Horticulture 2

Where does the Irish potato originate from

The Andean regions of Peru and Bolivia

What are the two types of potatoes

• Red-skinned: best for boiling. The potato we grow in the South

• Russet: Used for Chick-fil-a waffle fries

What season is the irish potato (warm or cool season)

cool season (50 to 65 degrees)

How many days from planting to harvest for an irish potato?

90 to 120 days

What is a tuber

A swollen underground stem (an enlarged portion of the underground branch)

How do you plant an Irish potato

Vegetative Propagation (piece of tuber)

When planting a tuber what does it need?

• Each piece: at least 2 eyes

• Size: small egg (1.5 oz)

• Buy “certified seed pieces” cleaner

• Never plant saved tubers because they can get viruses

When do you plant an Irish potato

In the Spring (February)

In the Fall (August 1st-15th)

What soil pH does an Irish potato grow best in, what happens if the pH is off?

• Grows best between 4.8-5.4 pH

  • If the pH is from 5.5 to 7.0, it could get scab (a bacterial disease)

How do you avoid scab?

Harvesting early; with more time, there's more of a likelihood the bacterial disease could develop

Did early or late blight cause the Irish potato famine? How do you treat blight?

Late blight

Use a cover spray

What is this, What does it feed on, how is it controlled?

• Colorado Potato Beetle

• Adults and larvae feed on leaves of potatoes

  • Controlled with Sevin Dust

What is this, What does it feed on, how is it controlled?

• Flea Beetles:

• Foliage damage; chews very small holes in leaves. They jump like fleas

  • Controlled with Sevin Dust

What is this, What does it feed on?

• Wireworms: click beetle larvaesnip

  • Damage: they feed on tubers, bore directly into tuber

How do you harvest a Irish Potato

Dig: cut vines & use a pitchfork

How do you store Irish potatoes?

• Storage: store in a cool, dry, dark place. A first-floor storage room is ideal; don’t wash if storing. (skins damage very easily, and they will get bread mold if washed)

Where do snap beans come from?

Southern Mexico

What are all the different names for snap beans?

• Snap beans, string beans, French beans, pole beans, green beans

What are the two different types of snap beans

Type: pole and bush (and climb up things like poles or grow out like a bush)

When do you plant Snap beans?

March 15th to April 15th

What pH do you plant snap beans at?

5.8 - 6.5

What is damping off how do you prevent it?

Damping off: (a soil-borne disease/fungus) caused by root-borne fungi when it's too wet and soil is too cold (don't plant when too wet or cold; if you put fingers in soil and it feels soupy or your hands are really cold, don't plant)

What is this and what does it do?

• Mexican bean beetle

• foliage feeders only (skeletonizing the leaves (doesn't chew out the whole leaf, but eats one side and looks a bit like stained glass)

What can deer damage result in? How do you best tackle deer?

• Deer damage can result in total loss

• - A two-tier electric fence is most effective

T or F: You need a cover spray when planting snap beans?

F

What tells you Snap beans are ready to be harvested? How often should they be harvested when ready?

Harvest when pods are > 1/4" in diameter (twice a week)

Where does Sweet corn come from?

Central & South America

T or F: Sweet corn is a warm-season monocot (means it has one seedling)

T

T or F: Sweet corn flowers are monoecious (Having stamens and pistils in different flowers on the same plant.)

What pollinates it?

T (tassle - male, silk & ear - female)

The wind

What is the difference between field corn and sweet corn?

• Field corn: the type of corn fed to animals

• Sweet corn: mutated field corn 

What are the color varieties sweet corn can be?

• Yello

• White

• Bicolor - cross-pollination of yellow and white

What does su, se, and sh2 mean. How long is the storage for each

• Standard sweet (su) - accumulates 2x more sugar than field corn

  • Lasts about 1-3 days on the stalk/cold storage

• Sugary enhanced (se) has 2x the sugar of “su” corn

  • Remains sweet for 2-5 days on the stock/cold storage after harvest.

• Super Sweet (sh2) - 2x sweeter than se

  • Sweet and longer storage (7-10days); excellent shipping

When do you plant sweet corn and at what temperatures?

• 15th March - 15th April

• Soil temps > 60F for best germination

What pH soil do you plant sweet corn in

pH 5.8-6.5

When is weed control most important for sweet corn and how do you do it?

Weeds: control is most important during early stages of growth (through tillage or wheel hoes)

What is the disease, smut in sweet corn? When does it happen, what does it do?

• fungal diseases

• Happens later in summer (late planting - avoid)

  • Large, fleshy, irregular galls on leaves, stems, ears, and tassels

  • Most common disease of sweet corn

  • Delicacy in some countries

What is the number 1 insect problem in corn?

Corn earworm:

• Hard to control late season

• Only feeds on the tip

  • BT is a good choice to combat it

Where do the European Corn Borer and the Fall armyworm feed and how do you treat them

• BT granules

• Feed at the base of the ear

What is this, what does it cause, when in the season is it worse to manage

• Stink Bug

• Cause Brown kernels

• Worse later in the season

When do you know Sweet corn is ready to be harvested

Kernels will be fully developed when kernels extrude a milky substance when punctured

What is dent?

the stage when corn is no good to eat (when the kernels are falling in the middle)

How do you store sweet corn?

• Hydro cooling

  • Immersion in cold water

• Pack in ice

• Cold storage 33°F

What are the types and colors of onions?

Georgia Sweet or Vidalia type, Red, yellow, or white

T or F: Yellow and red onions have high levels of antibacterial and antifungal properties and are anti-carcinogenic

T

What’s the difference if you plant on sandy or clay soil when planting onions?

• Best on sandy soil (sweeter); clay soils (will be hotter, more pungent

  • Due to lower sulfur in the soils

  • Southeast Georgia has very low sulfur in the soil. 

What pH should soil be for onions?

6.0 to 6.5

When do you plant onions, what diameter?

• October to early December is the best time to plant

• February to early March is okay to plant

• Diameter of a pencil

What does onions deal with in terms of weed control, disease, and insects?

• Weed control: mulch

• Diseases: Well-drained soil prevents rot

• Insects: Very few, if any, most linkely to be thrips

When do you harvest onions?

• When onion necks begin to get soft, and tops fall over

• Late April or early May (later if plant in February or March)

How do you store onions

• Clip off tops and let dry in a slightly shaded spot

• Keep in a cool dry spot

• Last several weeks (up to a few months), can be stored in a fridge

T or F: you need cover sprays for onions

F