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.

♪ ♪ ♪ Amanda> Well, good evening and welcome to Making It Grow .

We're happy that you can be with us tonight.

I am Amanda McNulty, and I'm a Clemson Horticulture Agent.

And I'm here with my friend and co-host Terasa Lott, who is also a Clemson person.

And Terasa, we have a sure good time doing this, don't we?

> We absolutely do.

I look forward to it every time I know that we're about to record.

And, sometimes it's a little bit of a break because right now the garden is keeping us busy.

Beans and tomatoes and eggplant oh, my.

Amanda> And you were able to take a trip not too long ago, your Portulaca, did it survive not being watered every day?

Terasa> It did.

Yes.

That's been the best thing to put in the mailbox.

I really kind of put it in there and it survives.

Being succulent, it doesn't typically need additional water.

It can just do with whatever comes from Mother Nature.

Amanda> I don't know that I've seen your Portulaca mailbox.

And we talk about it all the time.

You'll have to bring a picture.

Terasa> We'll get you another photo.

Amanda> Okay, that'd be fun to see.

Okay.

Vicky Bertagnolli, over there in Aiken.

It's always fun when you come, Vicky.

And, we... you're an insect person, and it's just fun because you get so excited about things that other people are like... [Amanda makes disgusted noise] > Well, you know, I'm trying to change how people think about insects and spiders.

I want them to, to look at their benefit that they provide to us.

And I mean, just because they have extra legs doesn't make them creepy.

I mean, these things are so cool.

Once you start exploring them and educating yourself about them.

Amanda> And when I find spiders in the bathtub, I just pick them up, carry them outside and throw them in the bushes.

I will say, however, that spider poop- I mean, I know they just have one thing, but it takes the finish off the floor.

Vicky> It gets a little messy.

Amanda> No, it just takes the finish off the floor because I've got some, I mean, I'll go clean up under a wooden something and where the spiders have been hanging out, there's no finish left on the wood.

It's just, what it is.

Vicky> It's fine.

That's just... that's the spider corner.

That's the spider corner.

Amanda> Yeah, that's the least of my worries.

Yeah.

You know, I'm thinking that they catch things I don't want to have in the house, don't you?

Vicky> I agree, I agree.

Amanda> Yeah, okay.

Well, glad that we can come to agreement on those, eight legged creatures.

Right?

Vicky> I love them.

Amanda> Okay.

Alrighty.

And then, Shelby Hammond you're an agronomy agent, which means field crops, doesn't it?

Okay.

And you're over in Chesterfield, Kershaw and Lancaster.

And, we had some kind of weird weather this summer were your farmers kind of coming through it okay?

> Mostly.

We did have a pretty severe drought at the beginning, and, has been continuing.

I think they categorized it as D3.

So hopefully, we can... let's just hope that we get some rain with mid and late summer, especially when we need it, because we're not getting it right now.

Amanda> Yeah, it has been a peculiar time.

Hasn't it?

Yeah.

Uh, la, la, la, la.

Well, thank you for what you do to help them.

Shelby> Thank you.

Amanda> And do they sometimes teach you things, too?

Shelby> Oh, my gosh, I learn so much from them.

A lot of them have been, doing this for a really long time.

So even though I learn a lot, through research they teach me a lot on the ground.

And so it's, it's great to learn from them as well.

Amanda> And then you can share that with somebody else, who's new.

<Yes> Okay.

Well, we're glad you're down here helping us out.

Davis Sanders, from South Pleasantburg Nursery in Greenville, on the banks of the Reedy River.

<Right> How's the river these days?

> It's, it's kind of down.

We have gotten some rain recently, so it's back up to its normal level.

But it's, it's still flowing, it's still historic, it's still where Greenville was founded.

Amanda> How about that?

Yeah.

You know, my kids are out in Los Angeles and sometimes there's no water in the Los Angeles River.

Which is- Davis> Just got the, the concrete, aqueduct.

Amanda> Yeah, yeah, it's kind of fun.

And then they have little islands in it in some places too.

It's kind of cool.

And my daughter Lillian does litter pick ups there sometimes.

They go in, you know, into it and pick up litter.

How cool is that?

Terasa> That's wonderful.

She's being a good steward of our resources.

Amanda> Yeah, she is.

Okay.

Well, let's see... so we're gonna have some fun things for you, the South Carolina Sunflower Festival.

How about that?

Up at Denver Downs in Anderson.

And then Hannah Mikell interviewed Catherine Garrison up there.

And then the Watermelon Queen, it's so much fun when the Watermelon Queens come.

And we also get those great South Carolina watermelons.

Two things for you to look forward to.

Well, Terasa, should we look forward to these "Gardens of the Week?"

Or are they just brown and dry?

Terasa> That would be pretty disappointing.

We should absolutely look forward to them because they are beautiful.

This is where we highlight what you're doing in your yards and your gardens, so you can show off your green thumb and your ability to take photographs.

Maybe it's not in your yard, maybe it's in a neighbor or friend, or just a beautiful space that you've captured.

Similar to last week, we had so many submissions that instead of featuring just a few, we've created a montage.

So, let's take a look.

♪ ♪ ♪ And this one from Wanda Christmas shows a bee on a cucumber flower.

Cucumber pollination is very important.

It takes multiple bee visits in order to ensure good pollination.

And without that, the flowers can abort or we could have misshapen fruit.

So we hope that Wanda has lots of bee visits to her cucumber.

♪ ♪ ♪ Wasn't it uplifting to see all of those photos?

I hope that you'll consider submitting yours.

Just look for the call for "Gardens of the Week" on our Facebook page.

Post your photo or photos in the comments with a short description and you never know it may just appear on air.

Amanda> Always fun to see those.

Thank you.

And... how about some questions?

Anybody need any help or are they just all sitting around and drinking iced tea and fanning?

Terasa> You know, gardening is not easy.

So there's always questions.

