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 are so happy that you can join us tonight.

And I am Amanda McNulty, a Clemson Extension Horticulture Agent.

And Terasa Lott, you also are part of our extension team, and we are so delighted that you come and help us out every week.

We'd be lost without you.

Terasa> Oh, thank you.

That is very kind.

But we are a huge team really, that make the show happen.

Not just the folks that you see here on the panel, but lots of folks behind the scenes that help send us questions and all of the production aspect that goes on.

Amanda> I know.

And Cory Tanner, you are the Horticulture Program Team Director, and that is quite a responsibility because we all have different things that we specialize in.

And you've got to kind of keep us a little bit in line.

Cory> Yeah, we've got a diverse team of agents and others that work all over the state.

Do all sorts of great things for the people of South Carolina.

And so it's a lot of fun and keeps me on my toes.

But I enjoy it.

Amanda> Yeah.

And you know, one thing I've noticed, and, you know, Pat in our office, Terasa... You know, we're about helping people.

And I think everybody, the administrators and everyone, if somebody comes in and they're lost or something, I've seen Pat or other agents say, "Well, let me help you find the place you're trying to go to."

I mean, we don't say, "Well, we don't do that."

We say, "Well, you know, we're here to help the people- Cory> Absolutely.

That's what we do.

Amanda> Yeah, yeah.

It's very rewarding.

Cory> It is.

Brad Fowler, you're down there in a very fast growing area.

Horticulture Agent in Georgetown and Horry.

And, I bet a lot of people come down there and, they're not sure when to start mowing the grass.

Or when they're surprised to have grass to even mow, part of the time of the year.

Brad> That is, that is very true.

I do talk a lot about grass to people.

And I tell them "I'm sorry, but you just can't.

You're not going to have good grass down here."

You know, not what you had up north anyways."

Amanda> And not fescue particularly.

Brad> No, exactly.

Not in my area.

For sure.

Amanda> Yeah, yeah.

But anyway, I think, you know, it's a good chance to teach people.

Brad> It is, it is, I enjoy it.

<Yeah> That's what I love about the job.

Amanda> Yeah, it is fun.

Brad> Yeah it is.

Amanda> And they're glad to get some advice even though they may want to grow that fescue grass.

La, la, la.

Apparently, it's very beautiful if you have it.

Brad> Right.

Amanda> Okay.

Well, we had some fun things to show you.

A little bit later, we are going to McLeod Farms, which, you know we love to do up in McBee.

And they're going to talk about peaches and strawberries.

Mmm, mmm, mmm.

And Rivendell Farms, which is a mini-farm with Margo Huggins.

And that's down near Blackville.

And then Simply Green blackberries.

Zack Snipes, one of our wonderful agents went to see a man who's growing blackberries.

And the story, the back story is quite fascinating and kind of touching and endearing too.

So, well Terasa I just think the "Gardens of the Week" are so pretty.

Have you got some nice ones for us tonight?

Terasa> We do, thanks to viewers like you.

I still think of "Gardens of the Week" as being somewhat new, but it's, it's been an integral part of the show for quite a while now.

So let's take a look and see what was sent in.

We're going to begin with Lori and Wayne Link, who shared what they called "a surprise patch of petunias."

They had cleaned out, some dead petunias in an old clawfoot tub that was being used as a planter.

But before, they must have seeded it.

And so now there's a lovely patch of petunias on the ground below.

From Carol Chop, some coreopsis whose yellow flowers are brightening the entryway.

Amy Hartman sent in ranunculus in her Greenville garden.

From Karla Windy, we have a patch of a ajuga, and that's often referred to as "bugleweed."

And last but not least, Cathy and Larry Morgan sent in their purple clematis flowers in Leesville.

So we thank everyone who shared photos with us.

You can view more on our Facebook page.

This is just a small random sample, and I hope that you will also post your photos when you see us make that call for "Gardens of the Week."

Amanda> Well, thank you Terasa.

Those were just lovely.

Well, we're going to now take you up to one of my wonderful, favorite places to go in McBee, McLeod Farms.

