Jeff Cook
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As we near that magical chill hour cut off date of February 15th we once again find ourselves talking about what to do about low chill. Last season (2015 – 2016) was historically low and this season is not shaping up to be much better.
Posted in: General -
On February 2nd neither Beauregard Lee or Punxatawney Phil saw there shadow meaning that there would be an early spring. Well since then we have had 110 chill hours which is more than we received in any of the past 4 years. So where will we be on the 15th to finish out this winter. I could make a guess…
Posted in: General -
The 2016 Middle Georgia Peach Update is coming up soon. The meeting will be held on Groundhog Day. February 2nd at the Fort Valley Farm Bureau building on highway 49. The meeting will begin at 10:00 a.m and finish with lunch at 12:00 p.m.
Posted in: General -
If you need to know what the immediate weather is going to be this is a good place to start. NOAA – Graphical Forecast.
Posted in: General -
Nematode sampling prior to replanting an orchard can help determine if fumigation is necessary. Sampling existing orchards can help explain problem areas in an orchard, and the results can be used when scheduling pruning and planning use of the land when the current orchard is removed.
Posted in: Pathology -
Dan Horton & Jeff Cook Friday, 24 April, freshly settled 1st nymphal stage (white cap) San Jose scale were observed on peach in an orchard on the northern side of the main central Georgia peach belt. While there were a few remaining crawlers, it was clear that most of this generation of crawlers had moved…
Posted in: General -
Our normal peak bloom in middle Georgia is March 14th. Of course this will vary by variety and location. Another factor that affects bloom timing is late winter temperatures and chill hours. Chill hours are the number of hours below 45⁰F that a peach tree requires to overcome dormancy. All cultivars (varieties) can be classified…
Posted in: General