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Making It Grow! News Articles

January 28th

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gardeners are always looking for unbiased accurate information on
plants and plant care. this can be best found at land grant
institutions in their respective states. the land grant university for
south carolina is clemson and it has a great deal of information on
gardening. it can be found at the "home and garden information center"
(http://hgic.clemson.edu).

question: we just purchased a home near chapin on lake murray. it has
5 palmetto trees that are 3-4 years old. what suggestions do you have
in keeping these plants healthy? the sabal palmetto is out state tree,
so you must do everything possible to keep it healthy. it is also
called the "cabbage palm". palms frequently suffer from nutritional
problems. nitrogen, potassium, magnesium, and manganese are elements
which need to be monitored closely. iron deficiency can develop if the
soil pH becomes very alkaline. generally, you do not have to worry
about insects. there are several leaf spot diseases that can cause
problems. for treatment of pests and addtional information visit the
website for clemson's "home and garden inforation center".

question: i planted mexican heather last summer and now it is
brown and dry. is it dead or will it come back in the spring?
mexican heather is gaining in popularity for many south carolina
gardeners. it blooms all summer and makes a good potted plant for the
patio. its purple blooms adds color to any landscape. in the midlands
of our state mexican heather does not have enough cold tolerance to
survivie. your plants are probably dead.

question: i live near ridgeway and have a steep bank leading up
from my yard to the road. i need to plant something that will
quickly spread to prevent erosion. would you recommend crown
vetch? crown vetch may not have the heat and drought tolerance.
you may want to try weeping love grass. it can be found along
many of our highways. this is a perennial that has fine feathery leaf
blades. this warm season grass doesn't require much mowing. another
source of information is the "natural resource conservation service".
it is a usda agency and can be found in the phone book under us
government. they specialize in recommendations and practices that
reduce erosion.