Our first one comes in from Jan in Aiken who's asking for an identification.

She says "it appeared overnight in a bed in our front yard.

It contains old peonies that don't do well.

Phlox, begonias and weeds, mostly weeds."

Aww, poor thing.

But she wants to know what is this kind of mystery substance?

Amanda> Ah, an old peonies that don't do well- You know, peonies are cold weather... that they prefer that.

And there are a couple of ones that used to do well in the South.

Mine haven't done much in a good while because things are changing, aren't they?

Okay, Vicky.

Vicky> So, what's going on in Jan's garden is- This is really fun.

So she sent me, a picture on day one.

Of, "I want this identified."

And then she sent me, pictures over the coming days so that I could see a progression of what this thing was doing.

And what this is, is this is a slime mold.

And there's lots of different slime molds.

And these are, these are- Amanda> Weird, weird, weird organisms.

Vicky> Some of them are single-celled organisms.

And some of them, have a whole bunch of cells in them.

But they're, they're like amoeba-like, is what it is.

And when they're, when they're very, immature we mostly don't see them.

But, whenever they start to get older, they signal to each other to aggregate.

They have, they talk to each other through pheromones.

Those pheromones... they're called acrasins.

And they aggregate, they aggregate into these fruiting bodies.

And these fruiting bodies, this particular one, this is called wolf's milk.

And so when it's brand new, it's this pink color.

And if you go and squish it, it comes out, it looks like toothpaste.

And... it's, as it gets older, it turns brown and then it'll, it'll... burst and it'll send out spores.

And what slime molds do, is they're not, they're not hurting anything.

We often find them, like this particular one, this wolf's milk- We find this one June through November.

And, what they're doing is they're helping in the decomposition process.

So we'll find them a lot of times in the mulch.

And there's, there's they're not hurting anything.

They're not hurting the plants.

They're not hurting the mulch.

They're not hurting the soil.

They're just in- Amanda> Decomposers.

Vicky> Helping us in the whole process of life.

And just decomposing, helping in that decomposing process.

And there's lots of different slime molds out there.

One of the ones that we're very familiar with is dog vomit slime mold.

And that's exactly what it looks like.

It comes out and it's like this frothy yellow- And you go out to the landscape and your mulch and you're like, "well, I don't have a dog."

You know, "what is this?"

Amanda> And if I did have... "what's wrong with my dog?"

Vicky> Right.

[laughter] But this one just happens to be one of the ones that came into my office recently.

And when Jan sent me hers, the very next day, I got another one in Aiken County.

Amanda> So it sounds like maybe environmental conditions make them, more prevalent.

Vicky> Right.

So when this showed up, it had just rained.

It was very, very humid.

There was good soil moisture.

So, and there's warmth.

And so there's a lot happening in that mulch layer.

And so... this is a great place for decomposition to happen.

Amanda> And we're so glad that people are using mulch.

It's one of the most important things you can do.

And not the tire business and all that crazy stuff.

Vicky> Yeah.

Crumb rubber, it doesn't add anything to the, to the soil profile.

When that mulch breaks down, it's adding nutrients.

It's it's helping with, soil friability, adding pore space, adding organic matter.

So great stuff.

Amanda> Yeah, mulch, mulch, mulch.

What was it Tony used to say?

The three most important things you could have were... All> Organic matter, organic matter, organic matter.

Amanda> So an organic mulch would fit into his wonderful... remind us of what things- Vicky> And when we're talking about organic mulch, that doesn't mean that it's- what we're talking about, is it's not rocks or it's not crumb rubber.

We're talking about, a plant based material like bark or... Amanda> I just think pinestraw is the best thing in the world.

Yeah, okay.

Thanks so much.

Alrighty.

Well, Terasa.

Terasa> On to the next question.

How about we help Henry in Bethune.

Henry said, "the corn fields near my house have developed fuzzy-looking tops.

What is that and is it important?"

Amanda> Fuzzy-looking tops.

Terasa> I think I know what he's talking about.

[soft laughter] Amanda> This person must not have grown up around a lot of corn.

Tell me what's going on, here.

> Well, that would be tassel on top of that corn.

And you might not think that it has a functional, aspect to it but it's actually the pollen producing part of the corn, which is really important for- Amanda> If you want some corn.

Shelby> Yes.

And pairing that with the silk, which is those fine hair-like, structures at the end of your ear of corn, that you really hate to pull off whenever you eat sweet corn.

The pollen is, distributed by wind.

And so that will go onto the silk.

And each silk is, associated with one corn kernel.

So if you eat corn and you're missing a couple pieces or maybe, they're a little small, then maybe they might have not had good pollination, that year.

So, the fuzzy-looking things is tassel, and then that goes along with your silk to make sure we get grain corn and the sweet corn that we enjoy during the summer.

Amanda> So if you get a heavy rain or something, how long, can that... kind of wash some of the pollen away or what?

What are some of the factors that can be involved in that?

Shelby> Well, actually getting rain during this time is really important because the plant is most vulnerable during their reproductive times, of the summer.

So making sure they have adequate rainfall and soil moisture ensures that there's good pollination to get a good year of corn.

Amanda> Okay, okay.

Well... I just don't think there's anything better than a good ear of corn on the cob, don't you?

<Mhm> All right.

Thanks so much.

Well, Davis have you got something- Terasa> I'm hoping Davis is going to show us some stuff.

Davis> I have... what I like to term as a "show stopper."

<Okay> This is one of the Jazz Hands series of Loropetalum.

This one is, Variegated Jazz Hands.

It's, it's something that should be used in restraint.

You know, a lot of times when you put something this colorful in your landscape, it tends to eat the landscape.

You can have a million dollar landscape, but if you've got something like this front and center, this is the only thing that a passerby is going to see.

So I recommend tucking this into maybe a little nook of a corner or something where you may not be expecting something with a lot of color.

If you've got a hedge row, maybe incorporate one or two of these along the hedgerow just to give it a little bit of variety.

