Fruit
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The cold temperatures we have had in January and early February have had one beneficial impact on peach producers–areas in central AL and GA are experiencing a good run of chill hours. That will help the peaches mature and produce a good set of fruit, growers hope. You can read more at Specialty Crop Industry…
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Reports on damage to blueberries and other crops continue to come in from the severe frost of January 30. Fortunately, most of the producers I have talked to in Georgia have told me that the damage was not as severe as expected considering that the temperature got down into the low 20s with a dew…
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The recent frost had blueberry growers worried about losing their crop this past weekend. While evaluations are still coming in, many of the producers are relieved that damage to their farms does not appear to be as bad as first feared. The crop was well ahead of normal this year due to the unusually warm…
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One group of people that has been pleased by the recent cold weather is the farmers who grow peaches. After several years of low chill hours due to warm winters, they are happy that the number of chill hours (hours below 45 F) is higher this year than in the recent past. This means that…
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The weather this winter has affected our fruit crops in a number of ways. Early October was relatively warm, so farmers who planted strawberries early in the month saw good growth, but later in the month and through November things were quite cold, so the berries did not grow much during that time period. Once…
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The coldest air of the season so far will flow into the Southeast this weekend as an Arctic front moves through the region on Friday night. It will bring sub-freezing air as far south as northern Florida on Sunday morning. A big winter storm is expected to develop along the East Coast and the Carolinas…
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The cold weather in November followed by a warm December has caused some blueberries in Georgia and Florida to start blooming well ahead of when they usually do. Some growers estimate that up to 30 percent of their fields are already blooming, which may make them vulnerable to the cold weather we are having this…