Coastal Region
Zack Snipes
- I’m scared to mention the word “fall,” but lately, it’s felt a little like…fall. I hope we planted enough pumpkins for all the pumpkin spice lattes going out in the next few weeks.
- Fall festivals on-farm have opened and are in full swing. Corn, sunn hemp, and sorghum mazes are open to the public, as well as pumpkin patches.
- Nighttime temperatures have been in the low 60s, which has really made the cooler season crops take off.
- Brassicas look great, but there has been an uptick in our nemesis, the diamondback moth. I have also seen a good many whiteflies in brassica this fall.
- Strawberry planting is just a few weeks away for us on the coast. Make sure to get down 60 units of nitrogen, 60 units of phosphorous, and up to 120 units of potassium. Getting this fertility out now will pay dividends in the spring.
I got to take a look at some downy mildew-resistant lines of cucumbers last week. The DMR-NY401 is clearly the best option for growers, whether conventional or organic.
Zack Snipes, ©2023, Clemson Extension
Midlands Region
Sarah Scott
- Cooler night temperatures are causing some crops, such as squash and tomatoes, to ripen slower than we’d like. Hopefully, this week’s warmer temperatures will push them before the next cold snap.
- Brassica crops are doing well, except for some diamondback pressure.
- Growers began receiving strawberries last week and have started planting in fields.
Strawberry planting has begun in the Midlands.
C. Harmon, ©2023, Clemson Extension
Upstate Region
Andy Rollins
- Grape/muscadine production is slowing down, especially for black muscadine varieties. We’re picking primarily bronze pollinators at this point. I am seeing what looks like Xylella (Pierce’s disease), giving a scorch-type symptom on the leaves. Libby Cieniewicz, Ph.D., has a grad student taking samples from multiple crops, investigating the transfer of this disease to and from other crops. She has taken samples from 3 upstate farms that grow types of multiple small fruit.
- Some growers are preparing ground for peaches to go in early next year. They are taking nematode samples to help decide if they will need to fumigate before planting.
- Pumpkins are being harvested at multiple locations across the Upstate. Fall festivities, like corn mazes, will be opening soon if they haven’t already.
Marginal burn symptom of Pierce’s disease in muscadines.
Andy Rollins, ©2023, Clemson Extension
