News Filed Under Fruit

RAYMOND, Miss. -- This year, Julie Bounds was expecting a bumper crop of blueberries. What she could not anticipate was the excess amount of rainfall her family’s blueberry farm would receive. This untimely rain has been the biggest challenge for growers across the state.

Fresh blueberries are a classic summer treat! I especially love grabbing a bag of fresh blueberries from my local farmer’s market. 

Sweet summertime is almost here! Nothing says sweet summertime quite like snacking on a delicious slice of watermelon. 

Fruit production requires considerable effort, and some fruits require much more care than others -- facts specialists with the Mississippi State University Extension Service keep in mind as they provide research and information support to the industry.

MSU has ongoing blueberry research at the South Mississippi Branch Experiment Station in Poplarville and the Beaumont Horticultural Unit, and muscadine research at Beaumont and the McNeill Research Unit. MSU also has trials and research on blackberries, wine grapes, elderberries, passion fruit and strawberries.

RAYMOND, Miss. -- A statewide citrus quarantine was issued recently for Mississippi after one of the most serious citrus plant diseases in the world was detected in the state. Citrus greening, also known as Huanglongbing or HLB, was confirmed earlier this year, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, or USDA APHIS. There is no cure for the disease, which is caused by a bacterial infection spread by the Asian citrus psyllid, a gnat-sized insect. Infected trees die within a few years.

CARRIERE, Miss. -- Muscadine producers can learn more about growing the specialty crop during an upcoming field day. The 2024 Muscadine Field Day will be held Aug. 29 at the Mississippi State University McNeill Research Unit in Carriere.

Home canning is an economical way to preserve the bounty of your garden. This Q&A may answer some questions for you, whether you’re new to canning or you’ve been canning for years.

Looking to plant a fruit plant on your property but not sure which to choose? May we suggest blackberries! Blackberries are among the easiest fruit plants to grow, and they produce tasty berries that are perfect for baking!

RAYMOND, Miss. -- Mississippi blueberry producers have two opportunities during February to learn more about production of the state’s largest fruit crop. The Mississippi State University Extension Service is hosting an in-person workshop and a virtual workshop.

Figs are in season from July to October. So, now is the perfect time to find some figs to eat and cook with! There are two main fig varieties found in Mississippi: Celeste and Southern Brown Turkey.

CARRIERE, Miss. -- The 2023 Muscadine Field Day will be held Aug. 24 at the Mississippi State University McNeill Research Unit, a branch of the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station. Topics include propagation, pruning, insects, diseases and more.

POPLARVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi blueberry producers expect to see substantial yield losses in the state’s largest commercial fruit crop after the hard freeze that hit the state on the weekend of March 18. Eric Stafne, fruit and nut specialist with the MSU Extension Service, said growers will see significant losses. The condition of the crop is poor based on what commercial growers are reporting to him and his observation of damage to blueberry plants at the South Mississippi Branch Experiment Station in Poplarville, where he is based.

HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- The Mississippi State University Extension Service will host two free educational workshops for blueberry growers in January -- one in person and another online.

The in-person workshop will be held Jan. 24 at the MSU Extension Forrest County office at 952 Sullivan Drive in Hattiesburg from 1-4 p.m. The virtual workshop will be Jan. 26 from 2-4 p.m.

With figs in season, they’re on my mind a lot these days. The sweet, Southern decadence is quite the treat! I associate figs with my grandparents since they had a tree in their backyard. I remember helping them pick buckets full of figs when I was younger and eating them soon after they were picked.