Narrator> Making It Grow is brought to you in part by Certified South Carolina.

This cooperative effort among farmers, retailers and the South Carolina Department of Agriculture helps consumers identify foods and agricultural products that are grown, harvested or raised right here in the Palmetto State.

Mcleod Farms in McBee, South Carolina, family owned and operated since 1916.

This family farm offers seasonal produce, including over 40 varieties of peaches.

Wesley Commons, a full service continuing care retirement community located on more than 150 wooded acres in Greenwood, South Carolina.

Additional funding provided by the South Carolina Farm Bureau Federation and Farm Bureau Insurance and Boone Hall Farms.

♪ opening music ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Amanda> Good evening and welcome to Making It Grow.

We're so glad that you can join us tonight.

I'm Amanda McNulty.

I'm a Clemson horticulturist and I get to come over here and Terasa Lott, my co-host and good friend.

As I say, it's continuing education for us.

>> It is.

I hope that I learn at least one new thing every time we are on the show.

Well, really, every day.

Amanda> Sure do.

And Terasa, you are now a district coordinator for the Midlands region.

Terasa> That is correct.

So nine counties in what we call the Midlands part of the state.

And that's a supervisory position.

But all in all, I hope that I'm able to support the staff that we have, like Hannah, who's in my district.

They are really the people that make extension happen.

They're the ones that connect the people to the information.

Amanda> And...for...for when I was still in the Sumter office, we were in a high rise and the elevator didn't work a lot.

And we had, it was an older building that had, you know, older building problems sometimes.

And...y'all are now in a new space.

Terasa, if people haven't been to Clemson Extension recently, they really need to come.

Terasa> We are so very fortunate and grateful for the support from Sumter County to have such a nice facility.

Amanda> It truly is beautiful over there.

And Terry Sumter, the 4-H agent, which she does her cooking classes now.

My word.

How come, you all just have this beautiful kitchen facility?

And... this just going to be something else.

Terasa> A very usable space for sure.

Amanda> Yeah.

Yeah.

Well, anyway, and I'm glad that you're there and close by and could still help us.

We sure appreciate it.

Vicky Bertagnolli, you're a consumer horticulture agent with Aiken, but also you do a lot with HGIC.

So tell people about HGIC please.

>> So the home and garden information Center is not only a website that houses over 950 publications, but it's also a live call in center.

So you can call in, you can email and speak to a number of agents there, asking questions about home horticulture, about food safety.

And we've got, we've probably got a fact sheet on it.

And I mean... Amanda> And so and...

I think people could, if they had a picture, they could email you the picture and then should and then you could do that.

Should they ask you to call them back or what's the best routine to establish.

Vicky> The best thing for and for folks to do is is email clear and focused pictures, which we have a fact sheet on how to send good photos to your extension agents, and then they should call us because whenever we call somebody back, it comes back as an unknown number and you may not know who's calling and you may try to screen calls.

So it's easier for the homeowner to call us.

Amanda> Okay.

And I know when soil tests come back, sometimes... people are kind of confused about exactly what to do.

And I believe I will help people with that as well.

Vicky> We do.

You can either call your local extension agent that's located in your county or you can call an HGIC agent and we'll all walk you through it.

Amanda> Yeah, I think it's a wonderful service and thank you for being a part of it.

Okay, Hannah Mikell, you are an agronomist.

And when I took agronomy, my professor said you're a soil scientist.

Hannah> Oh, yeah.

That sounds interesting, doesn't it?

Yeah.

Amanda> And so I guess so.

Talk about the difference between horticulture and agronomy, if you don't mind.

Hannah> Yes, I feel like I'm a little like a fish out of water with all your horticultural knowledge up here.

Amanda>So happy to have you here.

Hannah> I have to confess, I don't...

I never majored in that in college.

So when I go to a nursery, I'm kind of at a loss too I have to ask a lot of questions.

And I seek HGIC quite a bit of time.

But as far as agronomy goes, I can know a great deal about corn or cotton or soybeans, but really know very little about periwinkles or pansies or something of that nature.

But on an individual level, with certain crops that I work with, about five or six of them I have an in-depth knowledge of knowing like what seeding rates, how many acres we have in our counties throughout our state, like what the bushels are per acre that we harvest.

The seed yields per variety.

Yes.

It's just...it's a it's knowing one thing, but knowing it really in-depth and very well.

Amanda> And sometimes I think of it as like, ...a horticulturists might be growing fruits and vegetables and agronomy and agronomist, agronomy is more the field crops?

Hannah> That's correct.

Amanda>Is that kind of... Hannah> It's more of a grain and fiber, we do also do tobacco as well.

But that hasn't been- Amanda> -such a big crop.

Hannah> Right.

It's kind of dwindled in our state in the past several years, although we do have a lot of our history back to it.

Amanda> Yes, we do.

Hannah> But yes, it's more of like soybeans, corn, cotton, peanuts, And now green peanuts that dwindles more into our horticulturalist, because that's a fresh product that they would use in the store.

But yeah, it's... it's a wide variety of crops that you would see grown in very large portions of fields.

Amanda> Someone was visiting us the other day and asked how big most a farms that grew cotton and soybeans and those kind of things were.

Are there is there a huge discrepancy in size or.

Hannah> I think we've seen more of a separation in the past several years.

I've been here about 12 years, and when I first started, we had like a smaller, like 100, 150 acres.

And then we had our people that were like a thousand.

Then we had some that were like 9 - 10,000.

But now those smaller ones, the 100 acres and 1000 acres, they had to make a choice, right?

They either because their equipment is so expensive now- Amanda> -those cotton picker Hannah> Oh, we're talking close to a million dollars.

I mean, and if you're over a thousand acres or more and you're...what you're planning and harvesting, that's over a million dollars worth of your operating budget.

And it can be a tremendous cost.

So that being said, the the moderate size farmers have either had to go all in, as they say, or really scale back and start doing some more niche type markets...or maybe subsidizing with other income.

Amanda> Okay.

Okay.

It's hard to be a farmer.

Hannah> It is.

Amanda> I mean, it's...

I'm sure, you know, they lie awake at night a lot.

Hannah> I think it's a lifelong calling.

That's why you see generational people that have a lot of like juniors and seniors and the third, the fourth and the fifth and the sixth even in some cases.

