Category: In the Garden

What Is It? Wednesday – Giant Swallowtail Caterpillar

Aug 17, 2022 | In the Garden

This looks a lot like bird poop; however, it’s just a camouflage tactic of the giant swallowtail caterpillar (Papilio cresphontes). This species is often called the “orangedog” as they feed on...

Kale Is a Headless Cabbage

Aug 15, 2022 | In the Garden

Kale has come to the forefront in the last decade or two as the ultimate leafy-green health food, which is both nutritious and high in fiber. Maybe it is because there are so many varieties of kale....

Small-Scale Gardening

Aug 12, 2022 | In the Garden

When planting a traditional garden with conventional rows, approximately 100 square feet per crop per individual are necessary to provide fresh food for a season. An additional 100 square feet per...

SC Fruit and Vegetable Field Report – August 8, 2022

Aug 12, 2022 | In the Garden

Coastal Region Zack Snipes reports, “For the most part, it has been hot and dry in the Lowcountry. Things are relatively quiet. I have seen and heard reports of high whitefly numbers in various...

Weed of the Month – Prostrate Spurge

Aug 11, 2022 | In the Garden

Prostrate spurge (Chameasyce maculatais) a low-growing, mat-forming, annual summer weed. It grows from a taproot that can grow to a depth of 18 inches and can spread as much as three feet across. It...

What Is It? Wednesday – Mantidfly

Aug 10, 2022 | In the Garden

This may look a lot like a paper wasp, but it is actually a mantidfly. If you look carefully, you’ll notice the front pair of legs is different from the two back pairs. The front legs look like...

Give Your Bearded Irises Some Space – Divide Them

Aug 9, 2022 | In the Garden

Let’s talk about division. Not the division you learned in math class. The kind that involves separating or splitting herbaceous perennials to make more plants. Perennials, such as bearded...

You Can Help the Monarch Butterflies

Aug 8, 2022 | In the Garden

In July 2022, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) drew attention to North America’s migrating monarchs by adding them to their ICUN Red List of Threatened Species. In the...

Pineapple Lilies

Aug 4, 2022 | In the Garden

Pineapple lilies (Eucomis species) are one of my favorite summer flowering bulbs. These attractive perennial bulbs originate from South Africa, and the long, strap-like green or burgundy foliage...

SC Fruit and Vegetable Field Report- August 1, 2022

Aug 3, 2022 | In the Garden

Midlands Region Justin Ballew reports, “It has gotten dry again in the Midlands. Scattered areas received some good rain over the weekend, but others missed it and remain badly in need. Over the...

This Month in Your Garden- August 2022

Aug 2, 2022 | In the Garden

Coastal Region – Christopher Burtt This is the warmest part of the Summer. Watch for disease and insect issues and pay attention to water. Just because it is hot, do be careful not to...

What Is That Fuzzy Red and Black Ant?

Aug 1, 2022 | In the Garden

Did you just see a fuzzy red and black ant scurrying across your yard, driveway, or pine straw? Then you just saw a velvet ant – they’re closely related to ants but are actually wasps. There are...