Most of the state welcomed some rain last week while parts of the coast remained dry. Crops are progressing well, though folks will need to beware of disease this week following the moisture. Mite and insect pressure have been climbing. See details below.
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Coastal Region
Anna Sara Hill
- Temperatures are rising, and at the end of last week, the area received much-needed rain. Windy conditions earlier this month stressed plants with sandblasting and blew in pathogens just waiting for environmental triggers to infect the susceptible plants.
- Scout carefully this week for both disease and insects. Don’t just scout the perimeter. Take special care to scout the wettest areas of the field and areas closest to the woods.
- One field I looked at seemed fine around the perimeter, but in the interior, there was a large population of cucumber beetles and hot spots of squash bugs close to the woods.
- Cover sprays are essential for disease protection. Watermelon vines moving off the plastic should be treated with fixed copper + mancozeb. See the Watermelon Fungicide Guide for 2025 for a full-season spray schedule.
Blackberries in bloom.
Anna Sarah Hill, ©2025, Clemson Extension
Zack Snipes
- It is extremely dry as we are in a D2 drought status already with not much in the way of rain in the 10-day forecast. In Charleston, we have had 1/10 of an inch in the past 20 days and only 1.5 inches in the last 43 days. We are running 3-5 irrigation cycles per day to keep our sandy soils somewhat moist. Some growers are pulse irrigating, which means running the system for 15-20 minutes and waiting for 15-20 minutes. Then, they will repeat this 3-4 times. What this does is create a Christmas tree-shaped water pattern in the soil profile. This helps push water to the edges of the beds. It does not do much good to run an irrigation system for hours at a time in our sandy soils, as after an hour or so, most of the water is going straight down and not being utilized by our plants.
- The good news about dry weather is there are relatively few diseases right now. Crops look extremely clean across the board.
- I did find powdery mildew on strawberry last week. Powdery mildew is unique as it is more prevalent in drier weather compared to other diseases.
- Crops coming out of the field look great and are coming in heavy volumes. We have a great fruit set on blueberry and blackberry this year. We just need some rain to fatten them up.
I have seen powdery mildew on strawberry very few times in my career. This further exemplifies how dry it has been lately.
Zack Snipes, ©2025, Clemson Extension
Midlands Region
Phillip Carnley
- We saw a little bit of much-needed rain in the Midlands this past week, but we could still use much more.
- With the rain, we are seeing some strawberry issues like anthracnose fruit rot. From the dry conditions, there has been a huge flair in spider mite populations.
- Cucurbits are in the ground and doing quite well. The main issue I’ve been seeing so far has been the striped cucumber beetle present in all cucurbits. Most cucurbits in my area followed behind corn crops.
- Leafy greens are doing great. Make sure that you are applying adequate nitrogen for growth.
- Blueberries are coming on strong, and it won’t be long before we are harvesting.
- Blackberries are in great shape, and some cane and leaf rust is present. But by far, the most concerning issue is cane blotch. Make sure you are using the phosphate fungicides, as you have 6 applications during the season.
Blackberries are in great shape right now.
Phillip Carnley, ©2025, Clemson Extension
It won’t be long before we’re harvesting blueberries.
Phillip Carnley, ©2025, Clemson Extension
Rob Last
- Following heavy and patchy rainfall over the last week, crops look good. However, given the potential for physical damage to occur in storms, conditions are good for bacterial and fungal pathogens to be more of a problem.
- For bacterial pathogens such as Xanthomonas or Pseudomonas, fixed copper applications may be beneficial, and for conventional producers, manzate or Actigard can be valuable. Be cautious with the rate of Actigard. In some situations, the enhancements to the plant’s defense mechanisms can result in reduced vigor of the crops. For organic producers, there are various biofungicides available. Consult the label or the Southeastern Vegetable Crop Handbook.
- Bacterial blight is present in cilantro and parsley in the area. Fixed copper, Actigard, or Regalia may be beneficial in managing the disease. Bacterial blight is characterized by water-soaked lesions that develop into brown or black lesions. The lesions are usually vein-limited, so they appear angular.
- Strawberries currently look great and have excellent fruit quality. Continue to make sure fungicide programs are robust and timely.
- Blueberries are beginning to blush. As with strawberries, maintaining the fungicide program will be imperative.
- Other crops in the area are looking good. However, we are seeing an increase in diamondback moth activity.
- Keep scouting crops closely for pest and disease activity. Timely remedial actions can help to preserve yields and quality.
Strawberries are still coming on strong in the Midlands.
Rob Last, ©2025, Clemson Extension
Sarah Scott
- Spotty showers last week were both helpful and somewhat hurtful. Some crops, especially those on bare ground, enjoyed a cool drink of water, while strawberries suffered some water damage in the field. Either way, we welcome the rain.
- As peaches get closer to harvest, we have started running irrigation on the trees. Typically, this begins around 3 – 4 weeks before harvest in dry conditions and up to 2 weeks before harvest if we are receiving adequate rain. Irrigation helps increase fruit size and improve quality. Harvest should begin in some areas around the second week of May.
- There are some spotty spider mites in strawberries and botrytis popping up, but no huge issues. Yield is still heavy.
- Vegetable crops are looking good. I’ve seen some cross-striped cabbage worms in small plantings, something to keep an eye on.
Just finished planting watermelons for a large variety demo. From left to right, Sarah Scott, Anna Sara Hill, Phillip Carnley, Gilbert Miller, Justin Ballew, Rob Last. (S. Scott)
Upstate Region
Andy Rollins
- We’re finding powdery mildew on peaches. Growers need to consider their options for controlling this. Sulfur has been the go-to product for this problem, but some haven’t been satisfied with the control it’s providing. Tilt with captan isn’t a bad, inexpensive option. Peach scab hasn’t shown up yet. Some growers are using Topsin M with captan now, ahead of controlling this pest.
- Strawberry growers are sanitizing water damaged berries from the rain last week. Picking ahead of rain is important in controlling this problem, and using firm flesh varieties, like Camarosa, also helps.
- Vegetable plastic has been laid, and squash and tomato will be planted this week.
