Florida Peaches Expected to be Smaller This Season

By Clint Thompson Florida’s peach producers are well underway in harvesting this year’s crop. The peaches this year are undersized, due mostly to the warm spring leading up to harvest, says Jose Chaparro, associate professor in the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). “Down south in central Florida they’ve already been picking U-F Sun and U-F Best …

Florida Peaches Running Behind Schedule

By Clint Thompson The Christmas freeze event brought much needed chill hours to Florida’s peach crop. But it still lags behind historical averages, according to Jose Chaparro, associate professor in the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). He said the crop this year will be delayed as a result. “We’re significantly behind. It looks like our bloom …

Registration Alert: Deadline Today for UF/IFAS Stone Fruit Field Day

University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) reminds peach producers about the upcoming Stone Fruit Field Day, scheduled for Tuesday, April 26 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the UF/IFAS Plant Science Research and Education Unit in Citra, Florida. Current and interested peach growers, home gardeners, farm advisors and all those interested in stone fruit are …

Clemson Extension Agents Provide Crop Updates

Clemson Extension agents provide updates in The South Carolina Grower this week about the status of various crops being produced throughout the state. Coastal Region Zack Snipes reports, “Now is the time for Lowcountry strawberry growers to give their plants the first shot of boron. Boron helps with both flower and fruit development. Growers can spray boron or inject via the drip …

Chilling Out: Alabama Fruit Tree Producers Enjoying Cold January

By Clint Thompson Alabama’s fruit tree producers have enjoyed the cold temperatures in January. They have provided much-needed chilling hours that the trees need to mature. That’s according to Edgar Vinson, assistant research professor and Extension specialist in the Department of Horticulture at Auburn University. He pointed out during Monday’s Alabama Extension Commercial Horticulture Facebook webinar how much ground was …

USDA Report Yields Results for 2019 noncitrus/nuts season

By Clint Thompson The United States Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service released its findings for noncitrus fruits and nuts in the Southern Region for the 2019 crop year. These estimates were based on grower surveys. Avocados: Florida’s production of avocados was up 88% from 2018. Its value of production was up 54%. Yields rebounded in 2019. Utilized production …

FDACS Agricultural and Seafood Availability Notice

(HCCGA) — FDACS has created the attached form for producers to fill out with their product availability. Once submitted, FDACS will utilize to forward to their Fresh From Florida contacts, as well as the Florida Department of Corrections, food banks and make connections with other State Departments of Agriculture in hopes of providing market opportunities to move product during the Coronavirus …

Peaches Benefiting From Seasonal Weather

(ACES) — Cool weather is just what peach trees across Alabama need. Edgar Vinson, a fruit crop specialist with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System said peaches and other tree fruits need adequate chill hours to produce a good crop. “As of mid-December, we have received at least half of the total chill hours needed for most peach varieties in the state’s two major …

Postharvest Practices Necessary for Peach Trees During Drought

By Karla Arboleda According to Extension faculty at the University of Georgia (UGA), peach growers need to continue to water their trees after harvest to avoid negative effects from the ongoing drought. Dario Chavez, an assistant professor in peach research and Extension at UGA, said there is still a lack of water in areas throughout Georgia. GEORGIA DROUGHT Since at …