Fruit | Thomas County Ag

Category Archives: Fruit

March 22, 2016 · 12:32 PM

Mayhaws Blooming

Mayhaws are blooming in the county right now. For years, they have been used in the Deep South for cooking. Many folks around make jelly from Mayhaws. Last year, their prices went up and folks were interested in finding trees. Though mayhaws grow well in low areas, like river bottoms, they are also adapted to commercial production and grow good on upland sites with irrigation.

One of the biggest pest issues we have with mayhaws is a disease called Quince-Cedar Rust. Spores infect the tree at bloom each year and then overwinters on a secondary host of a cedar tree – usually Eastern Red Cedar – after this. Infection takes place one time during the growing season. The first thing to do is remove cedar trees within a quarter of a mile of any mayhaws. If many cedar trees are present, this is not practical. In this case, managing rust with a fungicide program is the best option.

UGA Extension Pathologist, Dr. Elizabeth Little, says that myclobutanil is labeled for this disease and can be applied starting at bloom if this disease has been a problem. Be aware that resistance is common with myclobutanil so the further apart your sprays the better. Spray with myclobutanil no more than two times in the growing season. Another fungicide may need to be used following these treatments. Below is a picture of Cedar-Quince Rust.

Quince-Cedar Rust

UGA and UF conducted experiments on mayhaws years ago. Here is a good read for more information: Experiments and Observations on Growing Mayhaws as a Crop in South Georgia and North Florida

Adventitious Roots On Muscadine

Here are some muscadine vines around Coolidge that are growing odd-looking branches originated from the stem. We’re used to seeing suckers grow from the main trunk, but this is something producers have never seen. These little branches started growing on vines both 20 and 25 years old. Some are also growing on younger vines only 4 years old (below).

Adventitious Roots on Muscadines

UGA Extension Fruit Scientist Dr. Erick Smith says this is something researchers have noticed quite often. These are adventitious roots that grow when muscadines are planted in or experience cold weather. They have noticed adventitious roots are often produced under cold weather conditions. Dr. Smith says there is no known negative impact the adventitious roots have on the plants. It does not matter if you prune them out or leave them.

Now is the time grape producers are completing pruning for the season. Mr. Donnie was showing me how you want to leave to “eyes” or buds on each “spur.” Since muscadine fruit are produced on new shoots from last year’s growth, prune back the canes that grew the previous year, leaving about 3 inches (or two buds) of growth to form spurs. Prune in February or early March. Don’t be alarmed if the vines “bleed” at pruning cuts. Bleeding does not harm the vines. Here is a publication from UGA on Home Garden Muscadines.