But yeah, yeah it is a calling that I think that you just kind of go all in and you make that...your lifelong mission.

Amanda> I bet it's fun to work with those people.

Hannah> It is.

I love them.

They're some of the, the, the salt of the earth folks some of them can be a little more detail oriented and a little type-A.

Like, I need this now and we got to have this.

And we send this soil sample off I need these results and I'm putting lime or fertilizer out immediately.

Amanda> Yeah, I understand.

Hannah> But in other cases it's like I'm coming out of church and everybody fellowshiping afterwards.

So it's a nice.

It's a really pretty pleasant atmosphere usually pretty pleasant atmosphere to be around.

Amanda> I'm so glad you're doing it.

Yeah.

And Davis Sanders, you came down in you're not the old Black Pearl... because I think you finally upgraded from South Pleasantburg Nursery on the banks of the Reedy River in Greenville.

Davis> Absolutely.

And I didn't really upgrade on the Black Pearl.

I lost Black Pearl last year in a tragic accident, but I found a reliable substitute.

That's the same truck.

It's just about six years newer.

So it's 2006 instead of 2000, It's only got 200,000 miles on it.

But since I bought it on St. Patrick's Day, since I bought it on Patrick's Day weekend and...it's a black truck like the Black Pearl and the interior is sort of a beige color OC I named it the black and tan.

Amanda> Aww, that's fun.

Davis> All over the tire tracks.

>> And then at South Pleasantburg Nursery, what would you say you all specialize in?

Davis> To be honest with you, we specialize in customer service.

We are a, we are a varied nursery.

We have everything from landscape shrubs and trees to roses, specialty plants, West Coast, conifers.

We have a huge array of perennials and annuals to Amanda> Do you?

>> And sometimes we have to put these things out at the expense of parking spaces.

So we've actually had to grade a portion of the property and put gravel down...to accommodate the traffic flow.

Amanda> Golly, Pete.

Well, that's exciting.

Davis> We have big changes.

Amanda> Yeah, so, are you a specialist in one thing or another, or are you all, all supposed to know everything about everything there?

Davis> Well, we kind of.

We kind of refer to ourselves as a hive, not a company, and we don't all share in the work equally, but we each have an assigned area or a specialty.

Amanda> Oh, okay.

Davis> And we do, we do bleed over.

There are a couple of us who are generalists and can pretty much do anything that involves ...the movement...of product from our property to the homeowners yard.

Amanda> Okay.

You all do deliveries and installations?

Davis> We do some installations.

Yes.

Amanda> Oh, goodness gracious.

Davis> We also have specialists.

We have our Bo Hawkins, who is our aquatic plant specialist.

He's just a super knowledgeable guy and great with the customers.

And...if you have any questions about a water garden, koi pond or anything like that about the things that are living in it, come see Bo.

Amanda> Okay.

Well, that's fascinating.

Every time you come, I learn more and more about what you do there and on the banks of the Reedy River.

I just think that's such a lovely description Okay.

Goodness gracious.

Well, we're going to have some fun things for you to watch.

We have Jennifer Kendall, the bat lady who came down from SC DNR, and she's going to talk about planning for bats.

I thought that would be kind of fun.

And then, do you remember when Trisha Mandes came, our nutritionist?

Well, she came down recently and with some new ideas for healthy ways to eat.

She's going to share some of those ideas with us, too.

So I think you're going to enjoy both of those.

Very, very much so.

Terasa, I bet, I know everybody enjoys very, very much the Gardens of the Week.

Terasa> Well, I sure do.

So I am excited to have the opportunity to share what you're doing in your yard, your garden, your landscape.

Or perhaps you've visited one of South Carolina's many beautiful places.

Today, we begin with Janine Sawler, who took a picture of Indian pink with its deep red to scarlet tubular flowers that are favored by hummingbirds.

From Suzanne Allen, a monarch caterpillar on Sandhills milkweed.

And this was taken at Hobcaw Barony.

Adrianna Schlaefer showed us the coppery orange flowers of the Gibraltar azalea.

From Jill Collins, we have an oak leaf hydrangea in dappled morning sun, and we wrap up our photos with one from our friend Amanda Sayer Dodd, who shared a close up of red epithelium flowers, also known as the Orchid Cactus.

Absolutely gorgeous.

And I have one last thing to share.

It's not really a photograph, but Eddie and I were at the Pee Dee State Farmer's Market in Florence, visiting some of the vendors there.

And there is a plasma artist.

Amanda> Come on.

Terasa> And he made us this customized metal art that says Making It Grow.

And if you look very carefully, you might recognize the corn maze from Mcleod Farms, and there's a peach... and a strawberry.

So it was so exciting... to meet him.

Let me his name.

I'll get his card.

So I get it exactly right.

His name is Ray Mehl, and this is RPM plasma Arts at the Pee Dee State Farmer's market.

And he wanted to be sure that I got it here and we were able to mention it.

And I think we need to find a place in the studio that we can display it.

Amanda> We certainly will.

And I don't know what plasma art means.

How is.... How is this done?

Terasa> Well, I don't know the ins and outs of the intricacies, but from what I understand, the plasma is the way that it is cut.

So you don't have to, you know, get your tin snips out or anything.

You could never be that precise.

Amanda> Precise.

Okay.

Terasa> So he essentially said, if you...can think about it, then he can make it happen.

Amanda> What a cool thing to have happen.

I'm so delighted that you ran into him.

And the wonderful corn maze up at Mcleod Farms.

That was fun.

Terasa> Yes.

And it reminds me, of course, of our dear friend Tony Melton and how integral he was... with the Mcleod Farm operation.

Amanda> Yeah.

Yeah.

And for us as well.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Oh, okay.

Well, Terasa, I know people send things in to you to get help with them sometimes.

Can we help somebody?

Terasa> I feel absolutely certain that we can.

This question came in from Terri in Beaufort,... and we were talking about HGIC, And what a resource that was.

So this is an HGIC question.

I thought that would tie really nicely and kind of let our viewers know how that process works.

Amanda> Great.

Terasa> So, Vicky, maybe you can tell us a little bit more about it.

Vicky> Yeah.

So we got an email from Terri and she was asking.

She went...to the doctor's office and the parking lot had been dug up because they were trying to add additional parking to the parking area.

