South Carolina ETV

Making It Grow! News Articles

March 7th

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the south is blessed with a long growing season. it is also
"blessed" with a large number of pests which cause problems for
homeowners almost twelve months a year. contolling these pests
presents a constant challenge for us. most of the time control
requires constant attention since pests are very seldon totally
eradicated from around the hoime landscape. learn more about
controlling pests around the home by watching "making it grow" ,
tuesday march 13 at 8pm, live on all sc etv stations.

question: ground moles are tearing up my lawn. how do i
permanently get rid of them? first of all, don't think you can
permanently get rid of a pest. ground moles are mammals that feed on
below ground insects, such as grubs. you basically have two choices.
you can trap the ground moles. traps are available at most home and
garden centers. this is probably your best choice. the other option is
to kill the below ground insects. this removes the food source and the
moles will leave. unfortunately, when the insects return, so will the
moles.

question: i have a plum tree that is 4 years old. the plums are
always small and usually drop off. the tree is growing very slowly.
what is my best solution? shedding fruit is natural when a plant is
put under stress. my first thought would be water stress. if you know
water has not been the limiting factor, then you can take a soil and
nematode sample. low soil pH and ring nematodes can both cause poor
growth. the last possiblilty would be the plant is root bound. this is
due to improper planting. if this is the case, you have no choice
except to plant another plum tree.