August 2019

  • I sent out a message to UGA Extension earlier today discussing the current forecast for Major Hurricane Dorian and its potential impact on Georgia. You can read the full text below, but here is a brief synopsis. Dorian is slowing down and is now expected to hit the east central coast of Florida by Tuesday…

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  • Many of us had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Andy Walker and listening to him speak when he visited Georgia in January of 2018. Here is another opportunity to visit with Andy… A wine grape conference is being hosted by the Alabama Winemakers and Grape Growers Association, Alabama Cooperative Extension, and Auburn University. The conference…

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  • I know each of you get survey fatigue, and I do as well.  I promise this one is really, really short though.  Shane Breeden, working with Cain Hickey and I,  is developing a research program to study current and potential hybrid grapes for utility in Georgia and the Southeast as a whole.  As a starting…

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  • If you’ve been paying attention to weather news this week, you are surely aware that there is a tropical storm in the Atlantic that could cause problems for the Southeast by Labor Day weekend. The storm is named Dorian, and it is currently passing through the western Atlantic with an expected turn to the northwest…

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  • The latest 7-day QPF map shows that the heaviest rain will occur just off the East Coast this week, as the tropical low east of Florida moves to the northeast. There will still be the chance for intermittent and scattered thunderstorm rainfall over Alabama and Georgia this weekend before the drier and cooler air behind…

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  • Our weather pattern has recently shifted back towards a summertime pattern with lots of pop-up thunderstorms. Not everyone will get hit every day, but you can expect a lot of activity over the next week, especially in northern Georgia, where several inches could fall in the next two weeks. The models are currently showing a…

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  • The rain this week is focused along the front which is currently draped across northern Florida and along the coast. Areas north of the front should see relatively light amounts of precipitation, while areas along and to the south of the front could see heavy rain and even some flash flooding. There is no strong…

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  • It’s really not news that the use of glyphosate has been a controversial issue as of late. Regardless of position on this issue, it is a fact that many use this chemical in our grape industry as well as in other agricultural industries. Wayne Mitchem, our UGA Extension vineyard and orchard weed management specialist, wanted…

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  • The increased storm activity this afternoon is coming in ahead of a front that is dropping down from the north. I expect stormy weather to continue through Wednesday or maybe Thursday morning and then drop to the south. That should leave northern Georgia and Alabama in cooler and drier air through the weekend, while folks…

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  • Wasps, hornets, and even bees are opportunistic feeders, and during the mid to late summer they are actively searching for sources of sugars. Once they find sources of sugary foods, they will aggressively forage in those areas and recruit additional workers from the colony. As such, these stinging insects can be a real nuisance in…

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