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 sure are glad that you can find time to squeeze us into your schedule.

Everything gets so busy in the summertime.

I'm Amanda McNulty and I went to Clemson University and got to study horticulture.

Oh, what a happy thing to do, honestly.

It was just wonderful, it really was.

And botany classes were really good- And that was when I first saw Beaver Pond, believe it or not.

They had just been coming back because I'm slightly on the older side, anyway.

Anyway... and Terasa Lott you also are a Clemson person.

And we just are so grateful that you come over here and answer questions that people put in.

You do our Facebook.

Gosh, what would we do without you?

> Well, hopefully we don't have to answer that question because I don't plan on going anywhere.

I love being part of Making It Grow .

But you're right about life being busy, and sometimes our yard and gardens contribute to that.

This is kind of the height of the season.

So you gotta keep up, especially those weeds.

My husband and I were gone for about ten days on vacation, and the amount of weeds that we came back to, it was... a little sad, but we worked for a few hours together- Amanda> You got a garden out back.

Terasa> In the garden, the vegetable garden.

Amanda> Oh, la, la, la.

Yeah, they can- That's why they call them weeds.

They're very, very vigorous.

Terasa> They are quite vigorous.

You have to admire their tenacity.

Dr.

Nelson> They can be very interesting.

<They can.> And we should be looking out for weeds to figure out if there are new ones coming in.

Terasa> That is true, yes.

Amanda> Okay.

Well, Zack Snipes, you're a Commercial Hort.

Agent based down in Charleston.

And, it's always fun because you are working with these growers.

And growers are different these days.

They're not just- Nobody was ever boring, but these guys are really not boring.

> Yeah, growers these days are very technologically advanced, and they're using a lot of, you know, AI and computer models and sensors.

And it's a very high tech world these days.

Amanda> So are some of them teaching you things?

Zack> Oh, absolutely.

Absolutely.

Probably more so that way than the other way.

Amanda> Well, it's fun.

<It is.> And fun people to have as friends, I'm sure.

<Absolutely> Yeah, yeah, yeah.

John Nelson, taught me a number of years ago at the University of South Carolina.

Oh, I just had the best time.

And when we went to Sesqui and... other kids wouldn't walk in the water.

And I thought, "Well, shoot, of course we're going to walk in the water!"

Dr.

Nelson> Of course.

I mean what were they afraid of?

Amanda> I'll be danged if I know.

But, they wouldn't go in it.

But anyway, thank you for that wonderful, wonderful experience.

> That was a great time.

Amanda> Of course, you were at the A.C.

Moore Herbarium then.

And, I think now every time I see you, you're carrying- Where's your... I don't even see your plant press.

Dr.

Nelson> It's out in the car.

Amanda> It's out in the car?

I mean, you just never stop finding things.

Dr.

Nelson> There's stuff everywhere.

Amanda> Yeah, yeah.

And Herrick's doing such a good job in your absence.

And he came on, and had been up to... wherever Hawaii is out there in the middle of nowhere.

Dr.

Nelson> One of those oceans.

Amanda> Yeah and just told us all kinds of fun things about that trip.

We're glad to have him as part of our team.

Yeah.

Steve Bennett, we're happy you're here.

I think you and John were compatriots, a number of years ago.

<We were.> And you were a Herpetologist and Wildlife Biologist at SCDNR.

> I was, for 32 years.

It was great.

I had a wonderful time.

Amanda> And I bet you're still out there picking up critters.

> I am.

Once you've sort of walked down that road, you never... get off of it.

Probably not as fast and as spry as I used to be, but I'm still out there doing it.

Amanda> Okay, when it's cooler, it's easier to catch things.

Steve> That's right.

And when it's really, really hot- I used to tell people all the time, snakes don't like it very, very hot any more than we do.

Amanda> One of the happiest days of my life was, I was downstairs and going to the downstairs bathroom, and there was a tree frog on the outside of the commode.

I just thought, "Heaven has come to me.

This is so very, very, very wonderful."

We're going to have some fun things to do.

You hear me talk about Hank and Ann, Hank and Ann because that's where I get all my flowers.

Well on the property where they live, one of Hank's cousin's daughter, has started a horse rescue business.

And that's gonna be, very interesting for you to watch.

And encouraging and kind of tug at your heart a little bit too.

And then Terasa, I think you went to see an arborist.

Terasa> I did.

So, someone who specializes in the care and cultivation and assessing the health of trees.

Amanda> Yep, yep.

And we know how important trees are, for shade.

I mean, everything about them, for the wildlife that needs them.

And then, of course, Doug Tallamy has taught us that... a lot of these native trees are stunningly important for wildlife.

Terasa> If you want the most bang for your buck, get an oak.

Amanda> Oak tree, yeah.

And oak trees, I mean, who wouldn't want a oak tree?

Yeah.

Alrighty, well, Terasa have people been sending in pictures of their yards and pot plants and things like that?

Terasa> They sure have, Amanda.

This is what we call our "Gardens of the Week" segment.

And it's where we feature you, our viewers.

Where you can share photos of things that you're growing in your yard, your garden, houseplants, wildlife.

Today we begin with Mary Bradshaw, who shared beautiful white lilies from her garden in Sumter.

From Wendy Brinker, a snapshot of her yard in Ridgeland, which she described as "where butterflies play all day."

It sounds like a place I'd want to sit and just observe.

From Wayne Herlong, a close up showing two Spanish moss flowers.

Which I thought was a really neat photo since people, you know, it's not Spanish, nor is it moss.

It actually is a flowering plant in the pineapple family.

From Robin Michaux, she said she loves the bright white, wispy flowers of her Shasta daisy.

And we round up this part of the show with Janet Cartledge, who had a flower garden that she says is looking much better after some needed rain in Appling, Georgia.

We want to thank all of you that submitted photos.

This is just a random sampling of what was shared on our Facebook page.

