Strawberries should be fine, despite cold: Louisiana farmers say this week’s cold weather is good for peaches in north Louisiana and that, farther south, strawberries covered against the cold should be fine. Joe Mitcham of Ruston says his peach trees need 850 to 1,000 hours of temperatures below 45 degrees to produce a good crop. He says the total on Monday was 814 hours, and this week should add another 100. Anthony Baglio, who has about an acre of strawberries in Independence, says he was picking berries Wednesday, and just a few days in the 70s will ripen more. Baglio says he won’t know what shape his plants are in until the weather warms up enough to remove his row covers. But he’s hoping for a good Valentine’s Day crop. Baglio says the real danger is when the temperature drops to 25 or lower. So far, he says, it’s been 28 or above.
One of four spots set for shutdown: Atlanta-based Home Depot says it will close four underperforming stores, including one in Gentilly. The others are in Michigan and North Carolina. A company spokesman says the stores were not expected to meet financial goals. A total of 346 employees will be displaced; Home Depot makes efforts to transfer workers to other locations or positions when stores close. The targeted stores have already begun liquidation sales and will close when their merchandise is gone, in about six weeks. Home Depot began closing some of its warehouse stores in 2008, when it closed 15 locations, including one in Opelousas. The company has 1,976 stores, with plans to open 10 more this year.
