Managing Fire Ants in the Vegetable Garden
Fire ants are a common nuisance in home vegetable gardens. In addition to being a stinging pest, they can cause damage to vegetable crops, such as okra and Irish potatoes. In dry conditions, they...
Category: Fruits & Vegetables
Potato
Potatoes are a very easy and fun crop to grow in the home garden. White-skinned and red-skinned potatoes can be grown as an early crop for new potatoes and as a late crop for storage. Choose an...
Crop Rotation
Many home vegetable gardeners have limited garden space, resulting in the same plants being grown in the same places year after year. This common practice leads to the buildup of soil-borne...
Less Toxic Insecticides
While a good pest management plan will start with preventative, cultural, and other non-chemical methods, these are sometimes not completely effective on their own. In this case, a pesticide may be...
Insecticidal Soaps for Garden Pest Control
If you are looking for a safe, effective, and low toxicity alternative to more toxic pesticides to control many undesirable insects in your garden, insecticidal soaps may fit the bill. Insecticidal...
Leafy Green Basics
Buying & Storing Greens When selecting greens for cooking, remember they cook down considerably, by one-quarter or more, from their original volume. Wrap fresh greens in damp paper toweling,...
Cucumber, Squash, Melon & Other Cucurbit Diseases
Many diseases of cucurbits can be prevented or minimized in the home vegetable garden by using the following simple cultural controls: Plant certified disease-free seeds. Select varieties...
Irish & Sweet Potato Diseases
Many diseases of Irish and sweet potatoes can be prevented in the home vegetable garden by using the following cultural controls: Always purchase certified disease-free potato tubers. Saving your...
Peach Insect Pests
Numerous insects are pests on peach trees in South Carolina. They cause damage to the peach flowers, fruit, twigs, limbs, and trunk. Some of the most common of these are plum curculio, Oriental...
Tomato Diseases & Disorders
Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) can be grown on almost any moderately well-drained soil type. A good supply of organic matter can increase yield and reduce production problems. Tomatoes and related...
Tomato Insect Pests
The tomato fruitworm (Helicoverpa zea) is the most damaging tomato insect pest in South Carolina. Fruitworms occur throughout the Western Hemisphere extending as far north as Canada and as far south...
Peach Diseases
Growing quality peaches in the home garden can be very rewarding but challenging unless a rigid pest and disease control program is maintained. This publication focuses just on disease issues....