Alabama Strawberry Producer: Row Covers ‘Knocked Wind Off’ During Christmas Freeze

Jim Rogers Strawberry

By Clint Thompson North Alabama strawberry producer Jeremy Calvert believes implementing row covers during the Christmas freeze event saved the majority of his crop. “Everything that I’ve got looks pretty good considering the cold event that we had in December. All of our berries were covered. Anywhere that the row covers might have blown up or were at the short …

Increased Angular Leaf Spot This Year in Florida Strawberries

Jim Rogers Strawberry

By Clint Thompson Angular leaf spot disease has been problematic for Florida strawberry growers. The colder winter weather contributed to its impact this season, says Natalia Peres, professor of plant pathology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Gulf Coast Research and Education Center. “It usually becomes worse when we have freeze events which we’ve …

citrus expo

Georgia Strawberry Crop Delayed Following Christmas Freeze

Jim Rogers Strawberry

By Clint Thompson One University of Georgia strawberry specialist believes Georgia’s crop will be delayed following the Christmas freeze event. How the late spring/early summer weather responds could complicate the delay. Jeff Cook, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension agriculture and natural resources agent for Peach and Taylor counties, discussed the current state of Georgia’s crop following multiple of days of …

Neopestalotiopsis Widespread in Southeastern Strawberries

Jim Rogers Strawberry

By Clint Thompson Neopestalotiopsis disease has been widespread across strawberry fields in the Southeast. It started in Florida and has continued in South Carolina. Natalia Peres, professor of plant pathology at the University of Florida/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, said the increase in disease infestations is not surprising. “It’s not surprising considering we’ve had some weather like some …

Florida Strawberry Grower: Sitting on Heavy Fruit Load, But It’s Green

Jim Rogers Strawberry

By Clint Thompson Strawberry harvest season continues across South Florida. If the temperatures will increase and the weather stays consistently warm, the current harvests will increase in quantity, believes producer Matt Parke. “We are sitting on a heavy fruit load, but it’s green. It’s been so cool over here we haven’t come on to that February push yet,” Parke, farm …

Southeast Strawberry Expo a Chance for Growers to Learn From Each Other

Jim Rogers Events, Strawberry

By Clint Thompson Most growers welcome the opportunity to learn from each other. That was never more evident than during the Southeast Strawberry Expo, held Nov. 9–11 in Asheville, North Carolina, and surrounding areas. The annual expo provided an opportunity for the region’s strawberry producers to bounce ideas off each other and gather intel from industry experts about tools to …

UGA Extension Reminds Strawberry Producers to Tissue Sample

Jim Rogers Strawberry

University of Georgia Extension reminds strawberry growers that now is the time tissue sample their strawberry plants. Jeff Cook, University of Georgia (UGA) Cooperative Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources agent for Peach and Taylor counties, reported in the UGA Extension Strawberry Blog that tissue sampling is the best way to determine if plants have the nutrients they need to produce …

Strawberry Grower Rolls Dice, Opts Not to Apply Water During Christmas Freeze

Clint Thompson Strawberry

By Clint Thompson One Florida strawberry producer rolled the dice and did not apply water during the Christmas freeze event. Dustin Grooms should soon have an idea soon whether that gamble paid off. “We sat there and watched the thermometer, and the wind was blowing. We’re feeling leaves, looking at blooms, doing all of this stuff all night long, waiting …