The Worst Time To Prune Grapes

 

A recent post by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Henderson County Center warns us about "The Worst Thing You Could Do to Grapes in Unseasonable Warm Winter Weather." The worst thing is to begin pruning too early.

"Pruning helps to stimulate vine growth. You may see grape buds in some degree of bud swell, particularly the European bunch grape varieties. Those varieties have very little chilling requirement that can be met in a few cold days. 

"A short cooling pattern will do little to harden the vines and buds for any potential cold weather in January or February. A precipitous drop (30-40°F) in temperatures after warm weather can cause a lot of damage.”

It's a warning we should heed. But wild fluctuations in weather patterns can catch us by surprise. Just when we think it's cold enough to prune safely, a significant rise in temperatures can initiate bud swell. Then - BAM - a deep drop in temperature causes a whole lot of damage. Not only are buds frozen, but entire vines can be wiped out by the cold. 

Those of us who have several acres planted in grapes are bound by the calendar and seasons, so we have to have our vines pruned within a particular time frame. We do the best we can. 

The best advice is to check the long-range weather forecasts before beginning the pruning operation.

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Leaf Spots on Strawberries?

 

Photo Credit: UF/IFAS GCREC

"What can be done to manage the disease which can cause leaf spots on strawberry plants? Natalia Peres, a Professor of Plant Pathology at the University of Florida/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, said the first management tactic focuses on proper sanitation."

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Wanna Know More About Avocados?

 

Wanna know more about avocados? This infographic is informative, indeed.

https://www.trees.com/avocado-trees#fun-facts-infographic

New Lakota Pecan Variety Looks Promising

Photo by Lenny Wells/UGA: Shows Lakota pecans.

According to Vegetable and Specialty Crop News, "one pecan variety could be a valuable option for producers seeking a low-cost input variety to plant. Lakota is a low-input variety where producers don’t have to spray much to manage it throughout the season. It has thrived in research trials on the University of Georgia (UGA) Tifton campus, according to UGA Cooperative Extension pecan specialist Lenny Wells. 'The yields on Lakota have been very impressive.'"

Read more about it!

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What will happen to the American blueberry growers?

 

It appears that the commercial American blueberry grower could be put out of business. Charles Hall of the American Blueberry Growers Alliance notes that blueberry imports have grown 2000% from 2009 to 2019. Foreign growers can produce them cheaper with "$10 a day labor." Market prices have dropped. American blueberry growers can't compete. But the International Trade Commission says that isn't a problem.

Read more about it.

https://vscnews.com/itc-blueberry-imports-verdict/

On top of that, the Biden administration and the Democrats in Congress want to raise the U.S. minimum wage to $15 per hour.

What is this thing?

The National Garden Bureau has introduced a charming little fruit for gardeners. But what exactly is it?

Is it a cucumber? Is it a melon? This adorable fruit looks like a watermelon for fairies, but it tastes like a cucumber with tangy citrus overtones. Loads of tiny, one-inch fruits appear on vigorous vines. Delicious eaten fresh from the garden as snacks or in salads, you can also pickle these cuties to enjoy later. If you garden with kids, make sure to add Cucamelon to your beds. Also known as a mouse melon, this fruit makes an ideal addition to tea parties with fairies.

It looks like something my granddaughter would enjoy growing!

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Current Data Shows Glyphosate Is Not Linked to Cancer

According to Jason Ferrell, director of the Pesticide Information Office with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS),  "Currently, the data we have does not seem to indicate that glyphosate causes cancer. So we still believe that it can be used as an effective part of an integrated pest management strategy and plan.”

Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Roundup®, one of the world's most popular herbicides. However, since 2015 when the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) reclassified glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup®, as a probable carcinogen, public concerns have intensified. Many other agencies around the world began studying its safety.

So far, “All of the other world agencies — and there have been several — have not classified it as a probable carcinogen and they don’t believe there is a clear link between glyphosate and cancer with the current data that we have," says Ferrell.

The bottom line, then, is that the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) is the only world agency that classifies glyphosate as a probable carcinogen, in stark contrast to the study results from all the others.

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