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....
Category: Vegetables
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 plants. Beetles...
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...
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...
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...
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 that growing tomatoes...
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...
Summer Squash
Planting Summer squash (Cucurbita pepo) is a warm-season crop that grows best at average temperatures between 65 and 75 °F. Squash seeds do not germinate well in cold soil....
Lettuce
Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) withstands light frosts and is one of the easiest cool-season vegetables to grow. High summer temperatures usually cause seed stalk formation (bolting) and bitter flavor. Slow-bolting...
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,...
Asparagus
Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) is a hardy perennial that is native to the Mediterranean. Once the plants are established, they will provide delicious spears every spring. Although asparagus takes two...
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...
