Over the past decade we've produced Chandler strawberries on plastic mulch on one to two acres per year in the mountains of western Virginia at elevation of about 2,400'.

One of the biggest problems facing strawberry production in Virginia is disease management.

Why aren't my blueberry plants growing well? What can I do to avoid problems and improve my chances of success in future plantings of this crop?

We continue to be impressed and pleased with the new growth on our older highbush blueberries since we began a more regular or calendar-based soil mulching program on them a couple years ago.

Cucumber beetles can be a major pest of cucurbit crops in Virginia, particularly cantaloupes and cucumbers. This was displayed in dramatic fashion this spring at the Eastern Shore AREC.

Elderberries, although somewhat bland to eat fresh, have always been quite a treat when rendered into jam, syrup, or wine. But the native American species, Sambucus Canadensis (Caprifoliaceae, or honeysuckle family), has never reached the mainstream market as have blueberries and strawberries.

This is a plan for a simple device you can build yourself to speed cooling of non-wrapped produce packed in vented cartons. The cooler is designed for small fruits, but can easily be adapted for other products. Some dimensions of the cooler depend on the size of produce cartons used, so select and measure your cartons before starting construction. The cooler is designed to cool one to three columns of cartons (about 15 cartons per column, depending on carton depth) at a time.

Even though the coldest part of the season has past, beware of temperature fluctuations during bloom that can plunge below freezing and damage emerging flowers. Strawberry crowns are fairly tolerant of low temperatures when fully dormant. However, as the plant awakens, re-hydrates tissues and begins to grow there is a concurrent loss of cold tolerance.

This production guide was written to answer inquiries for information by many potential new strawberry growers in this region north of the Carolinas. The information presented herein was developed from our research results and field experience of several years with plasticulture strawberries at Kentland Agricultural Research Farm near Blacksburg, Virginia, at an elevation of approximately 2,400 feet above mean sea level.

I assume that you intend to plant all your raspberry transplants in a single row. If that is not the case, I suggest that the rows' center-lines be spaced at least 8 feet apart so that adjacent rows can be managed in such a way that inter-row shading will be avoided.

Diseases in greenhouse vegetables and floriculture crops can be managed effectively with biological fungicides (biofungicides). A biofungicide is composed of beneficial microorganisms, such as specialized fungi and bacteria that attack and control plant pathogens and the diseases they cause (USDA). These specialized fungi and bacteria are microorganisms that normally inhabit most soils.

Fall management of mites: Transplants and plugs can arrive with mite problems right off the bat! Be sure to carefully examine the undersides of the leaves (with 10x lens) of your new bare-root and plug plants in the field for the presence of 2-spotted spider mites in the early fall.

Plasticulture is very expensive for smaller growers to establish. Multi-cropping would spread these costs over more than one crop. Double-cropping is done in the mid-Atlantic area but the favorable climate of Virginia's Eastern Shore should make three crops possible.

This is the first of a two part series written by former Virginia Tech Extension Specialist, Charlie O'Dell. Charlie has been keeping very busy in retirement growing small fruit and vegetables for his U-Pick operation near Blacksburg. In this segment he has some great insight and practical experience to share with us about new primocane raspberry varieties and production considerations for both new and established growers.

Over the years that strawberry plasticulture has been implemented in the region, growers have relied on only a few cultivars, most notably "Chandler" and "Camarosa", to support this high-dollar industry. Last month, Dr. Jim Ballington of NC State announced the public release of a new cultivar developed through his breeding program.

Depending on where you are in Virginia, cantaloupe harvest has been ongoing since mid-to late June in the Southeast, and early July in the Piedmont and Southwest. Watermelon harvest is in full swing in the east and just starting for growers in the Southwest. These two types of melons make up the majority of acreage in the state, though there are some honeydew and specialty melons such as casaba, crenshaw and french charentais grown for direct markets.

Recently during the cold snap we had in January I had a few eastern Piedmont growers inquire as to the need for covering their strawberries, I posed the question to Charlie O'Dell regarding his past experiences with strawberry crown damage in an uncovered, unprotected situation.