And there's about 14 inches of topsoil that was brought in.

And she kept finding these things in it.

And she thought, well, you know, is this is this some kind of weird larvae I don't understand.

It's hard.

Amanda> Did it move?

Vicky> It didn't move, but... it look like a larvae or a pupae of some sort.

And she sent these pictures to us.

And it was really funny because it's not a larva at all.

It's not a pupa of anything.

They're Florida betony tubers Amanda> Oh, my God.

Vicky> And so she was finding hundreds of them.

Amanda> And they came in- Vicky> -in the topsoil Amanda> Whoa!

That's the most horrible thing I've never heard of.

Vicky> Yep.

So I sent her the fact sheet and said, you know, you're right.

This is this is not some kind of weird larva.

It is, in fact, a weed that we don't want here.

So I sent her the fact sheet for the HGIC and said, you know, you might want to take this to the...to the owners and let them know.

Amanda> Yeah, well, and, you know, that's a good way to talk about topsoil, because Terasa, I don't think there's any standard for it.

I think it's just whatever they dig up and bring to you and say, Here you are and give me all your money.

Terasa> You never know what you're going to get.

Amanda> Yeah.

But imagine having something like that brought in on it.

Vicky> Yep.

Amanda> Woo La la la la la la.

Mm hmm.

Mm hmm.

Mm hmm.

Mm hmm.

(laughing) Vicky> That's not something that you want to have brought in.

As John says, you can pickle them and eat them, but... (laughing) Terasa> It kind of reminds me of a water chestnut.

You certainly would not want to, to grow this purposefully.

Amanda> I think I'll just go to the store and get some water chestnuts.

if I want that crispiness.

Yeah Yeah.

Vicky> I think that's the safest way to go.

Amanda> Well, that's fascinating.

Thanks so much for sharing that with us.

Well, now we're going to our segment Trisha Mandes two minute blueberry oatmeal.

I'm talking to Trisha Mandes and she has a master's in public health nutrition from a university in Finland.

Trisha> Yes, from the University of Eastern Finland.

And while I was working on my thesis there, I read research that I fell in love with by Dr. Brie Turner-McGrievy, who worked at the Arnold School of Public Health at USC.

So I reached out to her and ended up becoming a nutritionist working there.

All right in dietary inflammation research.

And then I left.

And now I work for myself as a nutritionist, and I live in Pennsylvania in a little cottage in the woods.

And yeah, I came here because I adore you and the show and plants and helping people eat plants.

So I'm really happy to be here.

Amanda> Well, tell me which clients, what groups of clients you've been most successful working with and whom you enjoy working with and what y'all do.

Trisha> Absolutely.

It's very fulfilling, meaningful work.

I help mostly women in their 60s, 70s and 80s shed pounds sustainably.

Most of them come to me because they're concerned that they have excess weight and they might also have high cholesterol and high blood pressure, and they don't have energy to exercise or to even do chores around the house anymore.

They might be in too much pain and they really want to improve their health, but they don't want to diet anymore.

And the good news is, is they don't have to.

So I help clients eat optimally to shed pounds sustainably and in some instances some of them even reduce medications.

I have a client now shout out to Jan. She's 83 years old.

She reduced an arthritis medication off her blood pressure medication.

She got herself walking again, even without a walker.

So it's a really, really fulfilling and meaningful.

And food is, can be really powerful.

Amanda> Well, what is the basis of the system that you and these clients are working out together?

Trisha> So I help my clients predominantly eat plants about 90% of the time.

Perfection is not required.

There's definitely room for treats and animal products, but predominantly my clients are eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes in a specific way where they feel really full and satiated.

Because if all you ate was fruits and vegetables all day, yeah, you would be so hungry.

So it's really important that we feel full and satiated when we eat to not have to think about food.

And also, Amanda> Not to say I've got to, you know, I've got four hours.

When can I eat again?

Trisha> Yes, exactly.

So you naturally stop thinking about food.

You feel full and satiated when you eat, and that food gives us energy.

So it's really good to eat.

We want to eat.

A lot of people are scared to eat or they think they just need to eat less.

So with my clients, there's no calorie counting.

There's no portion control.

They just get to eat.

Personally, I love it.

I love eating.

So we're going to today, I'm going to show you something that is also very satiating to eat for breakfast.

Amanda> All right.

Well, I was hungry this morning and got a piece of bread and a glass of milk, but I would be excited to find something that might be a little more...stick with me a little bit longer and make me feel a little healthier during the day.

Trisha> And I'm really excited to show people how to make this two minute blueberry oatmeal, because it's so quick.

You literally couldn't get a quicker breakfast even from a drive thru.

You don't even need a cutting board.

And what's really neat about this too, is if you have leftovers, you can also make cookies with it.

That you can eat every single day and it's going to help you shed pounds sustainably, reduce pain, increase your energy at the same time.

Amanda> And not feel guilty about the cookie.

Trisha> Absolutely.

Absolutely.

It's a good thing to eat them.

You want to eat them.

Eat them every day.

I would love it.

Amanda> Okay, Well, let's get to it.

Trisha> Okay.

Wonderful.

So I'll share our ingredients.

So our first ingredient is we have regular rolled oats.

Trisha> What I love about this recipe and what I want people to know is that you do not need to buy instant oats if you want a quick breakfast, regular rolled oats, still only take 1 to 2 minutes to microwave.

but they're going to satiate you more and they're going to keep you fuller longer.

So when you feel full, what do you stop doing?

Amanda> You stop eating.

You stop worrying about when your next meal is.

Trisha> Exactly.

So when we're eating optimally, it is okay, if you're hungry.

It is good to eat.

We just want to be conscious of what we're putting in there.

Amanda> Okay, So we've got a cup of oats.

Trisha> Yeah, go ahead.

You can put that in there.

Amanda> Okay.

Trisha> So it's always going to be a 1 to 1 ratio of oats to banana.

The bananas are a really important part.

So if you don't want to eat a whole cup of oats in the morning, you do a half a cup of oats and half of banana.

But in this instance here, we're going to use a whole banana.

Amanda> Okay.

Because we are.

We do want enough to make cookies.

Amanda> We just...

Trisha>...Yes!

cover the top of it with bananas?

Trisha> Yeah, that would be great.

Just equal sized slices.

It doesn't really matter how thick they are.

