Starting Seeds Indoors
Growing vegetable transplants from seed is a relatively easy task that can provide many benefits to gardeners. The benefits of growing transplants include a unique choice of cultivars, control over...
Category: Fruits & Vegetables
Harvesting Vegetables
A major reason for growing vegetables at home is to produce crops of a higher eating quality than may be otherwise available. For shipping and storage reasons, many commercially-grown vegetables are...
Watering the Vegetable Garden
The home gardener has several ways of irrigating the garden: a watering can; a garden hose with a fan nozzle or spray attachment; a portable lawn sprinkler; a soaker hose; or drip or trickle...
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...
Okra
Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) is a warm-season crop grown throughout South Carolina. It is a tall, upright plant with a hibiscus-like flower that originated in Africa. The immature, young seed pods...
Herbs
Most herbs are easy to grow. Many are drought-tolerant, do not need very fertile soil, and are naturally resistant to insects and diseases. The word herb has many definitions, but practically...
Peach Diseases
Growing quality peaches in the home garden can be very rewarding, but difficult, unless a rigid pest and disease control program is maintained. This publication focuses just on disease issues....
Tomato Insect Pests
Tomato Fruitworm 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...
Blueberry
This popular small fruit bears plenty of berries that are delightful when eaten fresh, used in pies, muffins, or pancakes, or added as a fruit topping for breakfast cereals. Also, blueberry plants...
Fire Blight of Fruit Trees
Fire blight is one of the most devastating and difficult-to-control diseases of many fruit trees, including apple and pear, as well as of other rosaceous ornamental plants. This is a bacterial...
Apple & Crabapple Insects
Homeowners and small producers can produce useable apples in South Carolina with minimal insect damage if they are aware of the potential pest problems. Some insecticide applications may be...
Cucumber, Squash, Melon & Other Cucurbit Insect Pests
Cucumber Beetles The spotted, striped and banded cucumber beetles are very harmful to cucurbits (members of the gourd family, including cucumbers, melons, pumpkins and squashes), particularly young...