Late fall, winter and early spring is an important period of management for small fruit crops such as strawberries, blackberries and raspberries, blueberries, and currants/gooseberries. Paying attention to management details during this time helps to ensure a successful crop the following season.

The potential of bringing early vegetable crop sales into the strawberry season is a marketing opportunity worth considering. It makes sense to have early season vegetable crops available as customers come out for the first strawberries of the season.

Pristine fungicide from BASF has been approved for use in crops in the berry crop grouping (blueberries, currants, gooseberries, currants, huckleberries, blackberries or raspberries, and their hybrids) and strawberries.

A few years ago we planted an acre of newer varieties of erect blackberries including thornless varieties Apache, Arapaho, Navaho, Chester and Ouachita, and thorny ones including Shawnee, Kiowa and Chickasaw.

More often than not you have heard recommendations that call for planning planting activities a year in advance for perennial crops such as small fruit: blueberries, brambles and strawberries. This recommendation is an important one and made for several key reasons: future weed control, fertility management, soil building, and to facilitate early planting.

Blueberries are long-lived, woody perennial shrubs that produce an annual crop of one-quarter- to threequarter- inch diameter berries (Figure 1). They are members of the Ericaceae family that includes plants adapted to acid soil such as azaleas and rhododendrons. Blueberries are naturally found in well-drained, but nutritionally poor organic sands. In some areas of the country (southern New Jersey, southwest Michigan, and the Carolina coastal plains) where these soils are prevalent, important commercial production exists. Blueberries can be successfully grown in mineral (clay, loam mix) soils, but can be a special challenge for growers out of the natural adaptation zones. Careful site and cultivar selection, site preparation, and proper cultural practices are critical to ensure success.

Planting of bare-root stock should be scheduled as early as possible in the spring (Feb-March) when the danger of severe frost has passed. Containerized plants can be set in the fall (Sept-Oct.), in all but the coldest elevation regions.

Pawpaw (Asimina spp.) is a native fruit crop that is in the beginning phases of domestication in this country. As it is adapted to a commercial orchard setting, many issues related to genetic refinement, production and culture, handling, use, and marketing are being addressed by various research and educational programs. The primary effort is coordinated by Kentucky State University where an intense program was initiated in the 1980s. This publication provides basic background information about pawpaw, its potential, and the issues related to its development as a niche specialty crop in Virginia and throughout the Eastern U.S.

As a small fruit crop, blueberries are a good fit for the diversified small farm and direct marketing operation. Interest in this nutritious and versatile berry is on the increase, as consumers discover its flavor and uses in fresh and home baking recipes.

Cantaloupe or muskmelon (Cucumis melo) production is an important vegetable crop in Virginia. In 2001, Virginia producers grew 800 acres of cantaloupes valued at $1.4 million.

The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the EPA have approved a state label for use of Stinger (clopyralid) on strawberries grown in Virginia.

Anthracnose symptoms on ripe strawberry fruit include typical sunken and round lesions with an orange discoloration within the lesion and brown spots on green fruit.

One question that I have frequently received this year, just like last year, concerns the availability of Surflan (common name oryzalin). Surflan is a commonly-applied preemergence herbicide for control of annual grasses like crabgrass and foxtail, along with certain annual broadleaf weeds like chickweed, pigweed, and lambsquarters.

For small fruit growers, the challenge of weed management is one of the greatest they will face to successfully grow these crops. Factors such as climate, weed introductions and adaptability, and years of agricultural activity have come together to select for weed species that are aggressive and persistent. Without management, weeds compete with crops for light, nutrients and water, resulting in stressed plants, poor fruit quality and yield.

Winter injury has left many dead leaves that will serve as a major source of Botrytis spores in the early spring season. Likewise, a number of plantings recently experienced freeze injury to emerged blooms. These dead flowers can become infected with Botrytis; the pathogen can grow down the peduncle and into the upper crown tissue to cause a Botrytis crown rot.