Fri, 30 Jul 2010 05:21:27 GMT <![CDATA[Florence County Master Gardeners Blog]]> Fri, 30 Jul 2010 05:21:27 GMT  I am brokenhearted.  Unless something miraculous happens, this will be my last week to publish this article, work as a County Agent, and serve the great people of the Pee Dee.  I am retiring from the best job on earth and the   memories flow like the Great Pee Dee River. One of my Dad’s favorite sayings was, “If I have done it one time, I have done it a thousand times.”   When I was young all I could think about was the thousand rows of crops he had for me to hoe and harvest, but I really didn’t understand the meaning of his words.  Now, after teaching a thousand Master Gardeners, writing a thousand news articles, and making a thousand presentations to community groups, I think I am beginning to understand a little.  Each endeavor is so very important, but with each event you learn much, improve a little, and continually move to another. 

            Doesn’t this sound a little like gardening?  Each plant is cherished, nurtured, and really babied but there is always more to plant, care for, and harvest.  Some are annuals, biennials, or perennials, while others, like the Angel Oak, are thousands of years in age.    My sometimes feeble attempt at gardening always includes picturing or placing myself into the life of the plant itself.  In other words, if I were this plant what would I require, want, and need to flourish?  Just like people, each plant has its own requirements to excel.  Azaleas, rhododendrons, blueberries, and camellias like a lower pH than most plants; however, tomatoes and peppers prefer a fairly high pH of 6.5. Turnips, mustard, cabbage, collards, and sweet potatoes require more boron while peanuts require more calcium.  We could continue in this vein for eternity, and this is one of the reasons I tell all the folks who take the Master Gardener Course that they will truly never be a master of gardening.  I have worked with plants all my life and every day I still learn.

            To mark my retirement, the great people in my office are giving me a party.  After all these TV shows, articles, and presentations over the years, many people introduce themselves to me and say that they feel like they’ve personally known me.  Well, I feel like I also know you, and, in fact, through all my appearances at many civic and community organizations we may have actually met.      Therefore, this is my invitation to you to come to my retirement party which will be held on   June 5th from 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at the Schoolhouse Restaurant in Scranton.  $7.50 is the cost of the meal, which you can pay at the door.  You may call my office at (843) 661- 4800 for more information. I hope to see you there.

Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer.

]]> <![CDATA[Keep Planting a New Garden]]> Sun, 31 May 2009 10:38:33 GMT   When I was, as Daddy would say, “knee high to a grasshopper,” I slept on a small cot jammed between my parent’s bed and a window because there were a total of ten of us and only three bedrooms in our home.   At the end of my bed was a small upright chiffonier which I thought contained all the secrets of the world. Whenever I would get a chance  -- like during the middle of the one of those “pre-air” days when it was like Daddy would say, “Too blessed hot to do anything else,” I would forage through the treasures stored in that old chest.  I loved to reminisce over and guess who was in all those old black and white photographs.  One of my favorite pictures was of a young, strapping Army boy with his loaded pack standing on a pair of skis in deep snow.   Becoming a ski trooper deployed in Italy in WW II had to be tough for my dad, a flatland S.C. boy, where snow is rarer than a cold day in July.  Until he got mad, Daddy was a quiet man, and he seldom talked about his war times.  However, I would listen wide-eyed when my brothers and sisters expounded about all the war memorabilia stored in that chest. The string of machine gun rounds ignited my imagination of how Daddy fought hard against Hitler’s and Mussolini’s armies.  The Italian and other foreign coins took me around the world in my dreams. The pump-up flashlight --- oh, it must have been dark during those long nights.  The fold-out camera brought Daddy’s war to me.  But I puzzled over the pen wrapped in electrical tape in the special heavy-duty pen case.  My siblings told me about when Daddy’s squad was in a real fight and the bullets were flying.  The bullet heading for my Dad’s heart hit and ricocheted off the pen in his shirt pocket.  This explained the other reinforced box in the chest which held my father’s Purple Heart.

            How ironic the pen being mightier than the bullet.  Daddy lived, and therefore so do I.    Even though I joke a lot, and hopefully it makes these articles interesting, I seriously share with you my love for plants, people, and the Pee Dee of South Carolina (my home). Both Mom and Dad are gone now, and, by the way, we have a copy of the snapshot of that Army boy proudly mounted on their tombstone.

