We hope everyone has a safe and happy Independence Day later this week!
Parts of the state received some much-needed rain over the past several days. Hot weather is causing many crops to come to harvest faster than normal. Insect pressure, blossom end rot, and other heat-related issues are high. See details below.
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Coastal Region
Anna Sara Hill
- July is National Watermelon Month, and there are several more weeks of the harvest season left.
- The weather is hot and dry, and crops are showing signs of heat stress and need rain. Disease pressure seems to be high despite the dry weather. Sometimes, it is hard to distinguish between wilt caused by heat and lack of water and wilt caused by disease. For example, symptoms of bacterial wilt and Southern blight, which are both prevalent in tomatoes and peppers, resemble water stress at first glance.
- This week, anthracnose and bacterial leaf spot have also been noted in various vegetables.
- The last blueberries of this season were picked last week, and the blackberry harvest will be wrapping up within a few days. Both crops had outstanding yields this year.
- I am seeing the mysterious bronzing of blueberry leaves and the death of young plants in this area, consistent with the previous reports recorded across the state. The primary cause of this problem is still under investigation.
Blueberries are being hedged after the final harvest.
Anna Sara Hill, ©2024, Clemson Extension
Zack Snipes
- It is incredibly hot and humid in the Lowcountry. Some areas have received just enough rain to settle the dust, while others received a good amount. With the heat and wind, we need all the rain we can get. The heat is making crops come to market quickly and shortening our season. Most crops are winding down, with tomatoes, eggplant, pepper, and watermelons still hanging on.
- I am seeing lots of stink bug and leaffooted bug damage on tomatoes, and sunscald on plants that have lost many leaves due to bacterial spot. Peppers are spotty this year as well, with less foliage than normal. This is also causing some loss due to sunburn/sunscald.
Stink bugs and leaffooted bug populations have skyrocketed recently causing discolored spots on ripening tomatoes.
Zack Snipes, ©2024, Clemson Extension
Considering how negatively impacted basil by downy mildew, I always recommend a downy mildew-resistant variety of basil.
Zack Snipes, ©2024, Clemson Extension
Midlands
Phillip Carnley
- The Midlands received some much-needed rain but could still use some more.
- Cowpeas are coming in nicely at the moment, with shellers putting in the work during the past hot week. Yields are looking good in the Midlands and should continue to increase with the advent of the rain. Disease and insect pressure have been minimal so far, but growers have been on top of insecticidal sprays. The cowpea variety comparison is doing excellent with some varieties setting pods and some coming into flower. More to come on a drop-in field visit, so stay tuned.
- Watermelons continue to be harvested, but vine quality is sharply declining due to higher levels of gummy stem blight and other environmental factors. With the rain in the area, I expect to see more split melons in the field and higher disease pressure.
- Tomatoes are continuing to produce well. Southern stem blight and Sclerotinia are the biggest issues I am seeing so far, as well as blossom end rot.
- Peppers are being harvested in great quantity with little in the way of defects.
- Leafy greens are wrapping up for processing, and fields are being prepped for different crops.
- In an effort to work around our dry conditions, sweetpotato slips are still being planted, but potatoes under irrigation look pretty good with decent vine cover.
The cowpea variety comparison is looking great.
Phillip Carnley, ©2024, Clemson Extension
Different varieties of watermelon are becoming ready for harvest.
Phillip Carnley, ©2024, Clemson Extension
Rob Last
- Many crops are coming off in good volumes and of excellent quality.
- Areas of the Midlands have seen some welcome rainfall over the last few days, which will help relieve some drought symptoms in crops. Where rainfall was received, amounts varied from 0 inches to 1.5 inches.
- With the rainfall and high temperatures, humidity will rapidly increase, providing excellent conditions for fungal pathogens.
- Anthracnose (Colletotrichum species) is present on the foliage of cucurbits and some fruit infections. Foliar lesions of anthracnose may look very different on different crops. In watermelon and cucumber, the lesions are dark brown with a more angular appearance to the lesion. The centers of older lesions may drop out, leading to a shot-holed appearance. On fruit, the lesion starts as a small, black, circular, sunken lesion.
- Keep a close eye on tomato and eggplant crops as we progress. The hot, dry weather up to the weekend has seen increasing spider mite populations. Providing habitats for predatory mites may also be beneficial in managing populations.
- Scout frequently, and if you are unsure about the identity of a pest, weed, or disease, reach out to your Extension Agent. We will be happy to help.
Start-shaped anthracnose lesion present on watermelon foliage.
Rob Last, ©2024, Clemson Extension
Pee Dee
Brittney King
- Most areas in the Pee Dee could still use heavy rain.
- Blueberries and blackberries are still being harvested and have relatively low disease pressure. I have seen an instance of orange cane blotch in a blackberry field caused by a parasitic alga species. Recommended cultural practices, such as the removal of old floricanes after harvest, promoting rapid drying of the canopy, proper water and nutrient management, and avoiding planting in poorly drained sites, which will help reduce disease pressure.
- Tomatoes, okra, sweet corn, squash, zucchini, cucumbers, and peppers are being harvested with good fruit set. Canopy cover is not as great this year, so sunscald has become an issue with crops like tomatoes and peppers.
- Muscadines are starting to size up, and the fruit set is good this year.
- Watermelon and cantaloupe are being harvested just in time for Independence Day!
The key symptoms of orange cane blotch are lesions on the blackberry cane that develop an orange, velvety appearance. The orange color comes from the production of certain pigments by spore-producing structures. Symptoms occur in early spring, and cane lesions can coalesce under wet, humid conditions.
Britney King, ©2024, Clemson Extension
Upstate
Andy Rollins
- Excessive heat is causing multiple problems in vegetable crops. We have late peppers planted on black plastic instead of white that have burned right where the stem hits the plastic. We also have sunscald on the sidewalls of the peppers, which can also be confused with the calcium deficiency/uptake problem that causes blossom end rot. There is plenty of blossom end rot on commercial tomatoes. Heirlooms, Roma, and large-fruited varieties are showing more than others, and there are differences within varieties. Foliar products are not effective at fixing this problem. Calcium is a large molecule taken up through the roots, not the leaves. It costs the plant energy to absorb calcium. The heat stress we are experiencing causes plants to shut down and hinders the movement of nutrients from the roots. Please focus on keeping consistent moisture in the beds and consider afternoon watering to help cool the plants. Soil sampling and tissue sampling can prove what I am speaking of. Next year, please consider using a double drip line, as this will help with this problem.
- In peaches, drought and heat stress from last week are forcing the earlier ripening of late varieties. Julyprince, for example, is supposed to be harvested around July 21 in the Upstate, yet we were picking some last week on several farms. Hopefully, this weekend’s rains will negate some of the damage already caused, although some of the negative effects can’t be reversed now. We normally don’t need irrigation on new peach plantings in the heavy clay soils of the upstate, but we are having some young trees die from drought.
The pepper stem burned where it was touching the hot black plastic mulch.
Andy Rollins, ©2024, Clemson Extension