This one, this one is a, is a dwarf form.

But, as we have learned over the past 20 years with the, Loropetalums, nobody knows how big they're really going to get.

But this one, according to the literature, is going to top out around four feet with about a four to five foot spread.

Amanda> But you said that's usually like a five or six year projection, too.

So when you go to shop for things... you have to kind of keep that in mind, don't you?

Davis> Yes, you do.

The, the reason that the wholesale nurseries put that kind of a time frame on a plant is because, number one- The average American moves every seven years, and they want you to know how big it's going to be when you leave it behind.

<Okay> Or, and also, people tend to change their landscapes out about every seven years.

They get tired of looking at it.

Something dies.

They decide they want a different, different look around the house so everything gets ripped out and replanted.

My goodness.

Not at my house.

[laughter] But, yeah, this, speaking of the height, we used to have, a variety called Daruma that we offered as a, as a deep dwarf Loropetalum.

You know, two to three feet.

Well, the ones on the University of Georgia campus right now, are ten feet and still growing, so.

Well, when they hit the market so hard and so fast that even the growers didn't know how big they were going to get.

<Okay> So always use Loropetalums with restraint because you don't know what you're going to have in ten years.

Vicky> In Aiken, down the boulevards- <Yeah> Some of the larger, landscape plants that we, that are in Aiken are limbed up Loropetalums.

Davis> They actually make a much prettier tree than they do a shrub because as they grow, the bark is, the stems get all gnarled and twisted.

They, they merge together.

And, if you've got one that's overgrowing, just go underneath it and start taking off some of those little branches.

I think you'll be surprised at what you expose down there.

Amanda> Okay.

There used to be some beautiful white tree form ones, in front of the library at Clemson 10,000 million years ago.

Davis> The other, plant that I've got here, is a newer cultivar of Weigela or "why-gilla" as some people mispronounce it.

This one is... is called- Amanda> You got a broken piece.

Davis> Thank you.

Thank you so much.

This one is the, Sonic Bloom Red.

Now, most people associate Weigelas with, the spring blooms, such as Spiraeas and Forsythia that just give you a lot of color for a very short time, and then they're done.

Amanda> But happy to see them then.

Davis> Right.

It's, a sure sign of spring.

These bloom a little bit later, but the wonderful thing about the Sonic Bloom series is they rebloom.

They will rebloom sporadically throughout the summer after this big flush of color in the spring.

This one's got a really nice scarlet color to it.

Amanda> Doesn't it though?

Davis> Of course, they are deciduous, so you always want to mix it in with an evergreen, evergreen planting.

So that in the wintertime you want have a bunch of sticks in front of your house.

Amanda> That's handsome.

Davis> It's a really pretty one.

Amanda> Are they, pretty forgiving?

How much trouble are they?

Davis> They are no trouble at all.

<Really> I've never known anybody to have a problem with this plant.

I don't, I'm not familiar with any pest issues or diseases that are, that are common, anyway.

Amanda> Okay.

Well, that sounds like a winner.

<Yeah> Okay.

Called Proven Winners.

How bout that?

Davis> Exactly.

Amanda> Okay.

Oh, so much fun to go up to Denver Downs.

And they always have great things going on.

It's just a delight.

And, then when they have the Sunflower Festival.

Gracious goodness, what a good time.

[folk music] ♪ ♪ ♪ Hannah> Hey, guys, it's Hannah Mikell with Clemson Extension, Agronomy Agent.

Today I have the pleasure of speaking with Mrs.

Catherine Garrison Davis.

She is part owner of Denver Downs Farms here, just outside of Clemson, right off of 85.

We have the pleasure today of getting ready for your Sunflower Festival.

I'm super excited about this.

I have seen some previous footage of Amanda doing a giant slide, <Oh yeah.> and I might need to try that later.

If it's, if it's okay with you.

I'm wanna try it, maybe.

Catherine> Oh, yeah.

It's fun.

You'll love it.

Hannah> So this family farm has been here for generations and generations.

I know it used to be a dairy.

Tell me a little bit about that.

Catherine> We've owned the farm since 1869.

So we are the fourth generation of Garrisons here.

So Denver Downs started off as a cotton farm.

Our great grandfather, W.D.

came back from the Civil War.

<Wow!> And he worked for a few years and saved up money and he bought a cotton farm.

It had 200 acres on the side of a little dirt road called Old General's Road.

<Wow> Well, fast forward 150 years, and it's no longer a little dirt road anymore.

<No> It's a, very busy, four lane Clemson Boulevard.

So, over the years, it evolved.

Our dad, T. Ed Garrison, he came back from World War II, and he bought dairy cows.

<Cool> So, we, the farm turned into a dairy farm.

And so it was a dairy farm from the 40s until the 1990s.

And then it evolved into a general purpose farm with beef cattle, produce, row crops.

And, back during the 1960s, our mom started doing tours of the dairy farm.

Hannah> The original, like agritourism.

Catherine> That's right.

She was ahead of her time.

Hannah> I love it.

She was a smart lady, huh?

Catherine> That's right.

Oh, yeah.

So we've been doing tours for many, many years, and we continue to do that today.

School groups still come flocking here with the school busses, during the fall and spring.

And, then in 2001, we started a little corn maze.

So, each year we add to it and we have a big fall festival now.

And in the spring we do a big Easter Egg hunt.

<Oh, wow!> And in the summer, we have our Sunflower Festival, which we're sitting in the middle of.

Hannah> I know I see a lot of my friends and colleagues that come up and they take their kids out and they post all these beautiful pictures with the sunflowers.

And the amount of sunflowers y'all have out here, I mean, if you got 100 people out here, you still have a thousand more sunflowers.

I mean, it's ridiculous.

It's wonderful.

I love it.

Catherine> We've planted 75 thousand flowers.

Hannah> I can not believe that.

Catherine> Yes, it's over six acres.

