Nematode Problems in Home Lawns
Nematodes are major pests of lawns throughout the Southeastern United States. They are microscopic roundworms that live in the soil and on plant roots. Nematodes are particularly a problem in areas...
Category: Landscape
Spring Dead Spot
Spring dead spot is a fungal disease of bermudagrass lawns and is a result of infection by one or more species of Ophiosphaerella. These soil-dwelling fungi damage the roots, rhizomes, and stolons...
Gray Leaf Spot on St. Augustinegrass
Gray leaf spot is a fungal disease (caused by Pyricularia grisea) that occurs most commonly on St. Augustinegrass (Stenotaphrum secundatum), but occasionally may also be found infecting tall fescue,...
Leaf Diseases of Lawns
Several fungal leaf diseases may commonly occur in South Carolina home lawns, including dollar spot, rust, gray leaf spot, powdery mildew, anthracnose, and Helminthosporium leaf spot. Most of the...
Brown Patch & Large Patch Diseases of Lawns
Introduction Brown patch and large patch are probably the most common and damaging diseases of cool-season and warm-season turfgrasses, respectively, in South Carolina. The beauty of all South...
Grassy Weeds
Grassy weeds are true grasses or monocots. A grass seed germinates and emerges as one single leaf. It develops hollow, rounded stems and nodes (joints) that are closed and hard. The leaf blades...
Managing Weeds in Warm Season Lawns
Bermudagrass, centipedegrass, zoysiagrass, and St. Augustinegrass are the most popular warm-season turfgrasses grown in South Carolina. Warm-season refers to the fact that they prefer the warm...
Bahiagrass
Bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum), also known as highwaygrass, is an aggressive, warm-season perennial grass. Bahiagrass has a mat-forming habit with a light green color, coarse texture, and open...
Reading A Fertilizer Label
Before you purchase a fertilizer, read and understand the label to choose the right one. While commercially available fertilizers vary in the amount of nutrients contained in the bag and the content...
Caladium
Caladiums (Caladium species) are in the arum (Araceae) family and native to Central and South America. They are hardy only to USDA zone 9 or 10; therefore, caladiums should be used as annuals in...
Salt Tolerant Plants for the South Carolina Coast
Salt exposure is just one of the many environmental factors that makes coastal landscaping challenging. Selecting plants that are tolerant to salt exposure will increase the rate of success....
How to Tell the Difference Between Moles & Voles
It is important to know the difference between mole and vole damage to the landscape. One way to distinguish the difference is by the diet of each animal. Moles “M” are meat-eaters, and their diet...