What's more important is that they're about the same width.

The same size, and they'll cook evenly.

And what's really important for this recipe, if you are going to make cookies with it, is that we want to have a banana in it because the banana acts as a binder.

Amanda> Oh!

Trisha> It's almost like an egg.

Exactly.

So now we're eating the oats.

as a whole grain (laughs) and banana.

Exactly!

Amanda>I was trying to cut them even so, when I got off... Trisha> I love it.

I love it.

So we have our oats, our whole grain.

A banana is a fruit.

So this everything that we're eating in here has a fiber in it.

Amanda> So I've covered the top I think, that's pretty good.

Trisha> Perfect.

That's excellent.

Amanda> They're about as even as I could manage.

Trisha> That's excellent.

All righty.

The next thing we're going to do is add water.

Now, how much water?

I don't know.

It doesn't matter.

This is the trick the viewers need to know is that when you pour the water, you want the water to come to about the level of the food in the bowl.

Amanda> Okay.

Trisha> So we're just going to pour on top.

♪ Amanda> And this is fun because when I cook rice, I put my finger on top of the rice and add water till it comes to the first joint of my finger.

So this is a fun way to do things.

Trisha> Yeah, Perfect.

Exactly.

Okay, so you don't need measuring cups.

It's just 1 to 1, banana oats, water to the top.

Now, we're going to microwave this for 2 minutes.

That's it.

That's how quick and easy this is.

And then we're going to finish it up ♪ Amanda> Ta da.

The magic of microwaves.

♪ Whoa.

Okay, let's see how it looks.

Trisha> I smell it.

Looks great.

Okay, so this is how you're going to know when it's done.

Everyone's microwave is a little different, so you might need an extra minute, but you can see the change in the color of the bananas and you can really smell it.

The bananas have cooked, which means they're going to taste sweeter.

Amanda> Yes.

Trisha> Now, when you eat it.

So that's going to be better for cookies or personally, I just think it's going to be more delicious, when it's sweeter.

I really loved the taste of cooked bananas.

So what we're going to do next is we're going to finish this up.

Our really quick breakfast is almost done, so we're going to put blueberries on top.

You can go ahead and put as many blueberries as you would enjoy eating on this.

Amanda> Okay.

Trisha> Yes, that's it.

That's how a lot of times we know how many.

Amanda> That looks about right.

Trisha> Yeah.

How much fruit to put on is how much would I enjoy eating on this?

And next, we're going to add date syrup.

You can also use maple syrup or honey.

I love date syrup because there's more nutrients in it than maple syrup or honey because it's ground up dates.

So it's a whole food so there's more nutrients in it.

There's even fiber in here, which is great, which helps you feel full and satiated amongst other things.

And fiber is only found in plant foods.

It's not found in animal products.

So it's really important that we eat enough of it every day.

So we're just going to pour that on here.

Amanda> Oh!

We're going to use enough to actually add some sweetness.

Trisha> Yeah, absolutely.

Amanda> And bananas too.

Trisha> Right.

If you don't want to add that much date syrup, if you're going to have this just for breakfast, that's fine.

And then can you pass me the cinnamon, please?

Amanda> And this is not cinnamon sugar.

This is just plain cinnamon Trisha> It's just plain cinnamon.

Correct.

And we're just going to sprinkle that on top.

So now, boom, Now you have breakfast.

If you just want to eat this like this, you can also use frozen blueberries.

Just put the blueberries on before you put it in the microwave.

Amanda> That's a good idea.

Trisha> Again, no cutting board really quick and easy, but now we're going to turn this breakfast into cookies.

Okay?

You ready?

Amanda> Yes I am.

Trisha> All right.

So all we're going to do is mix that all together.

And because the bananas are so soft now, they're going to spread all throughout as well.

Amanda> It smells wonderful.

Trisha> It's really delicious.

Amanda> It really does.

Trisha> Yeah, And all we're eating again is fruits, whole grains, dates, for a sweetener and cinnamon, which herbs and spices are incredibly anti-inflammatory, and they add a lot of flavor.

So we always want to add herbs and spices whenever we can.

Does that look delicious to you?

Would you eat that for breakfast?

Amanda> I sure would Yeah, okay, but we're going to.

We're going to skip the breakfast part and act like, just make cookies at this point.

Trisha> Correct.

We could just leave that as it is.

Amanda>...a container.

Trisha> Yes, exactly.

So you just need a baking sheet.

You can even put this all in a pyrex and just boom, put it in the oven at 350 for 15 minutes and then you can cut it into bars and you have oatmeal bars or you can make cookies.

So you and I together, we'll just make cookies, just take a spoon and spoon it out.

And then I take my hand.

Amanda>We washed our hands.

Trisha>Yes, Yes, we did.

Amanda> Let everybody know.

Trisha> and I just spoon... it flat to make cookies on there.

Now, at home, you could also use a parchment.

Amanda> Sure, whatever.

Put them on a piece of parchment paper or a baking sheet.

And again, you just bake these in the oven at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes.

Amanda> It's really stunning how good it smells.

Trisha> Yeah.

And again, the banana helps it all stick together when you make the cookies.

So if you take if you don't include the banana, they will not stick together as cookies.

Amanda> Well, while we're getting ready to get these cookies in, if people want to learn more about this program and what you do and with your clients, what's the best way to do that?

Trisha> They can go to my website, Trisha Mandes.com.

Amanda> Yes.

Trisha> And there there is so many resources that people can use to learn how to shed pounds sustainably or eat optimally.

I have a training.

There's free recipes, so definitely go to the website.

Amanda> And you have a book?

Trisha> I do.

I'm also an author.

Amanda> Whoa, whoa, whoa.

Trisha> It's called The Optimal Eating Solution Maintainable Weight Loss and Longevity, Even if You Can't Exercise.

Amanda> Okay.

Well, and I would hope that a lot of people, from what you've told me, actually are able to sometimes exercise some more.

And that just makes you feel so much, so much better.

Trisha> Absolutely, within six weeks, all of my clients are starting to move again.

But many of them, it doesn't even take that long.

Absolutely.

Because they start to they're in less pain.

They have more energy, they're lighter, and they feel more confident.

So it's a lot easier to start moving in so they can start living again and enjoying their life.

Amanda> Okay.

Well, how long are we going to cook these?

