The weather has turned dry over much of the state. Muscadines are coming to harvest as planting begins for some fall crops. Strawberry growers are still scrambling to make arrangements for the rapidly approaching planting season. See details below.
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Coastal Region
Anna Sara Hill
- Fields that flooded last month due to tropical storm Debby have dried out, leaving the soil compacted and hard, causing dry land crops to wilt and show signs of stress.
- Squash plants under drip irrigation are growing nicely and look extremely healthy compared to dry land plants.
- Okra is still yielding well and is being harvested in great quantities. Keep an eye out for aphids. They colonize pods and can quickly spread and get out of hand. A foliar application of imidacloprid (Admire Pro) would be a good control option with 0 PHI. During the harvest season, do not apply this compound to the soil as the PHI increases to 21 days.
- Eggplants are still producing, but many of them matured quickly and are small.
- Sweetpotato plants are looking healthy and are about a month out from harvest. I saw some Alternaria leaf spot starting in a field this week. Switch (7 PHI) and Quadris or Cabrio (0 PHI) are all good selections for Alternaria control.
- Citrus fruits are developing nicely and should ripen in a couple of months.
- Growers are busy plowing their fields and preparing to plant leafy greens and other fall crops.
Leafy greens awaiting transplant.
Anna Sara Hill, ©2024, Clemson Extension
Zack Snipes
- As odd as it sounds, we have been getting pretty dry since Debby dumped over a foot of rain on us.
- The cooler weather the previous few weeks and the little bit of rain we have gotten have helped out summer staples like okra and specialty peppers.
- Squash and cukes are coming out of the fields right now in heavy volumes. I haven’t seen any melon or pickleworms so far this year, but that doesn’t mean you should stop scouting for them. Turning a blind eye for a few days can devastate an entire crop.
- Growers are preparing fields for fall crops and setting greens transplants. I’ve been asked a few times this week for contact information on nurseries. We compiled a LIST a few years back of commercial nurseries where many growers purchase starts.
- Last year, many growers laid down two lines of drip tape for strawberries. With the disease issues we have coming from the nurseries this year, I think it will pay off big time to have two lines of drip under each bed to help distribute water, fertilizer, and pesticides in the bed top.
Midlands Region
Rob Last
- After some welcome respite from the heat and humidity last week, it is now back to summer In the Midlands. With the return of higher temperatures and humidity, maintaining soil moisture in fall plantings will be crucial, particularly on the deep sand soils of the Midlands.
- Disease pressure in crops will increase. I am seeing powdery and downy mildew in cucurbits, bacterial spot in tomatoes and anthracnose in many crops. Your local agent will be able to help with fungicide selection and options. Transplants are very tender, so care will be needed to avoid phytotoxicity.
- Loose transplants in the bed will quickly display drought stress and reduced vigor.
- Pumpkins are developing well. I am finding increasing numbers of whiteflies in crops; scouting and monitoring will be crucial. There are many good options for conventional growers, including chlorantraniliprole (Coragen), pymetrozone (Fulfil), and flupyradifurone (Sivanto Prime). Check with the Southeast Veg crop handbook for PHI and crop restrictions. For organic growers, the options include Met 52, Met Master, or terpene extracts. The bioinsecticides are more effective on nymphs, with adults being more challenging to kill.
- Reports are coming in of supply issues with strawberry transplants, particularly related to Neopestalotiopsis infection. Check with your supplier about your order status and, if necessary, look at an alternative cultivar/supplier. Starting with disease-free planting material is critical to the success of the crop. Therefore, it may be necessary to adopt an alternative cultivar or type of planting material (cut-offs or bare roots) to get disease-free material.
Pumpkins developing well in Lexington County.
Rob Last, ©2024, Clemson Extension
Pee Dee Region
Brittney King
- We had a little rainfall over the weekend and will be looking at cooler temperatures this week, which will help push fruit set on fall solanaceous crops.
- Okra is still producing good volume. The biggest issue I have seen in okra this year, just like last year, was loss from root-knot nematode damage. Crop rotation is an essential tool to prevent nematode and disease buildup in the soil.
- Strawberry growers are fumigating or about to fumigate, and some day-neutral strawberries are being planted. Make sure your fumigant management plan is in place before beginning. Check your system for leaks, and make sure to remove the filter and clean/replace it if needed. Above all, be safe!
- Muscadine U-pick locations are open, and the quality is great. I initially saw a lot of water-soaked grapes after TS Debby came through, but the sunny, dry weather resolved that issue.
Muscadine grapes looking great at the beginning of harvest.
Brittney King, ©2024, Clemson Extension
Upstate Region
Andy Rollins
- Late peach varieties like SeptSun, SunnyJ, and Autumnflame are still being harvested in Upstate. Quality is excellent, although these are slow to non-melting varieties. One issue on a farm where sap beetles built up in a block of Julyprince where we had over production. They then invaded the late variety of September Sun near them. The sap beetles made the injury, then brown rot took over much of that planting. If you blow into a hole where the brown rot centers, you will quickly see an adult sap beetle scurry out. We will need to more aggressively spray for sap beetles preventively next year. Rimon sprayed from 2 weeks preharvest to late in the season would be a good recommendation to help with this next year.
- Harvesting Fry muscadines and seedless muscadines now. Some blackrot and anthracnose is showing up, although very sporadic. High sugars are bringing on large yellow jacket/wasp populations also. Make sure to use Pristine two weeks preharvest, then Switch can be used 7 days preharvest. This is a good finishing control program for rot issues.
A hole in a ripening peach made by sap beetles, surrounded by brown rot.
Andy Rollins, ©2024, Clemson Extension
