, preplant fumigant will control sclerotinia. Aphids are also making themselves known. If you find them at greater than 10 per leaflet, it’s time to treat.”
Angular leafspot is showing up on strawberry foliage but is usually of low concern.
Phillip Carnley, ©2022, Clemson Extension
Angular leaf spot is usually adequately managed by fungicides applied to protect blooms.
Phillip Carnley, ©2022, Clemson Extension
Sarah Scott reports, “Most of the area got a good rain last week (1/2 – 1 inch). Crews are busy laying irrigation in 3rd-year peach orchards and still pruning/ mulching. We will most likely see trees really start to progress with budding due to the warm temperatures in the forecast.”
Pee Dee Region
Bruce McLean reports, “What a difference a week can make. Last week, I discussed where we were in relation to buds and blooming on a few blueberry cultivars and how much cold the different stages of bloom in blueberries could tolerate before they began to experience cold injury. Well, this week’s discussion is a side-by-side comparison of the pictures from last Monday and pictures taken yesterday afternoon, a mere six days apart.”
Climax (rabbiteye blueberry) between bud swell and early green tip stage.
Bruce McLean, ©2022, Clemson Extension
Climax (last week on the left and yesterday on the right): A great deal of difference over only six days. These blooms could see injury at temperatures of 25-27 degrees. Bruce McLean, ©2022, Clemson Extension
The non-commercial cultivar, Sunshine Blue (Southern highbush) at the early pink bud stage.
Bruce McLean, ©2022, Clemson Extension
Sunshine (last week on the left and yesterday on the right): starting to get open flowers. Sunshine Blue is a low chill Southern highbush that can really jump out there once we start experiencing warmer days. Its saving grace is that it usually has multiple stages of blooms, more than most other cultivars. It can lose a good bit of early flowers and fruit but still set a decent crop.
Bruce McLean, ©2022, Clemson Extension
Frosty buds of Legacy (Southern highbush) at bud swell.
Bruce McLean, ©2022, Clemson Extension
Legacy (last week on the left and yesterday on the right): still maintaining relatively tight buds. Legacy, in many years, is a predictable “later” bloomer. It still blooms relatively early like other Southern highbush, but it tends to be in the latter portion of the blooming window. Often Legacy will set fruit even when we experience a late freeze like we occasionally have. Legacy is a great selection for growers across the state.
Bruce McLean, ©2022, Clemson Extension
Upstate Region
Andy Rollins reports, “A few early plum blooms are poking out in the upstate. A few growers are finishing up large tree plantings of peach, and some re-plants on pecan are still to go in. Many are at least halfway through pruning and are doing their dormant sprays. On peach, most are using 1.5-3% spray mineral oil, 3-4 lbs of 50% copper, and Lorsban (chlorpyrifos) at 1 quart/A. This will be the last application of chlorpyrifos as all labeled food uses of this active ingredient insecticide have been removed from all labels, at least in the US. Strawberry plants are beginning to wake up and grow. Growers with smaller plants have begun fertilization. This is the time to do your “orchard leaf” strawberry samples and first petiole samples. You will want to slowly increase nitrate nitrogen to 3000 ppm before harvest begins. Frost protects blooms under two conditions: 1. if you have an average of 3-4 blooms per plant AND 2. if temperatures will be at or below 30 degrees. Cover when the highest temperatures are reached on that day. Lastly, take covers off when the cold has passed. Keeping them on will force blooms out prematurely.”
Plums are just beginning to bloom in the upstate.
Andy Rollins, ©2022, Clemson Extension
Pecan trees heeled in and need to go in the ground very soon.
Andy Rollins, ©2022, Clemson Extension
