Watering the Vegetable Garden
The home gardener has several ways of irrigating the garden: a watering can; a garden hose with a fan nozzle or spray attachment; a portable lawn sprinkler; a soaker hose; or drip or trickle...
Category: Vegetables
Cucumber, Squash, Melon & Other Cucurbit Diseases
Many diseases of cucurbits can be prevented or minimized in the home vegetable garden by using the following simple cultural controls: Plant certified disease-free seeds. Select varieties...
Okra
Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) is a warm-season crop grown throughout South Carolina. It is a tall, upright plant with a hibiscus-like flower that originated in Africa. The immature, young seed pods...
Herbs
Most herbs are easy to grow. Many are drought-tolerant, do not need very fertile soil, and are naturally resistant to insects and diseases. The word herb has many definitions, but practically...
Cabbage, Broccoli & Other Cole Crop Diseases
Cole crops, such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and cauliflower, are easily grown in South Carolina. Tips for growing healthy cole crops in the garden are available in HGIC 1301, Broccoli,...
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...
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...
Root-Knot Nematodes in the Vegetable Garden
Root-knot nematodes attack a wide variety of plants and can become serious pests in the home garden. They are microscopic roundworms that live in the soil and on plant roots. They injure plants by...
Integrated Pest Management (I.P.M.) for Aphids
Aphids can be a problem in the home landscape, vegetable garden, or fruit garden. They can vector many viral diseases and can cause significant damage to desired plants if the aphid population is...
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,...
How to take a soil sample
Why test? A soil test provides fertilizer and lime recommendations, if needed. How do I take a sample? After all, the results are only as good as the sample. Collect 8-10 samples from the surface to...
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,...