You can go there any time you like and see what was submitted, and I hope that you'll share your photos when you see our call for "Gardens of the Week."

Amanda> Well, thank you to everybody who sent things and for working so hard and having pretty things for their neighbors to enjoy seeing.

Well, usually you have some questions for us.

Can you help us with something?

Terasa> We do.

I think that's one of the things that Clemson Extension is known for, is answering questions, especially those related to yards and gardens.

This one comes in from Robert in Aiken.

Not about plants, but this is "Do snake repellents actually work?

And if not, what else can I do to keep snakes out of my yard?"

Now, I asked just the opposite question.

I'm happy to invite them into my yard.

Amanda> I know, I know, I know.

Snake repellent, I haven't even heard of it.

Steve> I have to be careful talking about this because there are a number of commercially available snake repellents and- Amanda> To repel them for what?

Steve> That's... to keep them out of your yard.

And the vast majority of those are some form of mothballs.

Naphthalene, which is a volatile chemical.

Which if you close it in your closet and it turns into a gas, it stays in your closet and doesn't go away.

If you put it on your lawn, it eventually goes up into the atmosphere.

So it doesn't last very long.

And also the first rain comes around, sort of melts it.

But the other thing is, there's- it's really doubtful that it works any way, unless you could build a six-foot tall, four-foot wide wall of mothballs.

So I think, I would never recommend that to anyone.

But there are some common sense things you can do.

I'm sort of like, Terasa is like "why would you want to keep rat snakes out of your yard?

They're eating mice and rats and doing good things."

But, you know, one of the things is think about it from the snake's perspective, they want to hide.

They want to find a place they can't be seen.

So if you have that old pile of bricks, that old pile of firewood or, you know, whatever it is.

Amanda> Brush piles that we do on purpose, I mean- Steve> Brush piles you do... that's right.

And they're great in the woods or maybe somewhere down- But if you want to make your house, your home less hospitable- And I'll tell you another thing, Ivy, the English Ivy, which is, you know, I mean- Amanda> You should get rid of that anyway.

Steve> Yeah, anyway, but that's a- It forms a thick mat and snakes hide under it.

So you want to, basically take away any of the places that snakes could hide and, and could find shelter.

Because if they do, then they might tend to stay there a little bit longer.

And, you know, certainly- Amanda> So you can have a boring yard.

Steve> You can have a boring yard.

But, you know, so many people worry about snakes and... it's, they're really not the problem that most people think they are.

But, there are some things you can do that if you want to, I would say, you can't eliminate the chances of snakes coming into your yard, completely.

But you can sort of lower the, the probability.

Amanda> Okay.

Okay.

Well, if that worries you, thank you for helping people figure out what they could do.

Or they could move to an apartment building, I guess.

Steve> That's right.

Amanda> It's unlikely that they'd be in there.

Okay.

Well, Terasa.

Terasa> Let's see what's up next.

How bout we try to help Jim in Charleston?

Who's having a tomato problem.

"What is wrong with the bottom of my tomato?"

Amanda> Tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes.

Terasa> Makes me think of a tomato sandwich.

Amanda> The elusive tomato.

Sometimes.

Zack> It is tomato season, so we're getting a lot- Amanda> I just meant it's hard sometimes for people to have a great tomato out of their vegetable garden.

Zack> Yeah, it's one of the harder crops, I think, to grow.

I think the cherry and grape type tomatoes are easier, but the slicing tomatoes, can be very tough.

Amanda> Uh, la, la, la.

Yeah.

> But we've gotten this question a lot in the office, so I brought some props- <Thank you.> Here.

And what they're referencing... and we get this every year is called blossom end rot.

And so- John might have a different name for it.

We talked about this earlier.

<Yeah> But it's at the far end of the tomato.

Dr.

Nelson> It is at the, the away end of the tomato.

In that the, where the petals were or at the bottom of the tomato.

<Okay> And what people usually call the rot part, that's at the farther away end.

If that makes sense.

That is what we botanist call a superior ovary.

And all those flower parts were on the, on the- Zack> On this, this- Dr.

Nelson> On that end of the tomato, when it was in bloom.

Amanda> Well, let's talk about what happened with this, the other end.

[laughter] Zack> Yes, so whatever end you want to want to call it or whatever we're renaming it, it is referenced as blossom end rot.

And what happens is it's a calcium deficiency.

And so the first thing people try to do is go to the store and buy a calcium spray.

That doesn't work.

Do not waste your money doing that.

Plants take up nutrients, most of them through their roots, you know.

Very little nutrients get taken up through the leaves.

So that's not going to work.

Putting eggshells at the bottom of the plant hole is not going to work.

More times than not, we have enough calcium in our soils.

The issue is water transport of the calcium.

So we have to have water to take that calcium through the plant to the fruit.

And the fruit is developing so fast that it's at the very end of the line of the plant.

And so if any part of the plant is not going to get calcium, it's the very end of it.

<Okay> So I describe it kind of like a balloon with a weak spot in it.

It's not really noticeable until you blow up the balloon and that area gets bigger as you blow it up.

So it's the same way, with blossom end rot.

So the way to correct that, is just with consistent watering.

A lot of people, you know, will water just at night.

It might be better to water two, three, four times a day, but shorter amounts of time to keep the soil an even moisture.

Amanda> So the plant can have a continuous supply of- Zack> Of water, which is going to transport the calcium.

Amanda> Is it generally earlier in the season?

Zack> Yeah.

So we see it on the first flush usually of tomatoes.

And some cultivars are more susceptible than others.

A lot of the new hybrid varieties, you'll still see it but not as much.

These obviously, the way they look, they're heirlooms.

Heirlooms are... it's very common on heirlooms.

Another question we'll get, and you can kind of see it on this one is there's some fungal growth in there.

And they're like, "well, it is a fungus that's attacking it."

