Sweet Corn
Planting Sweet corn (Zea mays var. rugosa) is a warm-season crop that grows best at temperatures between 60 and 80 °F. The optimum soil temperature for seed germination is 60 to 95 °F. Sweet corn...
Category: Vegetables
Eggplant
Planting Eggplant (Solanum melongena) is a warm-season vegetable that grows best when temperatures are between 70 to 85 °F. It generally has a long growing season and grows slowly during cool...
Bush & Pole-Type Snap Beans
Snap beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) are primarily warm-season crops that grow best at average temperatures between 60 and 75 ºF. Snap beans can be tall-growing pole-type beans, half-runners, or the...
Collards
Planting Collards (Brassica oleracea) can be grown most of the year in South Carolina, though early spring or fall production is generally preferred. Mature plants will withstand frosts and light to...
Cabbage & Chinese Cabbage
Planting Cabbage (Brassica oleracea, Capitata Group) and Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa, Pekinensis Group) are cool-season vegetables that should be grown in early spring or fall. They grow best at...
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...
Broccoli
Planting Broccoli (Brassica oleracea, Italica Group) is a cool-season vegetable that can easily be grown in the home garden. The crop prefers average temperatures of 65 to 75 °F and is best grown in...
Onion, Leek, Shallot, & Garlic
Onions and the related shallots, leeks and garlic all grow best during cool weather and are usually planted in the fall in South Carolina for late spring harvest. Onion plants can also be planted in...
Tomato Basics
Getting Ready to Preserve Select only disease-free, preferably vine-ripened, firm tomatoes with a deep red color. For easy peeling, dip tomatoes in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds until skins...
Sweet Potato Basics
Selecting & Storing Look for firm, well-shaped sweetpotatoes with clean, smooth skins. Avoid any that have soft spots or bruises. Do not refrigerate sweetpotatoes. Refrigeration temperatures can...
Hornworms on the Tomatoes
A few years ago, I had planted a tomato in my small, raised bed garden at my home. By early July, the tomato hornworms started showing up. The first batch was about five worms I found over the...
SC Fruit and Vegetable Field Report – June 6, 2022
Coastal Region Rob Last reports, “Insect and disease activity is increasing in the area, across a broad range of crops. In cucurbits, we are seeing powdery mildew and gummy stem blight in...