During WWII people started planting Victory Gardens.  With today’s increased interest in vegetable gardening many have asked me if we are going back to the Victory Garden, and I hope so.  Those days were hard but experiencing some of the basics of life, like knowing what is required to produce our own food, may be what this country needs.

Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer.

]]> <![CDATA[The Pen is Mightier than the Bullet]]> Sun, 24 May 2009 09:41:59 GMT This is my favorite country meal time of year.  My mouth waters just thinking about Mama scratching around those Irish potato plants to get enough red and golden jewels to boil a pot.  The skins were easy to remove with that special potato scraping do-hicky (Mama had - I think since the beginning of time) so we wouldn’t have to waste any with the peels.  Then she would cover them with water, plop in a whole stick of butter, and boil them until they started to fall apart which made what we called the pot liquor thick with the potato starch.  http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1638,131181-252199,00.html

While they were boiling she would have me slice the squash, mince the scallions, and coat them with a thin layer of cornmeal.  After heating the oil in the fry pan, she gently rolled this glorious mixture into the hot grease --   I can still remember the sizzle  By the way, today for health purposes, I leave out the cornmeal.  Then, I helped by slicing an entire fresh cabbage, nothing was wasted --  I would even eat the raw core.  Again she would heat oil but this time in a deep pot and sizzle the cabbage – what we called frying the cabbage – before adding water to boil.  

            After grabbing a piece of Mama’s pan-fried chicken (if only the Colonel knew how to cook chicken that good), a handful of Mama’s hot biscuits, and a fresh scallion, I would sit down and totally lose myself in a country-boy’s heaven.   

            Yesterday, I got, as Mama would say, “a mess” of new potatoes, squash, and scallions from a local farmer and  now I am waiting for enough time to fix and enjoy my slice of heaven – how did Mama and Daddy ever have enough time to grow and fix enough to feed all nine of us kids.   Today I am thankful for Certified SC Grown – Nothing Fresher Nothing Finer.  We have an abundance of great SC farmers ready to provide us with the freshest locally grown produce. It’s simple  -- always look for the Certified SC Grown sign and ask, “Is this locally grown?” when you are buying produce.   Also, we now have a new website called SC MarketMaker (www.scmarketmaker.com) that connects folks interested in the SC food supply chain. http://sc.marketmaker.uiuc.edu/index.php

The Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, disability, political belief, sexual orientation, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer. http://www.clemson.edu/extension/

]]> <![CDATA[It’s that New Potato Time of Year]]> Sun, 17 May 2009 09:18:50 GMT    I have seen a lot of dead grass this spring.  Northerners or sophisticated southerners call it lawns but most common people in the south just call it grass.  I hate to say it but most of the problems have been people problems - causing grass problems.  These problems stem from the fact that many people try to make centipede into something it is not a dark green, lush, thick carpet - a more sophisticated grass or like my daddy would say “They try to make a silks purse out of a sow’s ear.”  For example, fertilizing in the fall will cause winter kill and is the “Grim Reaper” for a centipede lawn.            So I am repeating this earlier article to remind folks how to maintain centipede grass.
   Centipede is a low maintenance grass.  It was developed to flourish in situations where it would be ignored or left alone, except when it comes to mowing.  Many homeowners simply over-maintain centipede which leads to its demise.  I have had hundreds of phone calls where they begin by telling me how beautiful, thick, and lush their centipede lawn was for four, five, or maybe six years and now there is nothing but dirt.  Therefore many folks call centipede a poor man’s grass, a lazy man’s grass, a golfer’s grass, or my favorite a redneck grass.