But what happens is we have an open wound from the blossom end rot.

And then we have, a saprophytic or just an opportunistic fungi that comes in and lands there.

Amanda> "Well look, this would be a great place for me."

Zack> Free food, free buffet.

So we see that a lot.

Usually, the first fruits that develop will turn red really quick.

And that's a kind of a telltale sign that you got blossom end rot.

Amanda> So the red one that you have there, if you ate the top of it, is the top okay?

Zack> It's perfectly fine.

Just to cut that out.

Amanda> Oh, thank goodness.

Good, okay.

Zack> But another, you know, another kind of similar issue and you'll kind of see it on this one that's not blossom end rot.

And so, you see some scarring around the end.

And usually that's associated- Amanda> Hold it still, so we can a picture.

Zack> Usually that's associated with, a pollination issue.

And a lot of times, the heirlooms are more susceptible to that.

And we see it a lot in Windy Springs where we have... the flower, you know, kind of getting beat up by the environment.

Amanda> Okay.

Okay.

Zack> Yeah.

But just things to look out for that we're getting a lot of questions coming into the office.

Amanda> Yeah.

And thank goodness for cherry tomatoes.

I mean, because- And now they have all these ones that taste so good.

<Yeah> I mean, it's a little bit hard to make a sandwich out of them, but you can.

Then you just have to decide what kind of mayonnaise.

<That's right.> [laughter] Anyway, we won't go down that path.

<We won't.> Dr.

Nelson> And potato chips.

<Huh?> And potato chips.

Amanda> Oh that's right, because you put potato chips in your tomato sandwiches, which is... something that I was not familiar with.

Zack> Like, plain potato chips?

Dr.

Nelson> Plain.

None of that barbecue stuff.

Amanda> Did your mama give them to you that way?

Zack> That sounds good.

Dr.

Nelson> Yeah.

Amanda> She did?

<Yeah> Where was your mama from?

Dr.

Nelson> West Virginia.

Amanda> Okay.

Well, West Virginia people.

Okay.

[laughter] Terasa> Moving, right along.

Yes, yes.

Let's see who else we can help.

How about... so many questions, so many things to choose from.

Scott in Brevard would like some help with an identification.

Said, "Getting to summer, sometimes I see these tall orange flowers that someone said might be a kind of Easter lily.

They're very pretty.

What are they?

Are they some kind of daylily?"

And we have a photo to go along with the question.

Amanda> All right, Dr.

John, help us out here.

Dr.

Nelson> Oh, boy.

What a nice photo.

You know, there are a good many different kinds of lilies, around the southeast and even in South Carolina.

And, there's one of them- Amanda> That are indigenous?

Dr.

Nelson> That are, that are native.

<Okay> We do have- You're right, we do have some imports that are not native species.

But, and I'll tell you what, I was... Scott and... I used to call it, well, I still do, "Bre-verd."

I think that's a cool name for that town up in North Carolina.

But anyway, so what Scott in Brevard is seeing is a native lily called Turk's Cap.

Amanda> Alrighty.

Dr.

Nelson> And it is, it really is spectacular.

Because, for one thing, the flowers are so brightly colored orange with speckles all over the- Amanda> Can't miss it.

Dr.

Nelson> The inner surface.

And the petals and the sepals, the tepals curve backwards, it's really wonderful.

You know, I wonder if people have seen this with hummingbirds pollinating them.

Cause... [Dr.

Nelson correcting himself] Hummingbirds love these flowers.

And they fly up and they stick their little beaks inside- <Okay> To get nectar.

But it's- Amanda> But a happy occurrence to see that.

Dr.

Nelson> Turks Cap Lily is what he's got.

Amanda> And I would imagine that there are people who... correctly propagate this.

Now, we don't go out and dig anything up in the wild, but I imagine that there are some people who do this correctly and offer it to the public.

I would think.

Dr.

Nelson> I think that, at reputable native plant nurseries, there's probably, the right kind of outlets for this, particular species and its relatives.

Amanda> I've only seen it in the mountains.

Can you grow it down here in the Midlands?

Dr.

Nelson> Turk's Cap is, has been known from... this state.

Not very commonly and not always in the mountains.

But it's rarely seen on the coastal plain.

Amanda> But we could try it.

<Sure> Yeah, why not?

It's fun to try things.

Alrighty.

Well, thank you so much.

That was- Thank you for showing us that.

It is stunningly beautiful isn't it?

Okay.

We're going now to Singleton Stables where, just a tremendous undertaking of rescuing horses that have been neglected.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Amanda> I'm at Singleton, outside Saint Matthews, South Carolina, and talking to Trish Phillips.

And Trish, you have a horse rescue business.

What a fascinating idea!

Why do horses need rescuing?

> Well, several of our horses that need rescuing have been neglected or their owners are not happy anymore, or they've been abused, not fed, injured, and the owners can't handle the situation.

So, you know, in a perfect world, we wouldn't need a rescue, but we like to help them find their forever homes.

And that's the goal, is that every horse gets a person.

Amanda> And you have to have a facility to do that.

And stunningly, right across the street from where you live is Singleton, where Mr.

Henry Wienges first grew asparagus, I think, a long time ago.

But he needed a barn for his horses and mules.

And it's just a fun story how it all evolved.

Tell us a little bit about the barn and why he got to have a brick barn.

Trish> Okay.

So, way back when they, you know, they were not vehicles.

So the train came through, and- Amanda> To pick up the asparagus?

Trish> Yes.

To pick up the asparagus.

And they had a cart.

So, when the train would come through, it delivered bricks.

And this is how the barn was built, you know, in 1870s.

And the family had five children.

And those five children, they used the mules that were shipped here on the train to plow the fields.

And so the barn has been significant in history with the horses throughout, you know, our family.

And then later on, Othniel Wienges, he had race horses here.

So he had thoroughbreds that he would breed and train.

