Looking to create a thriving vegetable garden in Texas? Explore the Best Vegetables to Grow in Texas that are in tune with the state’s warm climate.
24.07.2023 - 12:18 / hgic.clemson.edu
While enjoying a slice of delicious locally-made pecan pie, I felt motivated to share with you some tips on growing and enjoying pecans. Whether you say “pee-can” or “peh-cahn,” they are one of the most nutritious nuts you can buy. Or grow for yourself!
The pecan tree (Carya illinoensis) is native to North America and belongs to the walnuts and hickories family. This year, many healthy pecan trees are producing a bountiful harvest of the tasty nuts. But the downright neglected trees have few to no nuts on the ground, and folks wonder why. Pecans do have a lot of insect and disease problems, but with proper management, the extra work is well worth it.
Here are a few pointers on home pecan production:
The Home & Garden Information Center (HGIC) has several excellent fact sheets, including HGIC 1356, Pecan Planting & Fertilization (which covers variety selection), HGIC 2213, Reasons for Poor-QualityPecans, HGIC 1362, FAQs About Pecan Production in the Home Garden, HGIC 2211, Pecan Diseases, Fall Webworm Management, and Harvesting Pecans
If you would like to try your hand at making the very best South Carolina Pecan Pie, here is the recipe https://discoversouthcarolina.com/articles/pecan-pie-please . Other pecan recipes, including roasting in the oven or microwave, are available from Texas A&M University at https://tinyurl.com/y3qs69zr
Looking to create a thriving vegetable garden in Texas? Explore the Best Vegetables to Grow in Texas that are in tune with the state’s warm climate.
The Brown Turkey fig, Ficus carica, produces large, sweet, juicy figs even in British conditions.
Violas are perennial and grow best in well drained soil that has an open structure to encourage fibrous roots and promote many stems from the same root. They may get a bit leggy so cut back two or three times during the spring and summer to encourage new shoots and more flowers. Aid this by applying a liquid rose fertilizer or seaweed and keep watered.
When God became the first gardener after creating the earth and heavens he noted that ‘no shrub of the field had yet grown on the earth, and no plant of the field had yet sprouted, he had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to cultivate the ground.’
Do you know about the Texas State Flower? Well, it is a beautiful blooming plant with blue flowers! Read on to know all the details!
Convincing children to eat their veggies may sound like an impossible task, but a research study conducted by Parmer, et al. found that “second graders who participated in school gardening as part of a nutrition education class increased their selection and consumption of vegetables at school, compared to second graders who did not participate in gardening”.[1]
Nothing says Christmas more than a poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima). Did you know that December 12th is known as National Poinsettia Day? Plant breeders have developed a wide range of colors in hues of white, purple, orange, and pink, but red poinsettias continue to be the most traditional color of the holiday season.
South Carolina is a very special place. From the coast to the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, South Carolina has a diversity of climates and landscapes. The diversity of climates allows for different grasses to flourish. Warm season grasses such as zoysia, St. Augustinegrass, bermudagrass, centipedegrass, and bahiagrass flourish at the coast throughout the year, but those grown in the upstate go dormant in the winter. In the dormant stage, the grass turns brown and looks dead, but new growth will appear in spring. Cool season grasses, such as ryegrass and certain fescues, grow best primarily in the upstate but go dormant, or do not survive the heat of summer. Here too, the grass looks dead, with regrowth appearing as the weather begins to turn cool in fall and flourish through spring. Dormant grass still has live roots in the ground that require water, just not as much as when they are actively growing. Unless it has been uncommonly dry or windy, natural rain events are enough to sustain dormant grasses.
As people are spending more time around their homes during the concerns of COVID-19, they may be more likely to notice small ants crawling in and around their houses. Now is the perfect time to do something about it.
There are two approaches to fertilization. First, have the soil analyzed by a reputable lab and follow the scientifically based recommendations. The second often referred to as “a general approach,” is to buy a bag of fertilizer and follow the instructions noted. The recommended method is to have the soil tested and analyzed. This informs us which nutrients are required and the specific amounts. This method is the most cost-effective and environmentally friendly way to approach fertilization. Soil test results provide us information on which nutrients are deficient and the quantity to add to help improve the tree’s health and production.
Hi, there. I am your neighborhood stormwater pond. You might call me by a different name, maybe lagoon, lake, or fishing pond, but chances are if you live in a community with a pond, it’s me, your friendly stormwater pond. I have been designed by engineers to perform an important job and help manage flooding and stormwater pollution in your neighborhood. Each time it rains, stormwater runoff is directed to me through a network of drains, pipes, and ditches; once it reaches the pond it is temporarily stored and slowly released over time, reducing flooding around your streets and homes and capturing and trapping pollution in your pond, protecting downstream waterways. I do such a good job at these that I am one of the most frequently used practices to manage runoff in our communities. In South Carolina’s eight coastal counties, researchers have documented more than 9,000 stormwater ponds alone!
South Carolinians love corn grits, but like most modern Southerners, I grew up eating store-bought instant or quick grits and never considered homegrown grits an option. Then about a decade ago I visited the Hagood Mill Historic Site in Pickens, SC. This renovated 175-year-old water grist mill grinds corn the old-fashioned way into grits and cornmeal on the third Saturday of every month. During that visit, I bought a bag of fresh, stoneground grits, and it changed my view of the Southern staple forever. Several South Carolina mills now offer these hearty grits ground from heirloom corn varieties (mostly a type of corn known as dent corn). If you have never tried fresh, local grits, I encourage you to pick up a bag and give it a try.