   If you fertilize your grass enough to keep it darker green than your lawn mower but it stills turns bright yellow in the spring (Iron deficiency) then you might have a redneck grass.
   If your lawn is cushiony, soft, and feels like a lush carpet and then it starts to dying then you might have a redneck grass.
   If you plant bag after bag of that expensive seed and water it daily to keep those tiny plants alive but it bears quicker than your balding husband then you might have a redneck grass.
   If your irrigation water bill is higher than your child’s tuition and your lawn still gets bad grades then you might have a redneck grass.
   If your lawn prefers a good long drink once a week to a sip everyday then you might have a redneck grass.
   If your lawn prefers a shower in the wee hours of the morning before sun-up then you might have a redneck grass.
   If your kid loses his football in the tall grass of your front yard and your grass loses the game because it prefers to be cut short (1 to 1.5 inches) you might have a redneck grass.
   If your lawn prefers not to be wakened in the early morning by a lawn mower spreading disease (Large Patch) then you might have a redneck grass.
   If you love to give your lawn a crew-cut with your thousand- horsepower-zero-turn mower faster than a qualifying pole lap and your grass wins the race then you might have a redneck grass.
   If you prefer setting in your porch swing, drinking a cold ice tea, and listening to country music to irrigating or fertilizing your lawn and your grass appreciates the relaxation then you might have a redneck grass.
   Finally, if you spend more time babying your lawn than you do watching Making-it-Grow on ETV and it still dies then you might have a redneck grass.

   Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer.

]]> <![CDATA[How to Kill My Centipede Lawn]]> Sun, 26 Apr 2009 05:52:50 GMT    The China Berries trees are beginning to flower and if the old farmer saying is correct “That their flowers mark the end of the frosts” then we should be set free to plant.   Also, the Southern Plant and Flower Festival is coming to full bloom, in fact today is the last day. No self-respecting, serious gardener would miss the Southern Plant and Flower Festival at the Pee Dee State Farmers Market.  Open from noon until 5:00 p.m. and with free admission and parking, it is the perfect Sunday evening family-outing.
   Our glorious spring weather makes all those Yankees shiver in the chill of the north and long for their vacation in South Carolina. However, we tend to take all this beauty for-granted.  We hide in our air-conditioned homes and offices and let the outside adventures pass us by.  With the high price of fuel, wouldn’t it be a great idea this year to make our yards a beautiful vacation destination and skip the costs of traveling.
Also, don’t forget the simple beauty of our forests, or what we called it as I was growing-up in McBee “The Woods.”  During my youth, daddy worked a day job to pay for his farming habit so while he was at work, I went exploring, “The Woods.”  I was lucky because on our property we had a medium sized hill we called “Rabbit Mountain.” It was a kid’s dream.  It had rocks for throwing, crevices for foxholes, slopes for sliding, and even a couple of small caves for hiding. Needless to say it was a haven for wildlife, including a barefooted, scrawny, dirty-faced little boy.  The only time I would come inside was to eat or watch Red Skelton or Mission Impossible.
   Today adults and kids need to be taught about nature and the environment; they know its wild out there with such creatures as “Lions, Tigers, and Bears,” but they haven’t experienced the true beauty and knowledge that’s waiting for them.  Clemson University doesn’t educate just up on the Hill: the Pee Dee Research & Education Center (PDREC) invites you to the ”Celebrating Rural Heritage Day” at the Outdoor Education Trail from 10:00 a.m. ‘til 4 p.m. on April 25th.   In other words, while you are enjoying the beauty of the Outdoor Education Trail you will be learning a little bit about our southern rural heritage at displays highlighting such favorites as Barbeque and Blacksmithing, Cane Syrup and Corn Milling, Fiddling and Fishing, Cotton and Kudzu, Rice and Red Wine, Tobacco and Tea, Soap and Sassafras, and etc.  Eat your heart out city folks. ADMISSION IS FREE.  The PDREC is located on Pocket Road near the Florence/Darlington County line.  In Florence, take Exit 169 off I-95 or Irby St to TV Road.  Go north on TV Road until it dead ends into Pocket Road.  Turn left; the Pee Dee Research and Education Center is one mile on the right.                
   Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer.

]]> <![CDATA[Get Out There and Enjoy the Beauty]]> Tue, 21 Apr 2009 11:15:45 GMT    We dodged the frost bullet this past week, but cold temperatures during flowering have caused the glory of the azaleas, Bradford pears, and dogwoods to fall a little short of our high expectations this spring.  However, don’t be depressed --  the Southern Plant and Flower Festival is coming to full bloom next weekend at the Pee Dee State Farmers’ Market.  This glorious perennial event germinates on Thursday, April 16th, and flowers through Sunday, April 19th.  Each day of the festival reminds me of the lowly roadside daylily with its spectacular orange color trying to draw your attention as you speed by but knowing far too well that tomorrow another spectacular flower must take its place and soon it will be another year past. 