And he did that for several years.

Actually, when I was in high school- Amanda> Oh, for a long, long time.

Trish> Yeah, when I was in high school, I worked out here for him.

So he is their third cousin.

So it's the... the barn has always been a part of the history of Saint Matthews and had the horses, with our family, and it's just it's just a wonderful place.

And I'm so blessed and thankful that I'm able to use it for the horse rescue.

Amanda> Yes, Carol Laffitte has been wonderful, allowing you to use this facility.

Trish> Yes, she has.

Amanda> And, Othniel was her father.

And, it's fun because they even filmed part of a movie here.

That's why it's all decorated in here.

Trish> Yes, I was actually an extra, Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken .

Yes, this was the barn from Atlantic City, and, I remember I was, I was young.

I was probably like six or seven, and they... all the people came out here and they had the jumping horses and... just a wonderful place.

You know.

Amanda> It was fun.

Yeah.

Well, let's talk about some of the fun, four legged critters that are here right now and how they came to you.

Trish> So we have several different ones that have been through the barn.

And we've had six that have been adopted already.

Amanda> And that's the goal.

Trish> Yes.

Amanda> So that you can take more because there's a limit to how many you can handle.

Trish> Right... we can't.

Yes.

So one of them, is a miniature, and she was at a horse rescue.

And the horse rescue closed.

And so she actually was a therapy horse that would go into nursing homes.

And she would just let the elderly people, you know, love on her.

And, and she's here now.

She's kind of, our promotional horse.

Like, she's going to go places with us.

<Wonderful> Because she's so friendly and she loves everything.

And then we have a connection with the race trainer down the road.

And he, when the horse is injured, they are not able to resell them or they don't want them to go to a bad home because these are very nice horses.

Amanda> And sometimes, they have to put them down, but since you're here, you've been able to take some of those, I believe, <Yes> and help them through their injuries.

Trish> We've helped, three so far.

We would like to continue that.

But, you know, at the same time it's where we're needed.

And then we've had, sometimes people get horses and they don't realize how much it takes to care for them.

And so we've helped those.

We've had people that have passed away.

So we help their family by caring for, by finding a home for their horse.

Amanda> When Eliza Frezil is here from Los Angeles and comes down here, she always wants to talk to Piglet.

And Piglet is not particularly friendly.

Trish> No, he's not.

Amanda> He's kind of a little tiny thing.

Trish> He's, he's a jalapeno.

Yep.

He is... he is a bit much.

But, you know, we can catch him now, sometimes.

And, he was running around the neighborhood.

He was an intact horse.

So he was a stud.

And he would slip in and out of other horse's pastures on the dirt road, and he would bother them.

He was harassing... <Of course.> Yeah.

And... so he is, he is learning to be a good horse.

But we're... Amanda> He's a slow learner.

Trish> Yeah.

He's a slow learner.

But at least he's gelded now.

And he is contained.

Amanda> Well, and he likes to eat Life Savers.

Trish> He does.

Amanda> Don't ask me.

Trish> And he will, And he loves a treat now.

He'll take the treat out your hand.

<Yeah> But don't try to catch him.

He's come a long way.

Amanda> People don't realize that you can't just get a horse and turn it out in a pasture.

Just like us, they need yearly checkups.

Except, they've- since you're getting new horses in and things happen you have to have them looked at by a vet more frequently, I think.

Trish> Yes, you're exactly right.

We actually have a quarantine barn also, where they're kept separate, and stalled, if need be.

We have one horse that's almost 30, Mac.

He was, he came here about three years ago, and he's still going strong.

But he needs special feed.

So he gets special, chopped alfalfa that's easier for him to eat because he doesn't have any front teeth.

[laughter] So, and then he also gets a mash that is soupy to help him, you know, stay healthy, and have, good guts.

And then he also gets senior feed.

So he is, a very special care.

He is, a sanctuary horse because he, he's almost 30, and it would just be, it would be cruel to put him somewhere that would have to make him restart and relearn- Amanda> New friends, new people, other new horses because they socialize together.

Trish> Yes, they do.

They do.

Amanda> And then you have a dentist that comes.

Trish> Yes.

So everyone gets their teeth done.

So horses teeth grow longer, and as they grow longer, they grow, they sharpen.

And it can cause them not able to chew the hay because they need the... the flat- Amanda> Yeah, grind.

Trish> Yeah.

So they file, the horse dentist will file the teeth down.

And that way they're able to chew hay better.

[laughing] Amanda> But again you have a board now, <Yes> because you've got a big heart and you would just take everything in the world.

And you really do have to look and see, if it's a good fit.

Trish> Yeah.

They do, they rein me in.

Amanda> And then people apply to adopt horses.

And I think y'all are, y'all really scrutinize them.

Trish> Yes.

I mean, in a nice way.

Amanda> Oh course.

Yeah.

> We have an application process, and, they apply, and then it goes in front of a committee, and... if we think it could be a good fit, we, you know, go out and see their, living situation and ask what they plan to do with the horse and things like that.

And then, you know, after everything is approved, then they can adopt the horse.

Amanda> I think you go periodically and check just to be sure that everything's still fine.

Trish> Yes.

So we don't want them to end up in the situation like they were in before, especially if it was, not fed or neglected.

And we've, you know, worked so hard to get them healthy and happy.

So, we do follow through and it's, it's a forever home situation, is what we ask, <Yeah> as kind of our contract, so.

And it works and it works.

And then we also have horses that, you know, people don't necessarily have a pasture, you know, maybe someone who lives in the city or someone that, can't, you know, take care of the horse for any reason where people sponsor.

So we have two horses here that are sponsored right now.

Amanda> Really?

What are their names?

Trish> So, Maci.

Maci, the therapy horse.

And then we have Goldie, Goldie Locks, and she's actually pregnant.

Amanda> My goodness gracious.