Trisha> For 15 to 20 minutes at 350.

Amanda> Okay.

Well, Trisha, I want to thank you for coming down and telling me this.

I can't wait to start having an easy, nutritious breakfast.

And I'm going to your website and learning more about this program.

Trisha> Thank you so much for having me.

I love being here.

Appreciate it very much.

>> Very, very easy and absolutely delicious.

Terasa, who can we help now?

>> Let's see.

Well, Hannah specializes in agronomy, of course.

And so I know I was only really familiar with corn.

As you would grow it for sweet corn.

But I thought our viewers might like to know about kind of the corn growth stages and the type of corn that's being grown in large quantities that we see when we're passing by corn fields.

Amanda> And we call it field corn.

Is that...?

Hannah> Yes.

Yeah.

My daughter likes to tell me, Mama, I don't like that sweet corn.

I like that that hard corn.

I'm like, we don't eat that hard corn, child.

We send that for the chickens and the cows and everything else.

I think she's trying to be on my side.

Amanda> Amanda Hannah> But yeah, so.

So the corn in our state gets planted around the end of... Well, they like to start as soon as they possibly can just to capture that market early on.

But they'll start around the 1st of March 15.

Amanda> That's early.

Hannah> Yeah.

I mean we have some growers that try to really jump the gun, but as soon as the soil temperature warms up to about 55 degrees, that's going to be just enough to have that seed to germinate and start.

And from there, as I was going to show you.

I brought some examples.

Amanda> May I interrupt you for a second?

What's the point of getting it in so very early?

Is it heat...or?

Hannah> Well, to avoid some of the pests that are out there also to have just really captured that market.

So as soon as it comes out and we're running low on last year's yield, if we don't have enough, like in our local places where they'd be selling it, they get a little bit better of a price.

Amanda> Okay.

Okay.

Hannah> Yeah.

Yeah.

So this is actually one of the seeds.

I'll point to it with my handy dandy pointer.

I don't know if you can see it.

It's red or kind of pinky color.

It has a seed treatment on it and it gives it a little bit of like an armor in the ground so that you're going to be less likely to have like nematodes or not necessarily nematodes in corn, but...a fungus or anything to attack the seed and weaken it.

Amanda> So it's a protection?

Hannah> It's a protection of sorts.

And then it allows it to kind of come on up and pop up on up.

And then you can see as the root started to form and grow down, we also have the stalk that starts to shoot towards the top.

And this is actually...

I took the sample recently, so it's very, very fresh.

But so this growth here is, is pretty far along for our time of the year this year because we started off pretty cool, as you remember, and kind of kind of wet.

But as this corn starts to grow, it starts to set nodes and these nodes are going to be where our...we kind of track our plant growth?

And usually our nodes will begin to show an ear, which is you're actually ear leaf or your ear your ear for your corn, your corn ear, up the stalk.

And so as that grows, I brought it, there's different stages.

I think it's all kind of fascinating and I brought some if you would like to look at it but so Amanda there's your one.

Amanda> Thank you.

Hannah> Amanda might be able to find the tassel for us.

And so that one's a little more, has a, I don't know, a more mature growth stage for us.

And as you can see, you see the nodes that we noticed earlier.

But as you go on up, you'll start to see how they start to stack really close again, right?

So your ear leaf is going to be somewhere just below the tassel.

And...and right here you have found you don't have to be an agronomist to find the tassel in there.

And Amanda, you got it.

Yeah.

She pulled it on out.

Amanda> Look at that.

So it's going to grow... and that'll be the thing that's at the top.

"Dag nabbit" that, that is else.

Hannah> Yeah.

So these are the inner leaves.

And as they start to unwhirl and, and, and create a collar and this is kind of what a collar looks like here, This is what we call a collar.

It unwhirls.

And as that thing starts, unwhirl, it pushes all the, the insides of that corn stalk out and it starts to elongate.

Right?

Yeah.

So this is a this is a fun fact here.

When all of our wheat and all of the other crops nearby, these corn fields start to dry down, the insects.

And you might well know, the stink bugs love that kind of stuff.

They like that green, fleshy material, right.

So as that stuff starts to dry down, guess what they go for.

Amanda> The corn.

Hannah> This stuff and they know innately where that ear leaf is going to be.

So they take their little proboscis and they stick it inside there when it's about at ground level, because if these things aren't growing they just climb over the soil and they go on up and they start kind of filling around in there and... Amanda> And I'm still a little confused about what an ear leaf is.

Hannah> Okay.

So the ear leaf is where the ear is, the corn ear where the leaf comes out.

And so that that leaf is so very important because it's... Amanda> Like every leaf is going to have... Hannah> No.

Okay.

Traditionally our grain corn only has one ear to a stalk.

Right.

We seed it and so that it produces all of the nutrients and all the fertilizer it gets towards that one ear and it makes a better quality ear, a heavier weight, too.

Amanda>Well, is it predetermined where the ear leaf is?

Hannah> Depends on the variety and the maturity and all that.

But it's going to be around like the 12 to 14 nodes.

Amanda> Okay.

Hannah> Yeah, there's been some experimental corn where they stack the nodes really close together.

I know, right?

That would be awesome in duck ponds, you know, the ducks like to feed on the lower corn and when they flood it, it's just a few feet high so they don't have to go four feet to five feet up in the air, because our ducks that we like to hang around here are more dabble ducks.

They feed lower.

So yeah, so the shorter corn is really interesting to see it maybe hit the market in the next couple of years but, but it'll, it'll tassel out at like five feet, four feet tall, kind of like our drought stricken sweet corn almost.

That's what it looks like.

But it's a nice ear and it's, yeah, it's really interesting to see the changes in some of it.

But... Amanda> The tassel tastes good.

Hannah> Yeah, Amanda> It's just so fresh tasting.

Hannah> But we really, protecting that ear leaf is paramount to make sure that we don't have any diseases or anything like that that's going to affect the how that leaf is starting to grow or how it's gaining nutrients through that cob.

Amanda> Heavens to Betsy.

Hannah> Yeah, it's a lot.

Hope you enjoyed it.

Amanda> We certainly did.

Yeah.

Next time I want you to go back as soon as the corn starts coming in.

Hannah> Well, it won't be very sweet, but I can do what I can.