   We may consider this as being a nasty winter, but truly our glorious spring weather makes all those Yankees shiver in the chill of the north and long for their vacation in South Carolina.  However, we tend to take all this beauty for-granted.  We ride by in our air- conditioned cars, passing by as the flowers fade, and missing out on the festivals right here among us.  With the high price of fuel, let’s enjoy these local festivals, the beauty around us, and make our yards a beautiful vacation destination without the cost of travel. 

     
   Flowering from 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday and noon until 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, beauty will flood the market landscape.  From the typical to the unusual, something will ignite your spring gardening fever.  I love to do what some of the Master Gardeners call “gauk at the wonderful plants.”   The true gardener is an artist with the landscape as the pallet and always seeks to add another brush stroke of beauty.  As the renowned French landscape painter Jan Baptiste Corot said at the age of 77, “If the Lord lets me live 2 more years, I think I can paint something beautiful.”  Maybe this will be the year your landscape is truly something beautiful.


   Remember when purchasing these sprouts of beauty that outward beauty must be supported by inward beauty.  Look closely at the plant.  The plant should look healthy. Check for aphids, whiteflies, scale, and leaf spots.  Make sure the plants roots are healthy and not root bound.  Make sure no hidden pest or plant problem will spoil your plants homecoming. The Florence County Master Gardeners and I will be manning a booth in the center of the shed to answer all your gardening questions so please stop by and see us.  Also, we will be presenting gardening programs at 2:00 and 3:00 on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday under the tent erected near the new enclosed farmers market building.


   The Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, disability, political belief, sexual orientation, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer.

]]> <![CDATA[Enjoying the Beauty of Spring]]> Sun, 12 Apr 2009 11:24:15 GMT    It is Palm Sunday a time for triumphant entrances and I am ready to make one into my vegetable garden.  It has been a cold, dark, nasty winter and frankly I have done a pitiful job on my winter garden. In fact, the only winter garden I have is a late planted demonstration garden at the Pee Dee Research and Education Center, my home garden is bare except for (of course) the occasional weed.  I don’t know about you but I need a “gardening pick-me-up.”

   Hallelujah, next week is Easter the traditional start of the gardening season.   Call it natural, spiritual or whatever.  Easter is thought of as a new beginning - the beginning of spring, the beginning of growth, the beginning of life, and etc.  It seems to be indwelt into our nature that nothing is planted until Easter.  I guess this is why the Spring Flower Festival at the Pee Dee Farmers Market is always the week following Easter (April 16-19 this year) and draws some 50,000 people each year.

   In some instances, planting at Easter is beneficial.  First, in most years the threat of frost is generally past because our average last frost date is April 1st.  Next, planting early in the spring is very beneficial in South Carolina.  It gets very hot quickly.  Spring must be one of the few things unionized in S.C because many years it goes on strike and we head straight into summer.  Plants started early have a better chance of developing properly before it gets real hot.  Finally, insects and disease problems are generally not as bad when you plant early.  Most insect and disease problems tend to build and get worse throughout the summer.  As summer progresses cornearworms, pickleworms, aphids, whiteflies, etc. are worse.  Diseases like early blight, viruses, fungal leafspots, etc. increase.  However, there are some noted exceptions to this generality.

   In some instances, Easter is not the optimum time to plant. First of all, most trees, shrubs, and perennials do better if planted in the fall.  Fall planting allows these plants to develop an adequate root system to stand heat the next summer.   Next, cool season vegetables and ornamentals need to be planted in the fall or much earlier in the spring.  One lady called about how she could keep her snapdragons and pansies from dying in the summer; however, since they are cool- season annuals this is natural.  Finally, some plants do better if planted later when the soil is warm for the seed to germinate properly, including okra, peanuts, cotton, and etc.

 

   The Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, disability, political belief, sexual orientation, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer.