Trish> She is about to pop.

And she came from- Someone found her at a, a sale barn.

And they called and said "if we sponsor her, will you take her?"

And I said, "okay."

So we, so we've been, we let her come along and we're helping her get through her pregnancy.

And, we've had the vet out a few times for her.

Amanda> I guess.

Yeah, yeah.

Trish> And, and she's gotten a lot healthier.

So we're hoping that we'll have an easy- Amanda> Wonderful.

Then you got- Trish> Then we got another one.

[laughing] Yeah, so.

Amanda> Who could deny, a home to a, to a little precious mama and her baby?

<Right> Amanda> That'll be fun.

Don't you think?

<Yes> Well, I think Singleton Stables is just a real fortunate thing that you and your friends and, and your board have established and, and that Carol Laffitte has made it possible.

And, it's just I love coming out here.

Hank and Ann who are my friends, we just love to come out and see what's going on.

And you've, had people build loafing sheds.

<Yes> And everybody in the community, I think is thrilled with what's happening and we applaud you for- This is a lot of work.

You have a regular full-time job.

Trish, this is wonderful.

And to your board too, we thank you all for what you all are doing.

Trish> Thank you so much for coming and having us on your show.

♪ ♪ ♪ Amanda> As you see, my daughter, who's visiting from Los Angeles, Eliza Frezil has made friends with several of these horses and loves to go out and see them.

As do we all.

Yeah.

It's really so much fun.

Yeah, yeah.

Carrots.

But Piglet also likes Life Savers.

Don't ask me how Piglet, they found out that Piglet liked Life Savers, but that's one of Piglet's favorite things.

And what Piglet wants, Piglet gets.

Okay.

Alrighty.

Terasa> Look at your hat!

Amanda> Oh, oh.

That's right.

[laughter] Yeah, so... and I did not intend for this to happen, but, I was, coming across the 601 causeway and this wonderful trumpet creeper, which is not a creeper.

It's, anything but.

But isn't it just wonderful?

And, hummingbirds love it and all sorts of things.

And interestingly, in China... they have a native trumpet creeper, but ours, just like their things don't behave over here.

Our trumpet creeper, there is one of the things that's most damaging.

on the Great Wall.

And so they're having to try to keep that in check.

You know, where things originated, there are usually natural things that just kind of say, you know, you can grow this way, you know, but you don't get too out of bounds.

But this one does.

And actually this one can be a little bit vigorous, in home situations.

But it's great for junkyards.

Covering the fences, right?

Terasa> Well, I hope I don't live to regret it.

And I definitely don't think of my backyard as a junkyard, but we have, an area in the middle that was previously lawn, and it's now landscaped with shrubs and herbaceous plants.

But we there's an arbor as kind of an entrance, and I planted, some trumpet creeper on each side.

And, we keep, you know, keep an eye on it.

So I feel like if it were to start creeping along into other things that, I could, you know keep it in check.

Amanda> I do think, people love to see the insects and hummingbirds come to it, don't you?

Yeah.

Well, that'd be fun for you.

Alrighty.

Terasa.

Terasa> We looking for another question?

How about we help Phillip in Columbia?

Who said, my family used the term "spring lizards" to refer to salamanders?

What's the difference between spring lizards and real lizards like the little green chameleons?

Those must be anoles.

Amanda> Yeah, yeah.

So... what is... they called it a salamander, what is this?

Steve> Yeah, spring lizard is just a colloquial name for a salamander.

<Oh> And they look like, they look like lizards.

I mean, they have four legs and a tail.

Similar body shape, except that they are amphibians.

So, they're kind of slimy, and they are never found far from water.

There's a few that are, but they're always under something that where they don't lose moisture.

<Yeah> And so they're amphibians.

Their closest relatives are frogs.

But real lizards are reptiles and their closest relatives are snakes.

<All right.> And they have real scales.

Amanda> So, these aren't any trouble, are they?

Steve> There are some.

There are some, salamanders that- We have one, in fact, that I worked with when I was with DNR that they're working with now down at the Francis Marion called the flatwoods salamander.

And it's an interesting animal because there are a number of salamanders that breed in ponds.

<Yes> And they... live in the uplands, and they live underground in burrows.

And then during breeding season, they move to these ponds where they mate and lay eggs and the larvae raise.

But the thing about flatwoods salamanders and, some things that live in that same type of situation gopher frogs would be another.

They have to have really great upland conditions.

So the uplands have to be managed, burned, wiregrasses- And they have to have great pond conditions.

And the ponds fill and dry with- They're kind of like Carolina bays, flat wood ponds.

They fill and dry with the rainfall.

And if they stay full of water too long, <Oh> fish can get in there through deer trails and other things.

And if fish are in the ponds- Well... and in the case of the gopher frogs, females won't even go in to breed.

So, you have to have perfect conditions for both of, for a number of those- Amanda> So is it, is it becoming rare?

Steve> The flatwood salamander is federally endangered, and only occurs in very few places in the world.

And there's actually, ongoing efforts... to actually breed them, collect eggs, bring them in let them go through the larval phase and release them into the ponds.

And also make sure that the ponds and the uplands are managed appropriately.

Because, you know, the thing that you could do is you could take some of these guys and you could say, well, we'll raise them and get them sorted, and then you put them in bad habitat, you've wasted your effort.

So that's going on with a number of different species.

Gopher frogs and flatwoods salamanders.

Gopher frogs are state endangered and they're under review by the federal government.

And flatwoods salamanders are federally threatened.

Amanda> Well, so let's hope there's protected habitat that is going to be managed correctly for them.

Steve> Well, that's that is the key.

And there is, I mean, Francis Marion National Forest is managing- Amanda> They know what they're doing.

Steve> They're managing.

And there are some other places around and not in South Carolina but throughout the southeast that, have clued in on the fact that, yeah, if we want to save this species, you know, we've got to do conservation on a number of different levels.