And there are ten different varieties.

<Wow> Catherine> Yes.

So, Pat Williams is our, farm partner with this.

And so he started the Sunflower Festival seven years ago at his farm, Little Cane Creek.

And he did it there for about three years and he asked if we wanted to join him with it.

So it's been here at Denver Downs for the past four years, and it's worked out really well.

And, people love coming out to see the flowers.

And we also have, a lot of activities open, and we have live music and the concessions and beverages that, you know, families can, you know, come and enjoy just the whole day.

Hannah> Yeah, I'm excited about it.

I can't wait to go explore everything you've got here.

So going back to the sunflowers.

I work with a lot of growers who do it for dove fields and just for, you know, general esthetic purposes on their farms.

But they take a little bit of fertilizer, right?

And they really want a good bit of water.

So irrigation is paramount.

Catherine> Yes.

So there is different ways you can do irrigation.

So, you can do above ground and you can do below ground.

Hannah> That's really interesting.

Catherine> Yes.

And that's what we have.

We have subsurface irrigation systems.

So, 18 inches below ground, we have subsurface irrigation.

So, over six acres of land.

And we just re-did that this year.

So that really helps with, you know, eliminating the evaporation of the water as it is irrigating the, <Oh, yeah.> the sunflower.

Hannah> Well, it can help with compaction.

I mean, if we get a really hot, and dry day and we get a really heavy downpour of rain, even if it's a substantial amount of irrigation, you can get some crusting, which hurts the seeds from coming up.

But this, I mean, the stalks on these are huge, it's really, really nice.

Y'all have done an excellent job out here.

You can get around and it's beautiful.

The sunflowers are a nice height.

It's usually, you see these giant ones that are up so, so tall.

Catherine> We've got ten different varieties, and we try to choose varieties that are going to be a really good height.

They're not gonna be too tall.

A really good height for people to cut and enjoy.

And it's, it's great that when people come out to the Sunflower Festival, they learn a lot about the flowers.

And we've got people that are out here working that are going to be talking with everyone about the flowers, educating them.

Hannah> You were telling me it's important to take the field heat out.

Is that right?

<Yes> So how hot it is out here, I mean, it's probably 90 something degrees right now.

And we're glistening so nicely.

[laughing] Okay, but whenever they package those sunflowers, if you were just to put them in the car, that's going to eventually cause them to wilt.

So what's the next step, I guess?

Catherine> First of all, they either give you little buckets and to take them out, and we'll take your shears out and get, when you cut, you put them immediately into water.

<Okay> Then you take them over to the watering station and we cut them again under the water and pack them for the customer to take home.

<Nice> So they're going to stay fresh longer.

And we explain to them how to cut them each day.

So that they'll stay fresh longer when they get home.

So, it really is fun to take them home.

And we have a lot of people that will take extra flowers home with them that they're going to share with people that they love.

Hannah> Oh, that would be a nice pick me up.

I like to share stuff with my neighbors from time to time, and so I feel like, maybe I might take them a bouquet home or something.

Catherine> Absolutely.

We've got, we've got lots of them.

Hannah> Yeah.

Well, this has been such a pleasure.

I really enjoyed it.

Is there any other tips or tricks we need to know about growing sunflowers that you don't think we might have covered so far?

Catherine> We grow them in the summer and then in the fall when we have our fall festival.

<So, two crops.> We do grow another round of sunflowers and we also grow, more cut flowers.

<Yeah> So people can cut bouquets, and that time we also grow cosmos and zinnias and snapdragons and, a different variety of flowers at that time.

So, Denver Downs is all in on flowers.

And we also grow mums.

So get your mums and your pumpkins and all that in the fall.

Hannah> And maybe, we could go apple picking somewhere in the upstate.

That'd be fun.

Catherine> Yes.

There's that, not too far away.

That's, that season comes right after sunflowers.

Hannah> I know.

That's so cool.

So I've enjoyed this, being out here with all the butterflies and bees.

It's such a nice break from, being down in the Lowcountry for a spell and getting to come up near Clemson and, and meeting you.

I've really thoroughly enjoyed this.

Thank you so much... Catherine> Thanks for coming out come back again.

Hannah> We will.

Thank you.

♪ ♪ Whoo!

Amanda> Sunflowers... Just wonderful, especially en masse like that.

But also just great to have in your own garden.

And there are all different kind of you know, colors and sizes.

And there's room for everyone.

And, slides are fun, not just for children, as you see, but also for old people who have to go, "oh!"

while going down slide.

Anyway, lots of fun out there.

Well, let's see, hats, hats, hats.

Corylus, which is this wonderful little textured leaf.

Leaves are just wonderful.

You know... and different colors of green.

I just think, that one just spoke to me when I saw it.

And then also Hypericum.

There are thousands of different kinds of Hypericums, native ones.

But this one is the most wonderful thing for, for bringing pollinators in, every single different kind of pollinator from ones this big to this big.

It's just, I've got it right outside the house.

And I just like to go out there and stand and look at it sometimes.

Bzzzz.

It's just a beehive of activity.

A wonderful thing to have in your yard to help the pollinators.

Well, let's see where we are now.

Terasa.

Terasa> Let's see if we have any more questions.

Let's see, Vivian in Aiken has a problem with tomatoes.

She said, "The leaves are curled up.

What is wrong with them?"

Amanda> "To-mata, to-mato" curled leaves... Problems, problems, problems.

Tomatoes are a little bit difficult, Vicky.

> They can be, there's... when we look at the HGIC factsheet for tomato pest, there's one for insects and one for diseases and disorders.

And they're both extensive.

And then a lot of things look alike.

However, in this case... I did a little bit of digging and this was relatively easy to figure out what was going on.

So, when a client comes in, we'll ask them some history questions.

How long has it been in the landscape?

How did you plant it?

When did you plant it?

What is the irrigation schedule?

And in this case, because this is a tomato, we were asking "is it in the ground or is it in a, in a container?"