Amanda> But you know, I bet if you got one that was really, really fresh, you could enjoy it couldn't you?

Hannah> Yes.

My grandmother actually used to tell me that they would make she would make baby dolls out of the corn husks, when she was a little girl and she would get the really big cucumbers that you miss in the garden and she would put the corn husk around it and it would be her baby doll.

Amanda> That's a mighty sweet story.

Hannah> I know, right, isn't it?

Amanda> Gracious goodness.

What fun!

Who would have thought field crops could be so fascinating?

Hannah> It can be.

You can come hang out with me for a day.

Amanda> Okay.

All right.

Well, Terasa, that's going to be hard to top.

Terasa> It will be.

The world, in general.

The natural world is fascinating.

It's just, our lives are so hectic and busy.

We just don't always take time to appreciate it.

Let's see if we can help Danielle in Spartanburg, She said, "I'd like to plant some native perennials, "but I just don't know where to start.

"What do you suggest?"

Amanda> Goodness.

And then there are woody perennials, and her base is perennials, too, I guess, Davis.

So help us delve into this, please.

Davis> Well, simply speaking, a woody perennial is basically a shrub.

Amanda> Okay.

Davis> And the herbaceous perennials are the ones that often die back to the ground and grow from a central basal plate or a crown every year, and grow back from the same root.

Amanda> So you don't see them in the wintertime, right?

Davis> In most cases there are a few evergreen perennials, but but that's for another show.

But as far as where to start, probably the best thing to do is, is find out your soil type, first of all.

Send a small sample to your Clemson Extension and find out what nutrients you need.

And then take a look around at the, at the the exposure, the sunlight patterns, the shade patterns, the moisture level, wherever there might be runoff.

The biggest, the biggest challenge for, for growers and for homeowners in the in South Carolina to use native perennials is the fact that South Carolina used to be forested almost from the coast all the way to the Mississippi River.

And over the years, of course, with, with farming and industrialization and- Amanda> -It wasn't such a heavy forest, because I mean, the longleaf had lots of openings in it, so it was scattered light at different times?

Davis> Right.

Right.

Okay.

And and in that case, there are a lot of perennials that still work.

But the biggest issue is most of the perennials that used to be native to South Carolina won't grow here anymore unless you create an environment for that plant.

And so when I when people ask me how to get started with a perennial garden using native plants, first thing I tell them to do is start planting trees and develop some shade so that these native perennials can start being reintroduced into the area.

Amanda> Can you give me some examples of the ones that used to be here that.

Davis> Well, things like green and gold chrysanthemum.

Amanda> Yeah!

Davis> beautiful, beautiful groundcover, semi-evergreen.

Amanda> And I see that sometimes when I'm on paths in the woods.

I mean by the, by the walkways because the sun comes in some I guess.

Davis> Exactly, the tall phlox the paniculata phlox.

Those are all selections of a native plant.

And and those are very common on roadsides in the spring when you talk about the shrubby type perennials, things like the smooth hydrangea that's giving rise to the animals and incredible hydrangeas, there, there is a a wealth of availability on native plants.

It's just that they're not always native to this area.

Amanda> Well, if someone... has a lot of sun in the yard and for whatever reason, maybe they're not allowed to plant a tree out.

I don't know or they just... Are there's some that you would recommend that they might have some success with that would be appropriate for this area?

Davis> Actually, most of the prairie states have...have great native perennials, things like the Leatris, the blazing star.

A lot of the coreopsis, or tickseeds.

Those are those are readily available just about everywhere.

But you also have to match your soil type with the perennials you're growing.

If you're going to grow something that is a prairie native, you're going to have to recreate the prairie soil.

You're going to have to bring in some topsoil, bring in some.

Amanda> Well, let's not well talk about it.

Terasa> Be careful about that.

Davis> Yeah.

No, no, no.

rattlesnake weed.

But, but as long as you create a a macro environment for a plant, there are all sorts of things you can grow.

You can, especially in the upstate, you can almost grow lupines right next to packera.

If as long as you do the, provide the proper, proper environment for it, Amanda> Well you've got these things sitting right here, these things we might get to talk about.

Davis> Yes.

Well we've got... Amanda> Are these some that you like particularly?

Davis> These are...the... when we talk about pollinator attractors, probably the very best ones that are also native plants are the mountain mints.

Amanda> Pycnanthemum or something like that?

Davis> Uh huh.

This one is the slender mountain mint, and this one is the toothed mountain mint.

Amanda> They sure are different looking Davis> This one is Pycnanthemum muticum.

This one is Pycnanthemum tenuifolium.

Both of these are excellent flowers that produce a large amount of nectar.

And even though they are mints since they are native, there are certain factors in the environment that limit their spread so they're not as aggressive or as, as problematic as peppermint, spearmint.

Amanda> Yeah.

Davis> That kind of thing.

Amanda> Ice tea mint.

Davis> Right, Right.

But, but pollinators will flock to these when they're in bloom.

And they also have long bloom seasons plus with the mountain mints, If once they the blooming slows down, if you just cut them back hard, they'll flush back out and you can keep them blooming pretty much all season.

Amanda> Gosh.

So you're really providing a long time for the pollinators to use these.

Davis> And like the culinary mints, you can use these in teas.

Amanda> My word in heavens.

Okay, so how big is this one going to get?

Davis> That one's going to get up about two and a half to three feet and it will since it's a minute and it will spread somewhat indefinitely, but not nearly as aggressive.

Amanda> Okay.

And how about this little fellow?

Davis> Yeah, the short toothed mountain mint will...will get not quite as tall, but it's still going to get up 18, 18 inches to two feet.

Amanda> Okay.

Okay.

Now, will they take sun?

Davis> These will take sun or part shade, which is, which also gives them water variability in a home landscape.

Amanda> Okay.

Well, those certainly sounds like great things to start with, but I think you've got some other things sitting here.

Davis> I do.

These are a couple of other natives, both Southeastern natives and prairie natives.

We have the...native Baptista Australis, which is also known as false indigo.

It's a beautiful little plant It has big sprays of blue flowers in mid-spring, loves moist soil, but it can adapt to some of the drier soils.

And it's just it's a great filler for the for the perennial border.

Now tell me what size we can expect.

Davis> These... when they're happy they can get up four feet or so and spread almost indefinitely.

