Fruit
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As temperatures get warmer across the Southeast, blueberry growers are looking towards planting more varieties that have lower chill hour requirements. One great place to look is to Florida, where chill hours are naturally lower. Here is an interesting description of the UF Blueberry Breeding Program and how they are working to find new productive…
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If you are a citrus grower or thinking of becoming one, you will want to look at this. UF/IFAS Extension did a study of their citrus experimental plots at Quincy FL following the passage of Hurricane Michael last year. The study showed that some varieties and rootstocks survived the hurricane winds much better than other…
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Georgia Trends has a good story and recap of Hurricane Michael’s impact on Georgia agriculture from July 1. It tallies the losses to forestry and pecans as well as some other crops. Devastating! Most of the recovery is being done by loans since the recovery money from the federal government has yet to appear. You…
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In 2017 and 2018 the peach crop in Georgia took a hit from unusual February warmth followed by March frosts. This year’s crop has had much less damage due to these adverse weather conditions. Producers are reporting an excellent peach crop this year compared to the last two, even with some frost damage to early…
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The Packer noted this week that blueberry production across the US is starting to pick up after a slow start in Georgia and North Carolina. The article estimated that production was down 50% from what was forecast. They attributed that to pollination issues, which limited the number of berries on the bushes. Later harvests in…
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Growing Georgia posted a story this week noting that the official season for Georgia watermelons has begun. Unlike the past two years, the weather this year has been cooperative for producers and a great crop is expected. You can read more here.
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An article earlier this week in Fruit Growers News noted that peaches in South Carolina had dodged a bullet in the recent cold snap and were doing OK so far with mostly some light thinning. But the weather tonight could bring more potentially damaging cold air into the region, and it is still a few…