Because a lot of times if it's in a container, they're going to add things.

In this case, this is in the ground.

However, when she was planting this, she amended the soil.

<Oh> And whenever you're making amendments, you have to be careful.

So in Aiken County, we're in horse country.

And so a lot of folks will use either old hay or they will use horse manure.

<Sure> And, when you're using an animal manure such as horse manure, cow manure, when you're using hay instead of straw, when you're using hay in the garden, you have to be careful about persistent pesticides.

And so in this case, they were using... horse manure.

And we can tell that on the pastures where the horses were, were herbicides.

They're broadleaf herbicides that are persistent.

And so we see herbicide damage on these tomatoes.

And one of the common ones that's used in a pasture is an Aminopyralid.

So that's a herbicide that is- It's a broadleaf herbicide used in a pasture.

<All right.> But it passes through the animal and is not necessarily broken down as quickly as other things.

<Come on.> So there's Aminopyralid, there's some other stuff in the family.

There's Picloram, there's Clopyralid, there's Triclopyr.

And what happens is, is because they're persistent in the soil, when you grow something particularly sensitive, like a tomato, peppers, eggplant, you can see the expression of the herbicide on the plants.

And so, when we look at this plant, we can see that there's distorted leaves there's strapping of the leaves.

Instead of being nice and flat and broad, they're curled up.

And they're, they're gnarly and they're a little bit elongated.

And we can tell that this is, this is herbicide damage.

So with these herbicides- These herbicides on the label, when you read them, they're not supposed to leave the property.

They're supposed to be used back into the pasture.

And they're not- It says specifically on there that they're not supposed to be composted.

They're not supposed to be used with sensitive crops.

And so the only way that you can know if these are safe to use, in a vegetable crop, which ideally they're, they're supposed to stay on the property and be used back into the pasture is you'd have to do a field test.

And when you're field testing, that means they want you to grow something out and not see symptoms on that plant.

And then you'd know.

Amanda> So, if you want a, if you want to add something to the soil when you're planting what would be a safer way to go about it?

Vicky> You'd want to use a compost that you know where it came from, and that it's not a horse manure.

Amanda> And some of them are packaged and very easy to get, is that right?

<Right> That would be pretty safe.

Vicky> Ideally, that's what you're going to be doing.

So the thing is, is you need to know the source.

Amanda> Okay.

Well, alrighty.

Thanks a lot.

Well.

Terasa> Let's see if this one's good news, bad news.

Charles is in Patrick and said "he's been driving by soybean fields, and he notices that sometimes there's areas where the plants look stressed or they don't look like they're growing well."

And he's wondering why it might look like that?

What would be some reasons to see a part of the field doing really well and a part of the field, not so much.

Amanda> My goodness.

Well, Shelby what are some of the things you've run into in your work?

> Well, sometimes what you see above ground can contribute to what's going on below ground.

So, a big problem, especially in sandy soils, are nematodes.

And nematodes, if you don't know, they're small, sometimes just very, just visible to the eye.

And what they do is that they can have higher populations or pockets within certain fields, especially for row crop growers.

And, what they do is that they feed on the roots of the plant.

So that can affect how they take up nutrients or how they take up water and affect the overall plant health and almost kind of stump them and make them look not as good.

So a good practice would be, a lot of times people will do Enfero nematicides, for areas that they have a hard time controlling.

And also, crop rotation can help sometimes.

Amanda> You know and we think, "oh, you know, this is, you know, 500 acres and it's, you know, this kind of soil and blah, blah, blah."

But there really can be a lot of variations within a field, I believe.

Shelby> Yeah.

And so that's why it's also important to do sampling, in the fall.

And we just recently, redid some of our nematode publications as good resources for our row crop growers.

For the major row crops grown in South Carolina.

Amanda> Vicky, I had somebody call me one time, and they were in some super sandy soil over your way and they had been taking home cuttings from their grandmother's fig tree.

You know, which, you know, was, you know, as big as this room and, you know, you know, just had a million figs on it.

And the tree kept dwindling.

And we talked and talked and talked about it.

And that soil was so extremely sandy.

And nematodes are one of the things that are particularly problematic for a fig tree.

Who would have ever thought it?

Vicky> They're problematic all over the landscape.

So, in... where we are in the Midlands, there's so much sand and we've got multiple species that folks have to deal with.

And it's, it's not just row crops.

We often see it in turf grass.

I mean, there's when you, when you go and have the diagnosis, you know, there'll be three or four species.

Amanda> And there are lots of nematodes that are just not any trouble, whatsoever.

Vicky> Right.

So, and there are even beneficial nematodes.

There's ones that are biological control agents.

So it's really important that you have it tested, at the Nematode Assay Lab to figure out which nematode you're dealing with and if it is actually a problem or not.

Amanda> And they can- Well, gosh, you know, I mean, farmers have a lot to deal with.

Yeah, but they need to be diagnosticians as well.

Well, thanks for telling us all that.

Alrighty.

Well, Davis, you got some pot.

What are you going to do with this?

Davis> Well, what I'm going to do is I'm going to show people how to improve their container gardening.

How they can save a little bit of money.

And how they can help the environment.

You know, a lot of people, have... progressed more and more toward growing things in containers.

Small container here, big containers.

But the one thing that, that people ask the most is, "do I have to fill that whole thing up with soil?"

Amanda> Yeah... this is a big thing.

And the roots probably aren't, you know- Davis> Yeah, they're only going to be in the top six to eight inches of the container.

So what I have suggested is doing something to displace all of that excess soil.

A lot of people use, use crushed gravel.

They use broken up pottery, that kind of thing.

It's heavy.

<Yeah> Or they, they, sometimes use crushed soda bottles.

Amanda> You wanna put that up here where we can see it a little bit better.

Davis> Yeah.

They often use crushed soda bottles, which, do the same thing, but soda bottles can be recycled.