They can be a little bit aggressive if they're if they're very happy.

But they're also really easy to keep under control.

And if it ever starts getting out of balance, just dig up a patch of it and plant it somewhere else.

Amanda> Or give it to your friend.

Davis> It's also a great pollinator attractor, as are most native perennials, because they do produce quite a...quite a significant amount of nectar.

And that's what attracts pollinators.

Amanda> Okay.

Okay.

Davis> The other native that I brought is this one is a prairie native.

This one is the little blue stem, or schizachyrium.

It's a beautiful ornamental grass.

It's very well behaved here, again, limiting factors in the environment keep it from getting out of hand.

This particular one will get about 3 to 4 feet tall in a nice, well-behaved little clump.

And in the fall, the color is spectacular.

It's a brilliant scarlet color, red with just a hint of orange... And a lot of the selections and cultivars of this plant will have a bluish cast to the old growth as well as a new growth as you can see here.

Amanda> Goodness gracious.

Others, others actually produce some of those red, red leaves from the from the start of the growing season.

So there's a lot of variability in this one, but this one is, is the, the species.

In addition to being a good ornamental, it's...also it also provides some seed heads for bird forage in the fall.

Amanda> Yes.

Davis> The foliage I like to use the ornamental grasses, particularly the natives in landscapes because in the wintertime if you allow them to persist, get the motion with the wind and you get the sound of the leaves, leaves rubbing together and also the the fall foliage after it's after it's turned brown if you're allow it to persist when the migrating birds come through again in the spring, you've got ready made nesting material.

Amanda> Whoa.

Gracious.

And so you don't have to go out and say, I've got to cut everything back before the new foliage comes.

It'll just naturally degrade and the other foliage come through so you don't have to go out and give it a haircut?

Davis> It's like, like mulching trees.

I tell people why mulch your trees when it's going to create its own mulch in the fall.

(laughing) Amanda> All righty.

Well, thanks Davis.

I think those are wonderful suggestions.

Well, as I said, when Jennifer Kindel came, the bat specialist for South Carolina Department of Natural Resources she stayed and gave us some ideas about what you might plant for bats.

I'm talking to Jennifer Kindel, who is the bat specialist for the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.

I think you started your career as a bird specialist and now you've switched to something else that flies.

>> Yes, that's right.

So it turns out when you can catch birds, you can catch bats, too, which is nice.

And so that kind of got me moved over into the bat world, which is great because... because they're underdogs, I think.

So it's been a fun adventure.

Amanda> Yes.

Stand up for bats.

>> That's right.

Amanda> And people are planning all these pollinator gardens now.

And you're telling me that there's a group that's saying, well, why don't you put a garden that's dedicated to plants or includes plants that will attract insects that bats would like to eat?

Jennifer> That's right.

Yeah, exactly.

Amanda> And so who's doing this work?

Jennifer> Bat Conservation International is one of the organizations, and they have great resources on their website that provide a list of species that might be good for bats.

Amanda> For Bat Conservation International Jennifer> Exactly.

Amanda> Look that up.

They have some cool stuff.

Jennifer> Yes.

they have so much good stuff.

Amanda> So I think some of them are trees and shrubs.

So let's talk about those.

Jennifer> Yes.

Yes.

So we have the list for Kentucky here.

And we've have American Snowbell, Black Willow button, Buttonbush, Elderberry, Ninebark and Wild hydrangea.

Amanda> Okay.

And I'm sure there are others, too.

But these would be a good way to get started.

Jennifer> Exactly.

Amanda> And the nice thing about these is since they're woody and will be there if you move.

Jennifer> Yeah Amanda> They'll still be there.

And what would require particular care to continue to be useful and bring in insects for the bats and then I think some are herbaceous perennials that that die back but then come back every year.

And what are some of those?

Jennifer> Yeah we have black- eyed Susan, Foam Flower, Purple Joepyeweed, Purple coneflower, White beard-tongue, Wrinkle-leaf goldenrod and white yarrow.

Amanda> (laughs) Wrinkle-leaf goldenrod That's a tongue twister...actually.

Well, I think it'd be great.

And of course these are going to attract pollinators all kinds of things.

And then.

Jennifer> Yeah, Amanda> I think it's... they're such a circle.

It's...such continuum And we all need to be a part of in protecting the environment and making sure there's a space for all the things that we're here.

Jennifer> That's right.

Even, whether or not we realize it.

I think that's the one of the interesting things is they're flying around at night doing all these things at night for us and for, you know, protecting crops and things and whether or not we realize it.

So it's good to appreciate.

The things we can't see.

Amanda> Yeah, let's be friends to the bats.

Jennifer> Yeah.

Amanda> Thank you so much for coming.

Jennifer> Thank you.

Amanda> Bats do have a wonderful place in our ecosystems.

I hope that you'll consider doing things to make their life a little bit easier.

Hats, Hats, Hats.

So, Terasa.

When I first started doing this, I always used as the base of my hat smilax and... and we can we collect smilax this time of year and it's just wonderful.

It's called wild asparagus.

And it's very and people used to do that all the time.

So we do that.

And I'm so it's really quite tasty.

And then I have some sumac.

There are lots of sumac.

This is the one that grows in my garden.

I dug it up off the side of the road and it's doing well.

And I think sumac's important.

And then I have a cover crop, some white clover that I put out... years ago and.... it comes back and it's just so wonderful.

And everybody loves to go to Clover.

And you can eat clover too.

But I think I've had enough to eat today of hats and things.

And then I have some acanthus, which is an exotic plant, I guess kind of in the shade.

And I like Acanthus because Acanthus leaves are very and very important in classical architecture and stylized and used and all that kind of stuff.

And Edward is always trying to make me try to learn the different kind of columns like you know,... and all that kind of stuff.

So Acanthus, this is this big flower and it's a gorgeous plant.

Yes.

And it has great big leaves and so that's kind of fun too.

Anyway, so a partially edible hat, How about that?

Okay.

Yeah.

All right.

Well, Terasa who else can we help?

Terasa> We are going to highlight a question that has live specimens.

So this was from Philip in Aiken, who brought the specimens in for identification and wanted to know, will they hurt the horses?

Amanda> Goodness, Vicky, there's a lot of horse activity in Aiken, and I know they want to take good care of them, what's going on.

