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,...
Category: Vegetables
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...
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...
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...
Insect Pests of Sweet Corn
Cutworms Cutworms damage a few plants in most gardens every year, but some gardens are so heavily infested as to warrant control by the grower. Bottom land (low-lying land, creek bottoms, etc.) is...
Cabbage, Broccoli & Other Cole Crop Insect Pests
Aphids Two primary species of aphids (plant lice) attack cole crops: the cabbage aphid (Brevicoryne brassicae) and the turnip aphid (Lipaphis erysimi). Because they are similar in life habits and...
Starting A School Garden- Raised Bed Basics
School gardens are an excellent way to teach students how to grow their own healthy fruits and vegetables. Most schools throughout South Carolina, however, are not built on land ideal for vegetable...
Tomato Diseases & Disorders
Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) can be grown on almost any moderately well-drained soil type. A good supply of organic matter can increase yield and reduce production problems. Tomatoes and related...
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...
Glyphosate Damage on Tomatoes
Tomatoes are easily the favorite vegetable grown in South Carolina home gardens. However, when their potential diseases, insect pests and physiological disorders are considered, it’s understandable...
Tomato Leaves Rolling?
Curling or rolling of tomato leaves can be caused by various factors, including environmental stresses, viral infection, and herbicide damage. To determine which factor is the culprit, it pays to...
Controlling Fire Ants in the Vegetable Garden
Fire ants can be a nuisance in the vegetable garden. In addition to being a stinging insect, they can damage some vegetable crops, such as okra and Irish potatoes. Occasionally they may feed on...