So why not recycle the things that can be reused?

Amanda> Oh, these are these awful plastic peanuts.

Davis> Those are, styrofoam peanuts.

And what a lot of people have used those for years also.

But when you have to repot the plant, a lot of times you take it out, the styrofoam just goes everywhere.

<Yeah> And styrofoam is something that's going to be in the landfill until the earth is no more.

Because they don't break down, they don't compost, they can't be recycled.

But if you take something like a mesh laundry bag or in this case, a media bag from a Koi pond filter and contain your, your styrofoam peanuts in that.

Just take it and drop it into the bottom of the pot there.

<Oh> Fits perfectly.

It creates an airspace in the bottom of the pot- Amanda> So you don't have to worry about it not draining properly.

Davis> Right.

It gives you good drainage and also helps root prune the, the plants that are growing in here so they don't grow down into the drain hole in the bottom of this and clog it up.

And it displaces half the volume of the soil here.

So it saves you 50 percent on your potting soil.

Amanda> And if you change it, you just rinse it off and you got it for the next, the new pot.

Davis> Exactly, when you repot it, you just take it out, set it aside, clean the pot out sterilize it if you need to.

Get your fresh potting soil, drop it back in, repot and here you go.

And the mesh bags usually have a drawstring.

You can leave that up near the surface, so when the time comes you just grab it and take it out.

So you've not only saved money, you've helped your plants, you've also helped the environment by repurposing something that otherwise cannot be redone.

Amanda> What a great idea.

Thank you, thank you.

And, thank you for bringing this big, heavy thing up and being strong enough to put it up here.

Let's see if you can get it down now.

Davis> Glad to do it.

Amanda> Okay, thanks.

Davis> Thank you.

Amanda> Okay, Terasa.

Terasa> Well, Vicky and I were talking earlier.

I like to share photos with her, and like to see the photos and videos she takes.

And she got a really interesting one of a dung beetle flying in.

And I see these in my landscape because both of us are dog owners.

And so if you don't pick up right away, you're probably likely to see a dung beetle out there doing their thing.

So maybe you could talk about what their thing is.

Amanda> You both have dogs, I'm guessing this is kind of a clue.

[laughter] Vicky> Yeah, it definitely is.

So the, beetle that I have, she came- This was in the middle of the day.

This was not at night.

She came flying in and crashed into our back door and it was very large.

So I wanted to- <Pow!> I wanted to go check it out.

And, this is, she doesn't have a common name.

So, this is Dichotomius carolinus.

And, she is one of the largest dung beetles that we have in our area.

<Come on.> And the cool thing about it, so in what we all learned in school, is that a dung beetle, they create their little, their little dung ball, and they roll it to where they're going to take it.

And lay their eggs and the larvae are going to feed inside that dung ball.

The difference with this particular beetle is that she's a, she's called a tunneler.

She's, she's designated as a tunneler.

So you'll have your pile and she's going to bury it right there on site.

<Oh> And I've got a cool video of her after I took lots of pictures of her and harassed her, of her burying herself in the landscape.

Amanda> Buried herself?

Vicky> She buried herself in the landscape, waiting for the next... for the next, pile of nutrition to come along.

[laughter] So, what happens is, as these beetles come along and they help us recycle things.

You'll find them out in cow pastures and horse pastures, in backyards with pets.

They help break down those piles that we have.

And sometimes with those piles, you're going to see an unusual thing.

Maybe you're going to have butterflies come out there and butterflies are collecting trace- <Sure> Trace minerals from there.

But, this particular beetle, she's going to bury it.

Help us, help us... I guess recycle.

Terasa> Yeah, I mean, we kind of have that theme of recycling going on.

Vicky> Nutrient recycling in our, in our landscape.

Amanda> And, you know, and now, with people who do have dogs when they walk them, we've now encouraged them to take these, specially designated bags so that they don't leave that kind of stuff where it can go into the streams, or even into people's, you know, vegetable garden or something.

I mean, it's real important to pay attention to that because there's a lot of bacteria which we want bacteria, but we don't want it in the wrong place.

Vicky> Right.

Right, right, right.

It's super important- You know, and be a good neighbor you know, pick up.

But there's... like, with the stormwater programs, there's, there's- Amanda> There's a lot of talk about that- Vicky> Containers about how to, how to bury... animal waste properly.

Amanda> Yeah.

And, we certainly hope that- you know, that in many cities now they have places where they have these, bags available for people who are walking their dogs.

Terasa> That's right.

Try to make it convenient.

Amanda> Yeah, okay.

Courteous.

Alright.

Well, Terasa.

Terasa> Next question.

Shirley from Heath Springs, she asked, "why is wheat planted in the fall and then harvested earlier in the summer than other crops?"

Amanda> Well, well, Shelby, in some places nothing's going to grow in the winter time, but I think here things can.

Shelby> Yes, compared to where I grew up, South Carolina definitely has a more mild winter.

But, down here in South Carolina, people grow winter wheat, and it's actually a pretty cool crop.

So they will, sow it in the fall and then you will harvest it around this time, you probably see some dried up wheat fields, that people are rushing to get out.

But, winter wheat has a gene.

And so it has- which represses flowering until it undergoes vernalization.

And so vernalization is a cold period, which is our winter.

And so with an extended, cold period, this repressed gene is no longer repressed.

And it allows the winter wheat to flower, which in turn allows pollination and seed filling.

And that's where you get your grain, which is what, the people want.

So in the Midwest, they have spring wheat, because they have very harsh winters.

And so up in the Midwest or Upper Midwest, they do spring wheat.

But down here we do winter wheat.

And it's also a good cover crop.

Amanda> And also, you know, people used to say "best thing since sliced bread."

It used to be, you know, in the South, we couldn't grow, the kind of wheat that had the Durum flour in it.

Which is what you need to make bread.

And so that's why we had- The wheat we could grow had soft flour.

And so that's why we made biscuits.