Amanda> Goodness, just to keep a salamander going.

It's interesting how, specific things are sometimes, isn't it Terasa?

Terasa> Some can be very specific.

Yeah.

Amanda> Okay.

Well, is there someone else who has a question?

Terasa> I'm sure that we have another question waiting in the queue.

This one comes from Earl on Johns Island.

Oh, and I can, sympathize with Earl.

He said, "my squash plants seem to collapse all of a sudden.

What could have happened?"

Amanda> Well, and if it's your zucchini squash, you may have had enough of it, because zucchini is a very unusual kind of squash.

[lauhgter] But, people don't want to lose their squash in the garden, Zack what's going on?

Zack> No.

So, what happened is more than likely the squash vine borer.

And before, I came this morning I took a little walk in my backyard.

And I don't grow squash and zucchini, but I have a little area where I, you know, rake leaves and- <Compost> Yeah, kind of, you know, a little compost... And I threw some little ornamental pumpkins we had last year, out.

And I had a beautiful ornamental pumpkin growing.

And I thought, "well, this is cool.

The kids will enjoy this."

Beautiful vine.

And then two days ago, I saw it wilting a little bit, and I'm like, "well, it's been dry," you know?

And then all of a sudden, it's dead.

And so I got to looking and try to- Amanda> So pumpkin's in the same group with the squash?

Zack> Squash, yeah.

Any cucurbit, in that family.

But what happens is you have, the squash vine borer.

It's a red moth.

And it's interesting because it flies during the day, which is unusual for a moth.

And the female will lay an egg on the stalk of the plant.

<Yes> And when the egg hatches, its first bite is into the plant.

And so once it goes into the plant, you don't know it, and you can't do anything about it.

You can't spray anything because it's protected, because it's inside of the plant.

And what happens... is it will eat the inside of the plant and then all the vascular tissue will basically get eaten and chewed up.

And what you have left here is frass, which is a fancy scientific word for poop.

<Yeah> And that larvae will develop inside of the plant.

And so, you can see why the plant would collapse all of a sudden.

Amanda> It's going to develop and be safe there until it emerges as an adult.

Zack> Correct.

And you could see why, the plant would collapse all of a sudden.

It's nutrient and water loss because there's no vascular tissue, left there.

So, it's a pest that we see in home gardens.

For whatever reason, we don't, and it baffles me, we don't see it in commercial fields ever.

<Come on, no!> At all.

But again, I didn't plant this.

And I had one random plant in a neighborhood.

And somehow it's really fascinating that the female moth can, hone in on that.

They are active late May or early June.

So the earlier you can plant, the better.

And get produce coming off of it before they're going to die.

But somehow they always find them.

Terasa> Every year at my house, every year.

So, that's my strategy.

I either don't plant or I plant early and hope for the best.

Amanda> Because you can't, if you plant in any later, they're all out there.

Zack> Yeah.

There are, some parthenocarpic, cultivars of squash and zucchini now, meaning they don't need, pollination, from an insect.

So they're wind pollinated.

And, and I say that because you can put insect netting over them.

<Oh> And they pollinate themselves, and the moth won't be able to get in there.

And we have a really great factsheet on that.

<Dang, yeah.> So that's one way around it.

Amanda> Well, that's something.

Zack> That's something.

Amanda> Do they taste alright?

Zack> Yeah, they taste- You would never know the difference.

Terasa> Not the borers.

[laughter] Zack> I mean they might in a stir fry.

Terasa> You never know.

A little added protein.

I will say that... you know, they've been so frustrating that I have gone out on occasion and tried to get the, little larvae out of there and rebury the stems and have had some success.

If you bury it, keep it wet, that you know- Amanda> Oh, and you've noticed that the plant seems, and you've suspected what's going on- Zack> Catch it super early.

Terasa> Really early.

Amanda> Oh, goodness gracious.

Well the parthenocarpic sound okay to me.

Yeah, for a home garden.

<Yeah, absolutely.> Isn't that peculiar that it's not in the commercial fields?

Zack> Never seen it.

Amanda> That's crazy.

Zack> And I've looked at a lot of squash.

Terasa> Maybe I should just put a sign up that says "I am a commercial grower."

[laughter] Zack> There is a threshold.

You got to grow a hundred before... [laughter continues] Amanda> Well, thanks a lot.

<Yes ma'am.> Yeah, next time we'll have to talk about fun things that happens in vegetable gardens.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Some of Terasa's great recipes.

Alright Terasa.

Terasa> Yeah, we have to come up with zucchini and squash recipes.

Sort of like Bubba Gump that, you know, you mentioned.

Goodness.

All right, let's go to Ted in Edisto Island.

Who said, "Our lawn goes right down to the marsh.

There are some plants with pink flowers in the autumn that are starting to come up right now.

The leaves are very stinky.

Should I get rid of them?"

Amanda> Uh, la, la, la.

More of those lawn people.

[laughter] Dr.

Nelson> I guess this is for me?

Amanda> Certainly.

Hold your nose while you talk about it.

Dr.

Nelson> There... there is a plant, yes, that grows at the edges of lawns and the edges of marshes at Edisto Island and elsewhere in the coastal plain and stinky.

The genus name is Pluchea.

Pluchea.

Zack> Not "puke-ea?"

Dr.

Nelson> Not "puke-ea."

Although- [laughter] But when you rub the leaves they're very smelly and... stinky.

<Yeah> And it's called fleabane.

And I think fleabane of course means it'll keep the fleas away.

<Yeah> Amanda> So, you could put it on your dog.

Dr.

Nelson> Or in your bed or something or whatever.

Amanda> Is it a problem?

Dr.

Nelson> Well, I don't know why it would be a problem because they're beautiful plants.

Amanda> It's not an invasive thing that's taking over.

Dr.

Nelson> No.

