Category: In the Garden

Weed of the Month – Field Madder

Mar 30, 2023 | In the Garden, Weed

Field madder (Sherardia arvensis)is a mat-forming, prostrate winter annual. It has four to six leaves that whorl around a square stem. It produces lavender to pale pink flowers. In addition, field...

What is It? Wednesday- Bess Beetles

Mar 29, 2023 | In the Garden

These beetles were found under a decaying log in the woods. They are bess beetles, also called horned passalus beetles (Odontotaenius disjunctus). These beneficial beetles feed on decaying wood,...

SC Fruit and Vegetable Field Report – March 27, 2023

Mar 28, 2023 | In the Garden, Small Fruits

Coastal Region Zack Snipes reports, “Things are really moving with the nice weather recently. We are in the period where we are harvesting and planting and getting fields ready. Growers are...

A Lazy Gardener Reads a Soil Test Report

Mar 27, 2023 | In the Garden

Soil fertility is a confounding topic for new and experienced gardeners alike. Anyone asking an Extension agent what fertilizer to use has likely heard, “Get your soil tested to find out the right...

Favorite Native Shrubs And Trees

Mar 23, 2023 | In the Garden, Shrubs

One of my earliest horticultural memories was watching my grandmother arrange purple berried branches of American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) in a vase and place it in the center of her...

What Is It? Wednesday- Carpenter Bee Damage on Blueberry Flowers

Mar 22, 2023 | In the Garden

Carpenter bees made slits in these blueberry flowers. Carpenter bees commonly cut through blueberry flowers to access nectar from the side rather than the open bottom. This practice, known as...

SC Fruit and Vegetable Field Report – March 21, 2023

Mar 21, 2023 | In the Garden

Midlands Region Sarah Scott reports, “Temperatures dropped below freezing along the Ridge two mornings last week. We’ve been checking peaches over the past few days to assess the damage. Right now,...

Common Violets, a Beautiful Treasure

Mar 20, 2023 | In the Garden

If your garden is anything like mine at this time of year, it is peppered with these beautiful little treasures: common violets (Viola sororia). These blue, purple, and sometimes almost white, small...

A Desirable Chickweed, Who Knew?

Mar 16, 2023 | In the Garden

There are many spring wildflowers that grow in the mixed hardwood forests of South Carolina. Spring ephemerals are woodland herbaceous plants that emerge in early spring with flowers and foliage and...

What Is It? Wednesday- Cope’s Grey Treefrog

Mar 15, 2023 | In the Garden

I found this little guy while walking through the woods, scoping out turkey hunting spots. This species spends most of the year high in the trees, so finding it down low is likely a sign that...

SC Fruit and Vegetable Field Report – March 13, 2023

Mar 14, 2023 | In the Garden

Statewide Justin Ballew reports, “Well, we knew a “late” cold spell was likely to happen at some point. Growers will need to take some steps to prepare for the cold over the next few days. The...

Caring for Spring-blooming Bulbs

Mar 13, 2023 | In the Garden

A couple of small patches of daffodils in my yard bring me joy each spring. A few years back, I purchased a few pots of declining plants at the local box store in late spring and plunked them in the...