Which, gosh... I mean, it's nice to have a BLT but it's also- There's nothing wrong with biscuits is there?

Shelby> I like a good biscuit.

Amanda> Yeah.

They are fun, aren't they?

Okay.

Well, thank you so much.

Davis, what are we going to talk about now?

Davis> Well, what I have here is, a cautionary tale.

<Yeah> This is, this is a native plant.

And, of course, there's a huge interest in native plants.

<Sure> This one is a, a Spiraea.

This is Spiraea tomentosa.

<Yes> It's a, it's a western and southwestern native, but it has worked its way east.

Beautiful plant.

You can see it's got the pink flower heads up there.

Amanda> Can I pull one of them down?

Davis> Sure.

Yeah.

Let's get it over there where Joe can see it.

Beautiful pink flower heads.

The common name for this- Amanda> Oh, I think I picked- Joe's got it.

Davis> The common name for this Spiraea is Hardhack.

It's called Hardhack because it develops a really massive immense root system and it will colonize an area.

Amanda> Which would be good out there in arid places.

Davis> Right.

And it's also good for, for, for soil stabilization.

It's used extensively on riverbanks and streambanks because it will grow into the soil and it will stay there.

But it's called Hardhack because it, it gets so dense that you can't hack your way through.

<Wow> And once you've got it, you will have it because the root system, does regenerate pretty readily.

So this, the cautionary tale about this is just because something is a native plant doesn't mean that it's good for, a good plant for an urban landscape.

If you've got an area that, that you're having an erosion problem, which is, is a problem in the South, with, the red clay subsoil that a lot of times just won't sustain a lot of surface growth.

This would be a great plant for that.

Just make sure that you plant it somewhere where it's not going to encroach on the things that thrive in a deeper soil.

Amanda> I guess it doesn't have any problems.

Davis> None that, we've seen other than the fact that people plant it and then realize what they've done.

Amanda> Okay.

Well, thanks.

You know, because there are, you know, just because something's a native doesn't mean that you need to bring it in your landscape.

<Exactly> Do a little bit of work.

<Yeah> Davis> Find out, find out where it's native to.

And if you can duplicate that, then fine.

Amanda> All right.

Or make another choice.

Davis> Exactly.

Amanda> Okay.

Watermelons, watermelons.

Ah!

My children from California have been home Terasa, and they said they can't get watermelons there anything like as wonderful as the ones that grow here.

And, you know, they may just be right because we do have some pretty dandy watermelons.

Let's talk to the Watermelon Queen.

Amanda> Well, this is a happy time for me on Making It Grow because we're being visited by the South Carolina Watermelon Queen for 2026.

Tori Goldsmith from Travelers Rest.

Tori> Yes, ma'am.

Amanda> I want to congratulate you, because I think, this is the year that you've, said goodbye to teachers.

> Yes, ma'am.

I said goodbye to teachers.

I just graduated from Anderson University this year, but I'm actually saying hello back to teaching because I'm going to be teaching first grade next year, which is super exciting.

I get to, you know, teach them about phonics and stuff, but also how good watermelon is for them, so.

Amanda> Well, yeah.

Wouldn't it be fun?

You can take some in next year.

Tori> Hey, that's the plan.

That's the plan.

You gotta let them know how good it is.

Amanda> Well, anyway, watermelons- Although, you know, we think of, you know, cotton and peanuts, but watermelons are a pretty big part of South Carolina's economy.

Tori> Oh, yeah.

So, we actually have a lot of watermelon farmers here in South Carolina.

Especially Columbia down, because they like that sandy soil.

But with that, it plays a large role in our economy, especially because the watermelons you see even in big grocery stores are grown here on family farms in South Carolina.

Amanda> Family farms, which is so sweet to think about.

And those farmers, grow other things as well, because this is a specialty crop for a certain time of year.

When do our watermelon start coming in mostly?

Tori> Yes, of course.

So, our watermelon season is primarily mid-June to mid-July, with obviously, July 4th being our peak, which, what a great peak, may I add.

But that's why recipes like this one are so good, because they're great to have by the pool, cool you off, maybe at the park anywhere you might be where it's scorching hot outside in the middle of the summer, watermelon is ready for you, then.

Amanda> Are watermelons good for you?

Tori> Yes, ma'am.

So, they're actually a multivitamin within themselves, and they're packed with so many vitamins like A, B-6, C, all the things you can need.

Plus they have a lot of amino acids.

And since water follows amino acids, the 92 percent of water that makes up that watermelon helps hydrate you really fast.

Amanda> Didn't they do a study at some, at a college here to look into that?

Tori> Yes, ma'am.

Of course, so at the Citadel, it's obviously very hot there, being close to Charleston and such.

They did a study with their athletes, seeing what hydrates them better, either watermelon or sports drinks.

And then, at the end of the season, they concluded that watermelon actually hydrates you a lot better than leading sports drinks, which is where our South Carolina own term "watermelon fuels athletes" originated from.

Amanda> Oh, okay.

That's really cool.

Tori> Yes, ma'am.

So now we actually visit all the D1 colleges in the state and give them watermelon to their football teams to help hydrate them after those long practices.

Amanda> That's wonderful.

And I think, before the school year is out, you go to a lot of schools, and places, in South Carolina to make sure these children get to taste watermelon.

Tori> Oh, yeah.

And especially at their field days, as well.

Amanda> Yeah.

Because they're the little athletes then.

But doing, you know, the over-under and their little tug of war and all that.

They need to refuel too.

So we hand out some watermelon to all of them, make sure they're nice and hydrated, but also just to see how good it tastes.

Give them a other sweet option outside of candy.

Amanda> And these are red.

I think of watermelons as being red, but they've done, they've developed some orange ones and some yellow ones?

Tori> Yes, ma'am.

So, while red is, you know, the most basic and primary color you think of when you hear watermelon, they do come in orange and yellow.

Also, those are just a little bit more rare to find.