There must, Scott... Ted this time, must be having a lot of it, though.

And... maybe he thinks there's too much of it.

But it's a native species.

And I'll tell you what, the butterflies love it.

Amanda> Well, there you go.

Dr.

Nelson> So I'd leave it alone.

If I were at Edisto Island with my lawn backing up to the marsh.

Amanda> Zack, lawns that go down to the water- I mean, you know, phosphorus and all get carried into the water.

It's just not a good idea to have your lawn go down to the water.

I mean, for the protection of the water quality, I think.

Zack> We, we really need buffers and, things like these natives that are growing on the edge they want to grow there.

And they can filter out those nutrients and things from getting into the marsh.

We don't want to fertilize the marsh.

Dr.

Nelson> Right, right.

Amanda> Yeah.

Zack> So... Yeah, let it go wild.

Create a buffer.

Amanda> Please, please, please.

Zack> And there's a great factsheet on that too.

Saltwater buffers.

Amanda> Saltwater buffers, okay.

Thanks.

Okay.

<Yep> Well, Terasa, I think you went and interviewed an arborist, and, we're going to learn some things about evaluating our trees.

Terasa> Sounds like a good idea to me.

Amanda> Well, let's do it.

Terasa> Trees provide numerous benefits like erosion protection, shading and cooling, and providing wildlife habitat.

But like any other living thing, they can suffer from various ailments.

Joining me is Jamie Gunter with the Lexington Soil and Water Conservation District to shed some light on tree health, common problems and solutions.

> Thank you, Terasa.

I've been involved in the tree care business for many years.

Started out kind of in high school, you know, agriculture classes, FFA, things like that.

Was able to obtain a Forest Resource Management degree and been doing that professionally for over 20 years.

Primarily focusing in forest resource management, tree care and the landscape industry, things of that nature.

Terasa> So you've got a lot of experience and education to draw from.

Jamie> Yes, yes.

Terasa> So let's start at the beginning.

What are some reasons someone might have a tree health assessment performed?

Jamie> There are a couple different reasons.

One of the main reasons, trees are an investment.

A lot of people, they spend money planning it out, having the landscape designed, picking a nice tree, having it installed.

So you want to protect that investment.

And, you know, a health assessment is a good way to do that.

Another reason could be, like I mentioned earlier, you know, trees are an investment.

If you have an issue with one tree, you want to keep it contained and not spread to other trees.

Terasa> Ah, that's right, if it's something that could potentially be, contagious, so to speak.

Jamie> Correct, correct.

And also, you know, people acquire property for the first time.

They may not be aware of what type of vegetation is on their property.

They may have nice native trees.

They could have an invasive species that needs to be controlled, as well.

So just to get a good idea of what you are responsible for on your property is, is a reason to get a tree health assessment.

Terasa> Well, let's talk about the steps involved.

So there is, a tree behind us.

What would be the first thing that we need to know about this tree if we're going to perform a health assessment?

Jamie> Well, one of the first things to do is identify the tree.

Make sure you know what type of tree you're looking at, so you know what, characteristics to look out for.

What, what tree may be susceptible to a certain type of disease versus another.

One way to find that out is talk to the property owner.

You know, depending on the property, it could be a person that's owned that property for many years.

They may have planted that tree themselves.

They may be able to tell you the day or the occasion it was planted.

You know, try to save yourself a little bit of that legwork, if the property owner can tell you that.

And once you've identified the tree and can obtain your preliminary information on it, I would start out just, do an overall ocular assessment.

I call it ground the crown.

Terasa> I like that terminology.

Now, we know that this is a silver maple.

We can tell that from a number of factors.

Sometimes if you get familiar with the species, you can just recognize it.

But there's bark and form, <Correct> leaf structure.

Jamie> Yes.

And again on this silver maple, like I said, I've, I've worked around them for many years.

I can, you know, from a distance you can spot a maple.

But the silver maple, you can tell it's got, five distinctive lobes on the leaves.

And if you flip the leaf over on the back side, it does have a noticeable silvery color to it.

And it's got a lighter color petial, which is the attachment from the leaf to the actual twig of the plant.

Terasa> So our first step is done.

We know we've got a silver maple.

Now let's tell me a little bit about what you see on that crown to ground inspection.

Jamie> Well, that tree, starting out, we noticed it's got a nice layer of pine straw around it.

It's not too deep.

It's not too thick.

You can still see a root flare on the tree, which means the tree is growing at the right depth of how it needs to be for those top feeder roots to uptake the water that's stored in that pine straw mulch.

But you don't go too far up that tree and you start, you start seeing some things going on.

One of the first things we notice on it is a co-dominant stem.

And a co-dominant stem is like it sounds it's, it's co-dominancy.

You have two main stems coming off of that leader from the ground.

And they're constantly competing with one another to dominate, you know which side of that tree.

So that's, that's an issue with nutrient uptake into the stems.

And another product of those co-dominant stems is included bark.

That's where the stems actually kind of roll together.

They're trying to heal their self off.

And you can see the layer of bark that's actually protruding a little bit in the intersection of those two stems.

Not too far above that, we've got some holes exposed from, looks like some pruning from, years in the past, that's not been able to to fully heel over.

It's got some rot in there.

You can just do a depth check on there and see that there's soft wood in there.

It's holding some excess moisture.

Terasa> So moving up the tree we see numerous small holes, that seem to be arranged in a pattern.

Jamie> Yes.

Those holes are caused by a sapsucker.

And a sapsucker is a bird, and in the woodpecker family.

And they feed off of the tree, suck the sap out of it.

That's how they get their name.

And that is common to see in a lot of landscape trees and shrubs.

And if it's excessive, it can put an extra strain on the tree to try to heal all of those wounds that that sapsucker causes.

And in this tree we have here, it's, I would consider that excessive.

That's another issue that's going to cause rotting wood.