]]> <![CDATA[Get Ready Get Set - Garden]]> Sun, 05 Apr 2009 11:03:00 GMT This past week I did a garden club talk at a residence next door to the nursing home where my Mama lived prior to her death. Lord, I miss my Mama.  If was difficult, but as I spoke, I peered out the windows of this older home with its mature yard and stately old plants and reminisced about Mama’s yard.
Mama’s yard had a tough as nails Bermuda grass lawn which I remember as being almost as tough as nails to mow.  Unlike her mother, who had a wonderful swept lawn that exhibited the beauty of the sandy soil of McBee and glistened like diamonds in the sunlight, Mama’s yard had a lawn that was green and lush except when the sky withheld its rain.
Mama’s yard had many wonderful tried and true plants that are still the foundations of southern gardens today.  With all the new types of plants and varieties on the market today, we have a tendency to forget these trustworthy plants that will withstand our abusive summers.
Mama’s yard was filled with Abelias.  Abelia is a wonderful evergreen plant that flowers and flowers and attracts bees and then more bees.   Today we have wonderful dwarf cultivars, but the old standard was practically carefree with only a little pruning to keep it within bounds.
Mama’s yard was accented by the lowly Flowering Almond. Almost forgotten today, this low growing deciduous shrub is covered with beautiful pink flowers in early spring.  This plant deserves to be revived, and some local nurserymen are carrying it again.
Mama’s yard had Crinium Lilies growing in the foundation planting.  Today even small bulbs sell for extraordinary amounts of money.  Mama had two large clumps clustered on either side of the front door.  I forgot to save these beauties when we demolished the old home place, but a master gardener gave me a prized bulb at last year’s Southern Plant & Flower Festival so now I have that plant growing in my garden.   
Mama’s yard was awakened in the spring by Pearlbush, Redbud, and Flowering Quince.  Getting its name from the pearl-like buds that appear in early spring, in my opinion Pearlbush is really a pearl.  One of the first plants to flower in the spring, this tall, open shrub has a tendency to awaken bees and people from their winter rest.  Redbud, or what my dad called  Judas Tree, is a short-lived, small, early flowering tree that has made a comeback in today’s landscape.  Many new varieties and flower and foliage colors are available today.  Flowering Quince is another early blooming, bee- attracting, medium-sized shrub that wakes us up in the spring.  This plant deserves to be in the background planting of all gardens.
The center spectacle of Mama’s yard was a purple fountain of Wisteria.  Today many people are afraid to plant this invasive, early flowering vine.  However, my mother’s technique of maintaining it as a medium-sized shrub will keep it in bounds.  Just plant wisteria away from other and where you can mow all around it, prune it into a shrub form, and you can still enjoy its  blossoms without having to worry that it will take over your yard.
Mama’s yard was really thrifty and covered with Thrift.  This wonderful, spring flowering, creeping phlox is one of the toughest plants in the garden.  In May the old standard variety was covered with pink flowers but many variations in color are available today.  On ditch banks and dry spots where nothing else will grow, Thrift will flourish.
Finally, I must not forget the Azaleas, Cherry Laurels, Weigelas, Spireas, and many different Magnolias that glorified Mama’s yard. 

In my memory I will always love and enjoy strolling through Mama’s garden, and I know that she is resting in the greatest garden of all.

]]> <![CDATA[Mama’s Old Plants Become New]]> Sun, 22 Mar 2009 02:26:29 GMT    One of my fondest childhood memories is going "Garden Getting" with my dad.    Daddy loved to garden and always had a gleam in his eye when we went searching for those plants, seeds, and tools to make our garden successful enough to feed us nine kids.  Our first trek on this important journey, made about this time of year, would be to buy supplies for our spring garden which not only supplied us with sustenance but lifted us out of the gloom and monotony of winter. McBee High School was the first stop where we bought vegetable transplants from Mr. E. B. Earle, our local agricultural education (ag-ed) teacher.  Mr. Earle is still living and is a legend in the McBee area.  I clearly remember pulling transplants out of Mr. Earle's make-shift hotbeds made from light-poles covered with plastic and heated with strings of light bulbs.  Today his son Pat continues his father's work in McBee, as he has taken over the reins as the ag-ed teacher. Pat, too, grows excellent transplants; however, he utilizes modern greenhouses and growing techniques.  Many ag-ed teachers all over the state have similar programs that not only supply excellent transplants to gardeners but also are excellent teaching tools for their students. Next, we would visit the hardware store in McBee.  Back then the local stores, although, small, carried as much merchandise as possible to keep the community functioning. Many times they would have that one item you needed to complete a job.  McBee doesn't have a hardware store at the present, but many local communities do.  In fact, for many years my son helped manage a hardware store in Bethune.  With the high price of gas today, these stores are returning as a part of the life blood of these small communities.