Vicky> And so this is really important for especially horse owners to know about the difference between blister beetles and the beetle that we have here.

This is a darkling beetle and the importance of knowing the difference is that blister beetles produce a toxin.

It's called cantharidin, and there can be a toxicosis that horses can get from ingesting them.

So if they most of the time these blister beetles are found in alfalfa, that's one of their preferred host places.

And so when horse owners are feeding alfalfa to their horses, they have to be careful that it's not infested with the beetles themselves, either live or dead, or that it's had blister beetle activity in it, because they will the toxin.

Can even contaminate the alfalfa and the beetles aren't there anymore.

Amanda> Gosh.

Vicky>And the levels of toxicity can go from anywhere from just being a little tummy ache, it being sick, diarrhea to colic, to death.

So it's very important for horse owners to know the difference.

Amanda> So if you're just feeding regular hay and things like that, that's not going to be an issue, probably?

Vicky> A very low chance of it being an issue.

Now, there are... these are called darkling beetles and these are stored grain pests.

So these can be found in the feed and then they'll wander over to where the horses may be.

Amanda> They're not a problem?

Vicky> Especially if there's like a light overhead because they're attracted to light, but these are not toxic to horses.

Amanda> Okay, well, that's fortunate.

Okay.

Well I'm so glad that you were able to tell him that but then to warn him and it may be that people might want to consider whether or not they want to risk using the alfalfa Vicky> Yeah.

They need to know where their, where their hay is coming from, what kind of hay it is.

So and they need to inspect it to make sure that it's that it hasn't been infested.

Amanda> Thank you so much.

Well, Hannah, I think you've brought something to share with us.

Hannah> I did.

I did.

We have a friend of mine called and said- Amanda> That looks like you're planning make a hat, I don't need competition.

Hannah> I'll leave it for you.

I'll leave it for you.

It gets a little viney.

It has these little tendrils that like to grab on to different things and, and so these are actually some of the seed pods on it.

So I can...It's hard to- It's like velcro almost.

But what is super noticeable are the purple flowers, Amanda> Ohhhh!

Hannah> Yeah.

Anybody on the panel?

Do y'all happen to know?

I bet you all do know what this is.

Davis> It's a type vetch.

Hannah> It's a type of vetch.

Yeah.

I like to call it a hairy vetch.

I think that's kind of what we, we mix in our seed varieties.

Dear sometimes will like it.

But this is a type of legume that helps to fix nitrogen in the soil.

But it also works really well in our cover crop species.

Yeah.

And some of our mixes.

Amanda> Okay, Hannah> So it puts out of this beautiful purple flower starting around March and working its way through.

And as it does, it starts to set these seed pods on here and then it will just be really showy as it climbs up through the taller cover crops that are in the field.

Amanda> How beautiful.

Well, thank you so much for sharing those.

We appreciate it.

Maybe I'll call you up some time and get you to bring something for a hat.

Hannah> No problem.

Amanda> Well, Davis, what you brought?

Davis> Well, I have one of our most beautiful native wildflowers, or native perennials, I should say.

This is the Solomon's Seal Polygonatum.

It's a...it is a woodland native, loves moist soil, grows from a fairly hard tuber, not like the rattlesnake weed or the betony- Amanda> But this is a tubular you'd be happy to have.

Davis> Right.

And as long as it gets, it gets significant shade and plenty of moisture, this will colonize an area.

It will grow as long as you let it.

It's a very forgiving plant.

If it starts getting out of hand, just dig up a chunk of it and plant it somewhere else where it will be happy.

Amanda> Now, is this... there's a... is this the regular big Solomon's Seal or...?

Davis> This is...it's a variegated form of it.

Yes.

Amanda> Okay.

Davis> Now, a lot of people also confuse this with the false seal.

And you can tell the difference because they, by looking at the flower structures, the flowers on common Solomon's Seal are born in pairs underneath the leaf nodes.

The false Solomon Seal will... Amanda> They're all at the end- Davis>-a cluster of flowers at the end that will develop red berries, and that one can be a little bit more noxious than this.

Amanda> Well, I just think this is beautiful.

And, Terasa, you know, I like to do flower arrangements and this can just be so gracious in a flower arrangement because it kind of sprawls over.

Plus, the leaf is just beautiful.

I think Davis.

Hannah> Very showy.

Amanda> Don't you think so?

Terasa> Yeah.

And curious about the variegation.

Is it...is it stable?

Because sometimes variegation in a plant, it doesn't always tend to stay that way.

Davis> I have...

I've used this plant extensively and I've never really had any significant reversion.

You might find a little bit of an aberration, but I think that might be more related to the soil chemistry than than the genetics itself.

Amanda> And then I've got a new one that I think has a purple stem.

So I guess people are, you know, nobody's satisfied with something as it is always trying to change it around, but it doesn't take over.

I'm just so pleased to have it.

And mine, I have some that's in really dark shade and I wish it were doing better.

I think maybe just a dappled shade.

Davis> Dappled shade if you can fan out the canopy just a little bit or like I say, it's very forgiving.

You can dig some up and move it into a patch that might be a little bit better, better suited for it.

Amanda> Okay, well, I think I'll do that.

Okay.

Goodness.

Well, how fun.

Terasa, how could we do it without you?

Terasa> Thank you.

I just have a little role.

It's all of our panelists that come with all of their knowledge and talent.

Amanda> And Vicky, we missed you.

And thank you for squeezing us in between Aiken and HGIC.

Vicky> Of course.

Amanda> And Hannah, I'm really enjoying learning.

I mean, our farms are so important to South Carolina agriculture Hannah> Very important.

Amanda> So here you are helping us understanding them.

I really think...yeah.

And to understand that equipment costs are kind of determining- Hannah> There's a tremendous amount of overhead.

That's right yeah.

Amanda> Yeah.

And Davis, the black and tan we're glad that she's rolling.

(laughing) Anyway, thank you all for being here so much.

And I do hope that you'll be with us next week.

Night Night.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Narrator> Making It Grow is brought to you in part by Certified South Carolina.

This cooperative effort among farmers, retailers and the South Carolina Department of Agriculture helps consumers identify foods and agricultural products that are grown, harvested or raised right here in the Palmetto State.

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This family farm offers seasonal produce, including over 40 varieties of peaches.

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