Strawberries and Caneberries

Find linked below the Powerpoint presentations from our Cold Conditioning of Strawberry UCCE Meeting which took place this past September 11.  I think for the people who attended it was a valuable lesson on an increasingly important topic.  My two presentations are a summary of what we, and I do…

The idea in soil science is that the greater the diversity of the microbiome of a soil the higher the degree of health it has; and this in fact is more important than the specific constituents themselves of that microbiome.The article from the August 15, 2026 issue of The Economist that I am quoting here, of…

The matter of cold conditioning in strawberry is one of great importance to growers, farm managers and pest control advisors, and one for which patterns of management are established but nevertheless should be understood more to adapt to the changes in varieties and production patterns.In turn, over the last…

Phytophthora root rot is a common soilborne disease of raspberry. At least nine Phytophthora species have been reported as root pathogens of raspberry.  P. fragariae var. rubi, which is now known as P. rubi, is the species that many industry professionals thought was the most common. In mid-May 2026, a…

Phytophthora wilt is a not at all uncommon soil disease of raspberry, and is pretty easy to find subsequently.  It is caused by several species of the pathogen Phytophthora, the most common of which was formerly referred to as P. fragariae , but which is now known simply as P. rubi.  This disease…