Calibrating Spreaders
Proper calibration of application equipment can be one of the trickiest tasks that homeowners and commercial applicators face. However, it is one of the most important steps in making fertilizer or...
Category: Fruits & Vegetables
Insecticidal Soaps for Garden Pest Control
If you are looking for a safe, effective and low toxicity alternative to more toxic pesticides for the control of many undesirable insects in your garden, insecticidal soaps may fit the bill....
Bean & Southern Pea Insect Pests
Major Seedling Feeders Aphids: Aphids (Aphis species and Macrosiphum euphorbiae) are soft-bodied “plant lice,” about 1/16 to 1/8 inch in length and are usually green although some species are...
Basil
Basil (Ocimum basilicum) is one of the most popular and easy to grow garden herbs. There are many varieties and related species that make up the group of annual basils, but all are warm-season,...
FAQs about Starting Vegetable Seeds Indoors
What is the advantage of starting vegetables from seed? Choosing to start vegetable plants from seeds allows gardeners the freedom to try varieties that are not readily available as transplants,...
Pruning & Training Apple & Pear Trees
Training and pruning are essential for growing fruit successfully. Fruit size, quality and pest management are influenced by training and pruning. Untrained and unpruned trees become entangled...
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...
Sweet Potato & Irish Potato Insects
Wireworms Several kinds of wireworms feed on sweet potatoes as well as Irish potatoes. The southern potato wireworm (Conoderus falli) is injurious in the southeastern United States. Adults (click...
Integrated Pest Management (I.P.M.) for Cabbage Looper
Cabbage looper (Trichoplusia ni) is a common vegetable garden pest that feeds on many different species of crops, such as: beans, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and other brassica crops. Other host...
Pecan Planting & Fertilization
Pecans (Carya illinoinensis) will grow in almost any soil in South Carolina, except poorly drained soil, hardpan or stiff clays, or thin sands with a high water table. Pecans are recommended for...
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...
Apple & Crabapple Diseases
Growing apples and crabapples in South Carolina can be both fun and rewarding. The success of your apple-growing enterprise will depend largely on the care and attention the trees are given...