   Finally, we would head to Hartsville (the big city) and visit our local feed-and-seed establishment which I called the "Checkerboard Store" because of the checkerboard painted on its side advertising dog food.  If I close my eyes and think back, I can still smell the pungent onions and the musky potatoes, hear the seeds rustling as they are poured into sacks, and see Daddy smiling as he bought his brand-new version of the Farmer's Almanac.

   To learn more about decorating, gardening and country living watch both of our Emmy Award winning TV programs, Making It Grow (MIG) and Down Home with Tony and Amanda.  MIG can be seen at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday nights on regular ETV.  However, at present Down Home can be seen on digital cable and some satellite systems on the SC Channel (channel 802 on Time Warner Cable).  Also, you can view both programs on the web at www.mig.org. The Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service
offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, disability, political belief, sexual orientation, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity
employer.

 

]]> <![CDATA[Spring Garden Time]]> Sun, 15 Mar 2009 12:49:58 GMT  Vegetable Gardening is once again the “Talk of the Town.”  In fact I was encouraged to write this article by folks who never have gardened or only have a faint memory of their parent’s gardening. Therefore, let’s talk about the BASICs of vegetable gardening in the south.

BA -    First of all, you need to realize that growing your own vegetables will be a Big Adjustment for both you and your family.  We are Big-time Addicted to running to the grocery store to get everything we need, when we need it, and exactly the amount we need.  Vegetables take months to grow and produce, each crop has its own season or production timetable, and for goodness sakes you may have to adjust your recipes, diet, or lifestyle to fit the crop “Coming In,” as my daddy the old time farmer would say.  Also you will need to develop a Bad Attitude against weather extremes, destructive insects, and disease.  Seventy degrees one day and snow the next day- --if it is tough on you it is tough on plants.  Also, scout your garden for insect and disease problems and treat only when necessary.  For instance, many local vegetable growers have replanted their spring transplants twice or three times already.  The moral of the story is that you have to possess a mailman mentality and you cannot let the cold, heat, drought, rain, insects, or diseases destroy your hard work. Remember, if all else fails our long growing season many times allows you time to replant and start anew and there is always next year, so never give up.  Also watch out for Bad Advice.  For instance, many of the gardening shows on TV are produced in the North, even many that are on SCETV, and present little relevant, reliable, or trustworthy information for the SC gardener.

S -       Next, as I teach all Master Gardeners “A Good Soil is the Foundation of a Good Garden”, there are three things you can add to improve your soil “Organic Matter, Organic Matter, and Organic Matter, but organic matter only stays in the Soil for one year in SC. Also, take a Soil sample so you will know the pH, the concentration of nutrients, and the lime/fertilizer requirements of your Soil in relation to the crops you are trying to grow.  You may obtain sample bags which explain how to properly take a Soil sample, at our office located at the back of the Social Services Building on the corner of Third Loop and Irby, each sample costs $6, and will take 2 weeks to get your answer.

I -        Next, Irrigation is the key to consistently producing vegetables in our area.  I remember back to the days when my granddaddy and daddy, who did not have the option of irrigation, were devastated because drought had destroyed their crops.  If you want a successful, long-lived, and pleasant gardening experience - Irrigate.  Most vegetables require between 1 and 1.5 inches of water per week which can be supplied by rain or Irrigation.

C -       Finally, determine who will Care for the garden and plan accordingly.  Around my house I am the gardener so I plant only what I can handle, Care for, harvest, and prepare.  If you are blessed enough to have others to assist you in your gardening efforts---plant more, more often, and enjoy.

 

Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer.  If you enjoy gardening and using flowers and plants in decorations, please watch Down Home with Tony and Amanda on Thursday nights at 8:00 pm.

]]> <![CDATA[The Basics of Vegetable Gardening]]> Sun, 08 Mar 2009 10:48:26 GMT