SC Fruit and Vegetable Field Report – January 21, 2025

The Weekly Field Updates are back for 2025! We hope the year is off to a good start for everyone. This week, growers are preparing for the cold and some possible snow/ice in parts of the state. Strawberries are a mixed bag with root rot, crown rot, and Neopest showing up in places. Brassicas are showing some cold damage, but most should be able to grow out of it once the weather warms back up. See details below.

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.

Don’t forget to look at our Resources tab for links to crop handbooks, helpful websites, and related blogs.

Coastal Region

Zack Snipes

  • We are off to a chilly start this new year. We are accumulating lots of chill hours. Want to know how many chill hours you are acquiring in your county?  Check out our weather station website and use the chill hour calculator.
  • Most of our greens right now are slow-growing growing, with lots of purpling of the older leaves.  Purpling on the older leaves is a sign of phosphorous deficiency, which is due to the cool, wet weather.
  • Strawberries do not look good. We have very poor stands and are seeing lots of Neopest and Phytophthora. Stay vigilant and on top of fungicide programs to get us to the spring.
A poor stand of strawberries impacted by Phytophthora root rot.

A poor stand of strawberries impacted by Phytophthora root rot.
Zack. Snipes, ©2025, Clemson Extension

Midlands Region

Phillip Carnley

  • Strawberries are in full swing and looking good around Orangeburg, Clarendon and Sumter counties. I am seeing a few isolated spots of Anthracnose crown rot, and phytophthora crown rot is present with higher frequency. With the incoming cold, make sure you have frost protection in place and are checking for spider mites.
  • Leafy greens are still doing pretty well despite the cold, but there is some phosphorus deficiency due to low temps. There is also some cold injury that has allowed some secondary fungal growth.
  • A few producers are gearing up for early high tunnel tomatoes at the moment.
Crown discoloration from anthracnose crown rot.

Crown discoloration from anthracnose crown rot.
Phillip Carnley, ©2025, Clemson Extension

Sclerotinia infection on cabbage following the cold.

Sclerotinia infection on cabbage following the cold.
Phillip Carnley, ©2025, Clemson Extension

Rob Last

  • Here in the Midlands, we are forecast to be very cold, with overnight lows into the teens and daytime temperatures barely scraping the freezing point over the next few days. Now is the time to protect sensitive plants if you haven’t already done so. Also, it is important to remember that temperatures below 20 °F can damage strawberry crowns.
  • Overall, strawberry crops in the Midlands look good, with low incidences of foliar disease and pest activity. If you have row covers on for freeze protection, scout carefully for pests and disease activity once they come off.
  • Brassicas in the area are wrapping up, for those of you with any remaining crop, be prepared to see some purpling to the leaves with the cold weather. The purpling is a response to reduced phosphorous uptake. As temperatures rise, plants will be more able to access phosphorous in the soil, and the reddening will grow out without adding additional fertilizer.
  • This time of year, it can be very useful to spend a little time on these coldest days reviewing what worked or didn’t and why last season. This will help to help develop a plan for the upcoming year.
  • This time of year is also great for getting soil sampled and analyzed, allowing for the remediation of any issues.
Purpling/reddening around the leaf margins in response to cold soil.

Purpling/reddening around the leaf margins in response to cold soil.
Rob Last, ©2025, Clemson Extension

Sarah Scott

  • Things have been busy around the Ridge over the past few weeks. Peach growers have been preparing for the season by plowing and getting fields ready for new plantings. Trees have already started going in the ground. As labor starts to arrive, we will get into pruning peach trees as well.
  • Looking at the latest accumulation of chill hours we are on track to reach the requirements. We are slightly behind from last year but with the upcoming cold weather, we should catch up soon.
  • Strawberries have been in the ground getting established for a few months now, and this week, most have been tucked in under row covers for the cold weather we are experiencing. Several issues have been showing up in fields, including phytophthora, botrytis, and some neopestalotiopsis. An abundance of rain that fell during Hurricane Helene caused many issues at the start of the season, and there seem to be lingering effects showing up now. Root rot issues from long-standing water are the main problem. Hopefully, plants will push out healthy new growth, but we will have to wait until the cold weather passes and plants start moving again.
Strawberry plants from areas flooded during Helene are showing signs of root rot issues and stunted growth. Crowns

Strawberry plants from areas flooded during Helene are showing signs of root rot issues and stunted growth. Crowns look good for now, and hopefully, plants will push out of it.
Sarah Scott, ©2025, Clemson Extension

Pee Dee Region

Christiana Huss

  • Few vegetables are in the ground right now and those that are, like mustard and broccoli, have signs of cold damage.
  • Strawberries are dormant. Those that were not covered during freezing weather have shown varying signs of cold damage, but very few appear to be severely damaged by the cold.
  • Growers are busy planning for Spring. They are taking soil samples and preparing to prune blueberries, blackberries, and fruit trees. Several grower meetings are scheduled for this time of year. We are hosting a Vegetable Production Meeting at the Florence County office on February 20th from 10 am-12 pm. Register for this event here: Pee Dee Vegetable Production Meeting if you are interested in learning about high tunnel tomatoes, brassica pests, brassica breeding, and cucurbit downy mildew.
Broccoli head with cold damage.

Broccoli head with cold damage.
Christiana Huss, ©2025, Clemson Extension

Brittney King

  • The Pee Dee is experiencing very low temps, with last night dropping to the low 20s. Tonight, we are expected to have a snow and/or sleet mixture, so please prepare accordingly.
  • Most of the strawberries in the area are being protected under row covers. Fields that were left uncovered do have some cold damage to the leaves and flowers, but the crowns seem to be untouched so far. It will be important to keep an eye out for Botrytis developing on dead leaves and flowers and apply the appropriate fungicide. Strawberry crown development is on target for this time of year. After row covers come off, it will be critical to scout for disease and insects as well as any cold damage. Please reach out to your local extension agent if you need any help assessing for cold damage in your crop, and we would be happy to help.
  • These next few weeks are the perfect time to get muscadine and blueberry pruning done. The rule is even when you think you’ve pruned enough, prune some more!
  • The Pee Dee Vegetable Production Meeting will be held on February 20th, 2025, at the Florence County Extension Office from 10 am to 12:30 pm, with a lunch following right after. Check out the Events tab to register, or contact me directly if you have any questions.
A plant on a black surface Description automatically generated

Strawberry plant with cold damage to the leaves from a freeze that occurred a couple of weeks ago.
Brittney King, ©2025, Clemson Extension

Upstate Region

Andy Rollins

  • Cold weather this week for most of the Upstate. Growers need to be covering if they are able as temps will drop below 18 °F tomorrow (Wednesday) morning. We can sustain crown damage at that temp, so it is advisable to cover. Many folks covered Friday and some did on Monday. Cover during the warmest part of the day to capture heat. Overhead irrigation is not an option for this freeze in the Upstate, as it may do more harm than good.
  • Strawberry plants from one of the cleanest sources of plugs in Canada are collapsing on several farms. This is disheartening, as these appeared extremely clean going in.  There is a major root rot issue in these plants and probably a crown issue also. One farm used Ridomil instead of Orondis Gold after transplant. Ridomil hasn’t performed as well as Orondis Gold in on-farm trials.
Previously good-looking plants collapsing.

Previously good-looking plants collapsing.
Andy Rollins, ©2025, Clemson Extension

If this document didn’t answer your questions, please contact HGIC at hgic@clemson.edu or 1-888-656-9988.

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