‘Organic Fruit and Vegetable Gardeners Year, The A Seasonal Guide to Growing What You Eat’ by Graham Clarke
24.07.2023 - 11:48 / hgic.clemson.edu
Hopefully, the frost is behind us, and we are all anticipating warm weather, bringing outside activities and gardens! With garden season coming, people are planning what they will grow this year. Having fresh fruits and vegetables in our backyard and available at local markets makes it much easier to choose healthier options. Many times, the barrier to eating healthy is cost. Here are a few tips for smart shopping for fruits and veggies!
Getting enough healthy food promotes health and can reduce your risk of certain diseases. First, celebrate the season by using fruits and veggies that are in season. It is easy to find these and usually cheaper than other items in the produce section. Check your local farmer’s market! That is a great place to find what is in season.
Check the local store’s sales papers and see if there are specials that will help keep costs down. Then, plan your meals before going to the store, only purchasing what is needed. Be sure only to buy quantities that can be consumed that week, so it will not go to waste. Another option is to try canned or frozen fruits and veggies. Look at the price and the number of servings from fresh, canned, and frozen. You may find that those items are cheaper.
When fruits and veggies are on sale, buy a large bag if it is something you use often. For example, potatoes and squash/zucchini have a longer shelf life than bananas, tomatoes, or peaches which spoil faster. Canned and frozen can be purchased in larger quantity since it lasts much longer than fresh. Make sure you are checking the store brands for a better price. Do not get roped into buying precut or ready-to-eat. You are just paying for convenience here. One thing that is fun for the family is to start seeds and
‘Organic Fruit and Vegetable Gardeners Year, The A Seasonal Guide to Growing What You Eat’ by Graham Clarke
With snow lying deeply and icicles hanging from many roofs it is strange to be thinking of 2017.
Rob Last reports, “Strawberry crops are developing well; however, we are seeing gray mold phomopsis blight in some crops. Sanitation can really help prevent botrytis from spreading as we move forward when allied to fungicide applications. Keep scouting for spider mites as there are active populations in some crops. Now is a great time of year to think about the maintenance of equipment for bed formation, cultivation for spring crops, and most important product application.”
Rob Last reports, “Following a few days of warmer conditions, crops are moving on strongly. Flowering and fruit set is occurring in strawberry crops. At present, spider mites in treated crops are at very low populations, but with warmer weather, populations can increase rapidly. As we are entering flowering and fruit set, sanitation and fungicide applications will be required to keep gray mold managed. Remember to rotate FRAC codes to avoid resistance build-up. Fertigation is being applied, and it will be well worthwhile taking a tissue test from crops. Blueberries in the area are showing bud swell with early varieties showing open flower.”
Rob Last reports, “Given the rainfall and humidity levels, we are seeing increases in foliar and fruit diseases on a range of crops. This includes cottony leak in cucumbers, anthracnose in peppers, tomatoes, and cucurbits. Also, please be aware cucurbit downy mildew is very active now. As a result, it is going to be really important to maintain fungicide programs in both a timely manner and to be robust. That being said, we have some great quality melons, both cantaloupe and watermelons, coming to harvest, as well as good volumes of quality peaches, blackberries, and a host of other vegetable crops.”
Zack Snipes reports, “We are in a summer weather pattern with warm, muggy days and occasional thunderstorms. Most crops have finished up or are in the process. Now is a great time to sit down and do some crop planning and field rotation planning. I collected many soil and root tissue samples lately and had them analyzed for nematodes. I was surprised at how many nematodes were present in the fields. Nematodes can interfere with growth, cause stunting, and lower overall yields. Sometimes the symptoms of nematodes can be very discrete, so sampling right now is the best way to get a baseline of your populations and how to properly manage and rotate fields. If left unchecked, thousands of dollars are wasted before the first seed is planted into a field.”
Justin Ballew reports, “Not much has changed in the midlands over the last week. We’ve received some scattered rain, and it has been warm and humid. As a result, we are still seeing disease issues. We’re still picking tomatoes, squash, zucchini, cucumbers, sweet corn, and a few greens. We’re at an in-between stage in several fields where the spring crops have finished, and folks are preparing to plant fall crops. Some have already started fall cucurbit plantings. For anyone planting strawberries this fall, if you are still deciding which varieties to try, see NCSU’s 2020/2021 variety comparison data (pages 9 and 10).
Rob Last reports, “We are progressing well with preparations for strawberry planting. Some plants are due to be delivered this week. Remember, if fumigants have been used, check to ensure the products have dissipated to prevent damage to the transplants. The same is true to make sure planting restrictions on any pre-emergence herbicides applications are observed. Always refer to the label. Finally, remember to check your plants carefully for pest and disease inoculum from the nursery. Planting any disease or pest-infected plants will lead to a more challenging growing season. If you require any help, please reach to Extension Agents.”
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Rob Last reports, “In our area, pest and disease pressure have reduced in response to cooler dryer conditions. Keep an eye on soil moisture and continue to regularly scout crops.”