That's an open wound for excess moisture to get in.

You know, airborne fungi can get in the tree, and it's, it's not good in all cases.

Terasa> And then further up it looks like we have some branches that are dead and even some decomposition going on.

Jamie> Yes we do.

And again like the tree.

Like I said earlier, the ground to crown.

I mean, it starts from the roots when the roots uptake, they're trying to push the, the water and minerals up through the tree.

And when you have rotten wood, it's not going to accept that.

So the tree will push it up as far as it can and it just kind of quits.

And that causes the crown of the tree not to receive the water and nutrients it needs, and it's going to die back.

Terasa> We've identified a number of problems in the tree.

Now what's the next step?

Jamie> The next step is to take the information that we received from the assessment, give us an idea if we can reduce the hazards of the tree, if it can be repaired, or does it need to be replaced or removed?

Terasa> And that's, you mentioned the word hazard.

So are all ailing trees, hazard trees?

Jamie> Not necessarily.

An ailing tree is what it says.

It's a tree that's got some issues, some things you need to look at.

But a hazard tree has the same type of ailments, but it also has to have a target.

If that tree were to fail, would it cause harm to property?

You know, people in the yard, traffic, roadways.

So, you know, a hazard tree has to have a defect and a target, and then an unhealthy tree that if it failed, wouldn't cause any great harm, its just an unhealthy tree.

Terasa> Well, Jamie, what's your final assessment for this tree?

Jamie> I would recommend to remove the tree.

It's not a huge hazard, but it does pose a hazard to the home here.

And there's also a power line next to it.

And there's not really anything you could reasonably do to repair that tree or prolong the life of it.

I would recommend removing it and replace it with a more suited tree.

Terasa> So, in the event removal is the course of action, how do our viewers find qualified professionals?

Jamie> One way they can find them, go to the internet, I'd go to the International Society of Arboriculture website.

They have a link that's Find an Arborist.

You can also go to Trees are Good.

And they have a find an arborist link, as well.

And you can punch in your zip code or your city.

And it would be a nice list of folks that would be glad to come out and talk to you about your trees.

Terasa> And we can count on them that they have received credentials.

They are trained and experienced in that line of work.

Jamie> Yes, yes, part of being an ISA Certified Arborist is an application process, it's an exam and it's continuing ongoing credits to make sure that the arborists are aware of the changes in the industry and the latest practices and standards for the industry.

Terasa> Well, thank you so much.

It's been really fun talking trees.

Jamie> Yeah.

Thank you.

Amanda> Terasa, is somebody else out there curious about something?

Terasa> You know, there is.

This one happens to be from the, kind of the Upstate.

Janice has a question about turtles.

She said, "I hate seeing when turtles are in the road.

I'm afraid they'll get hit.

Is it okay to move them to an area with fewer roads and more woods?"

Amanda> Goodness.

What do you think should be done when you want to rescue a turtle?

Steve> Well, I do think rescuing them out of the road is, is a great thing.

But moving them, a distance from where they are is not probably the best thing.

Turtles actually have fairly small home ranges.

They know where they are, where they live, and so- Amanda> Do they?

Steve> Yeah, and you can take them, you can take them so far that they may be disoriented and not know and wander.

Amanda> And get back in the road.

Steve> And get back in the road.

So you're creating a problem.

So the best thing to do, and I did this the other day with a box turtle.

You stop... if you can, don't do this on a busy highway.

But you know on a back road when you see a box turtle, you stop and you can tell which way it's heading.

<Yeah> And you pick it up and you move it across the road, put it at the edge of the woods if you can, in the direction it was going.

And don't take it down the road because you risk disorienting it and, you know, it won't feel at home.

Amanda> When I pick them up, I hold them out this way because they're usually going to urinate first, and you don't want to get that on you.

I mean, it's not gonna hurt you.

If you were dressed up and going somewhere.

Steve> And sometimes it's not actually urine, it's actually water.

<Well> It wouldn't matter but they actually do, some of these guys carry extra water in there.

And it's because a lot of them don't live- Amanda> That's right.

Steve> Box turtles or not- So they... and tortoises are notorious for having a little bladder, that they carry a little water that helps them to keep from desiccating.

So, but it can be either one but it doesn't matter.

And yeah you can pick them up and hold them away from you.

Amanda> And I picked up one not too long ago and took it across the road.

And dang, if there wasn't... a fence, a metal fence that had kind of, you know, had collapsed.

I mean, you know, not a fancy, expensive fence, but just wire fence.

And I had to try to step over that.

And, and get down the hill.

And it was... I felt like I needed rescuing too.

But I didn't want to put it where it couldn't get over the fence.

I mean, you know, I mean, like, here's the road.

And I was carrying it there, and there's the fence, the metal grating.

Steve> It's pretty amazing what these animals can do.

And they, might could go under the fence.

I mean, you know, they could just kind of... mess around and, you know.

<Okay> And they, and they can actually climb.

It's crazy, but yeah, they can climb.

So I mean, what you did was fine.

But you know, I think they're going to come across obstacles anyway.

Just get them, get them out- The biggest obstacle is that truck or car coming down the road.

Get them out of the way from that.

And then, you know, do the best you can.

Amanda> Steve, you hear about people who have turtles and things in their house and they get tired of them and they want to let them go, what should they do?

Steve> Well, that's, that's a great question.

And I'm not sure that I can give you a good answer, because a lot of the turtles they have in their house are probably things like red-eared sliders, which they bought somewhere.

It's not native to South Carolina.

They are related to our yellow belly turtle, but they're, they're different.

And... pet turtles should not, that are not native to South Carolina should not be released in South Carolina.

Amanda> Okay.

Well, thank you for telling us that.

We want to protect our native turtles.

Steve> That's right.

Amanda> All right.

Well, I want to thank all of you who were with us tonight.

And I hope that you can join us again 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.