If you want some of those, you could potentially go to a farmer's market or sometimes at more upscale restaurants.

They'll have them there as well.

Amanda> But they all are delicious.

<Oh, yeah.> And some people actually prefer seeded watermelons.

Tori> Yes.

Amanda> And so I think some people grow both.

<Right> And, but watermelons need to be pollinated.

So if you go to a place where they're growing watermelons, do they have bees there and flowers to attract them?

Tori> Yes, ma'am.

So bees are actually a huge part of growing watermelon that is very, very crucial for us.

So, you'll often find some other crops like some of our other farmers will grow blueberries and other things like that.

But also you might just see some pretty flowers out beside it too.

But anything to get those bees to us, we will take.

Amanda> Okay, well, the result is, as we can see, just wonderful.

Tori> I know you can do a lot with the result too.

Amanda> But if you, when watermelons are really coming in if you want to do a lot with them, you can make things for your family.

And I think today we're going to make, something special.

Tori> Yes.

So today we're going to make a watermelon shortbread pie.

So this is the finished product right here.

But today we're going to make a smaller version of that here in this cup.

<Okay> That is perfect for if you have kids or if you just want a personal little sized one for just you or just you and one other person that works really well, if you don't want to make a big one.

Amanda> Alright.

Well, let's see if we can put it together.

Tori> Perfect.

So we're going to start with some shortbread.

We have went ahead and mushed this up.

You can do bigger pieces or more crushed up if you like.

But you're just gonna put a thin little layer right in the bottom of the cup.

That looks pretty good.

<Okay> And then you are going to next add your watermelon.

So if you're making a big pie that is four cups of this super chopped up watermelon, you want to drain it as much as you can.

But that's already done for us, luckily.

So you can go ahead and add it right on top of that shortbread.

You're a pro.

Amanda> A little more maybe?

Tori> I think a little more, ...but I'm a big fan of watermelons.

Amanda> I am too.

And they're actually cut up relatively small.

Tori> Yes.

For sure.

Amanda> All right.

Tori> A little more easier to bite.

You can never have too many.

I love it.

And then, you know you're basically just adding more vitamins in there if you think about it.

<Sure> Oh yeah.

So then we're going to do another small little layer of shortbread.

Amanda> Okay, the top crust of the pie.

Tori> This will be our crust of the pie.

Tori> That is looking good.

Amanda> Yum, Yum.

Tori> Oh yeah.

And then if you like more shortbread, there you go.

You can add more, but if you are wanting to focus more on the watermelon you can add more of that too.

And then lastly, to add a little finishing touch, we have some Cool Whip here, and you're just going to put a dollop right on top.

<Okay> You can also use whipped cream.

But we found that Cool Whip holds up a little better, and tastes just as good.

<Okay> Yes.

And then you have a super- Amanda> I'm gonna... let's see.

Tori> Oh, let's see it.

Amanda> Yeah.

Well, I think we need the cherry on top of the pie.

Tori> You are smart.

That is so delicious, and even prettier now, too.

So you might get some kudos if you serve that at your next summer party, of course.

Amanda> Okay, Tori, thank you so much for coming and reminding us about our wonderful homegrown watermelons and, also telling us another way that we can enjoy them.

Tori> Of course.

Thank you guys for having me.

I love getting to share recipes, especially ones that are easy but a crowd pleaser.

So I really appreciate you guys having me on.

Amanda> Glad you came.

Tori> Thank you.

Amanda> Terasa, we've got time to help somebody else?

Terasa> We're going to try to help Sam in Chesterfield.

Sam wants to know, "when farmers decide what to plant, how do they choose the specific type of seed that's going to do best in their fields?"

Amanda> Well, that's pretty important, I think.

How do they do that?

Shelby> Well, that can be one of the biggest choices that they make in a whole production year.

But a lot of times people, they go to their salesman to get certain varieties.

And there's a lot of information out there from a lot of different companies.

Amanda> So there are representatives of different seed companies?

Is that what- Shelby> Yes.

<Okay, alright.> And so that's where Clemson Extension comes in because we're your unbiased resource.

So what a lot of our specialists do is they do have different variety trials.

So for example- Amanda> Do they?

Corn variety trials.

And so they take a lot of the, different varieties from different companies and put them together in different locations all across the state.

And so they can- They look at yield, they look at disease pressure, and some other measurements depending on the crop.

And that way, the public and growers, they can look at this and say, "okay, they're not trying to just sell me something so they get money out of me."

It's a good way to be the middleman between research and industry and... the person trying to grow whatever they need.

Amanda> Okay.

And... you know, I'm sure, I mean, nobody's trying to sell you something that they shouldn't.

I mean, they're reputable people.

But at any rate, there could be slight differences depending on where they did their research and what the conditions are right here, where you're trying to grow something.

Shelby> Yes.

And also it's a way to show that, we're not getting something specific out of it, like monetary value or promotion.

We're here to help them.

So if they want to use this seed from this company or this seed from that other company, we can say "this is a research that we found, in these different areas."

Amanda> And don't we sometimes have field days where you can go and see the results of these trials?

Shelby> Yes.

We have field days at Pee Dee Research and Education Center and Edisto Research and Education Center.

And those will be coming up this summer.

Amanda> Okay.

And the public's invited to come.

<Yes> Shelby, thank you for that.

Davis, before we go, I think we've got time to squeeze somebody in... Davis> Yeah, we've got Hakonechloa or Japanese Forest Grass.

This is a bright chartreuse grass.

There are a lot of, yellow-leaf cultivars.

This particular one is a deciduous grass.

It's going to die back in the wintertime, come back in the summer, in spring, rather.

It is very shade tolerant, loves moist soil, and it gives you a pop of color underneath those dogwoods and redbuds, that cast such dense shade.

Amanda> Lovely, lovely, lovely.

Thanks.

And thanks to all of y'all.

And thank you at home.

Hope you can 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.

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.