♪ ♪ I'm in McBee South Carolina, talking to Spencer McLeod of McLeod Farms of peach fame and many other crops as well.

But coming in today, the peaches were just glorious.

But, Spencer, some of them are in bloom.

Some of them are beginning to bloom.

Some of them have bloomed.

So how many different varieties do you have?

> Thank you for having me.

We got about 50 varieties on our farm, and that helps us take us through the entire season.

So what you saw coming in, you've got some that have just finished bloom.

We got some leaves out.

We're almost in shuck split in some varieties, and we've still got some blooms on other varieties.

So we've had a nice slower bloom this year.

So that's where we're at in peach production right now.

Amanda> It's fun because even the late peaches, everything blooms at the same time.

Some of them just take longer to develop.

Spencer> Yeah.

So each variety only produces peaches for about two weeks when they're, when they're ripening.

<Whoa> But oddly, you know, they still bloom generally over a 30 day period.

So each of those varieties we've select so we can have peaches during that years.

It's kind of why you have freestones and clingstones.

So peaches that develop faster from now until when they're ripening, they're going to be generally clingstones.

And peaches that take a longer time for maturity they're the ones that break off the seed and are freestones.

Amanda> Okay.

And, why are they pruned in a way that it looks like all the branches are on the outside?

Spencer> Yeah.

So we, we're pruning for an open center.

That's kind of what, we've basically pruned most of our acreage right now.

There's a few varieties that we're still working on.

But we're pruning to an open center.

And so, you want to have it look almost like an umbrella that you've flipped out... the wrong way.

<Yeah> That's going to give you some, surface area and light that can get inside.

And, and that's really training the tree to have more fruiting limbs and for higher production.

Amanda> And the pruning is important and y'all spend a good bit of time every year pruning.

You can do some summer pruning.

We generally just do one pruning which is between January and now, in a more dormant time frame.

But we're taking off a lot of wood.

You know, we're growing on a vigorous rootstock.

A rootstock called Guardian.

It's not dwarfing.

So, you can actually use different rootstocks that may not put out as much wood every year.

But peaches will only develop on the redwood, on wood that was made last year.

<Ah> Unlike apples.

So when we prune, we're training the tree and we're also removing a lot of excess wood that has grown over the summer because of being vigorous.

Amanda> You also then later, I think have to thin the peaches so there won't be too many of them.

Spencer> That's right.

So, we're kind of in a, our worrisome time spell you know, if we have a frost event, which we're still susceptible to frost right now... that'll knock off some peaches.

But in the next two or three weeks, we'll start thinning.

Which means we're removing some of the fruit.

We want to make it size.

That's going to help with, with taste and quality.

Amanda> Even taste?

Spencer> Even taste.

Amanda> Really?

Spencer> Yeah.

Lot of times if you allow the tree to produce as many, as much fruit as it, it'll even stress the tree out because of how much fruits on the tree.

And so, so we're, removing some of that fruit.

If it's a big crop, we can remove up to 80 percent of the peaches.

Amanda> Good Heavens.

That's the craziest thing I've ever heard of.

Then you'll be picking.

Spencer> That's right.

Amanda> And that's just a whole 'nother thing- Spencer> Then it's time for harvest.

Amanda> And also at the same time, we have strawberries.

Spencer> That's right.

And y'all do a lot with strawberries.

Spencer> We're growing a few varieties.

Mainly, Fronteras has been our variety that we have come to enjoy and can produce very well in this area.

But we're right on the cusp of harvest, so we got about ten days where, of course, we're sitting on what's the day?

March 23rd.

So we'll be in the, in the strawberries through April and May.

So we're kind of preparing for that.

Amanda> I know that y'all are conservative with water too.

I think each tree has its own drip system.

Is that correct?

Spencer> That's right.

So we're using some low impact irrigation, whether it's micro sprinklers and peach or drip tape under strawberries.

Those systems, you know, we can get over some acreage too.

And especially when we need it, we can get some water to our plants.

Amanda> Spencer, we've had a good time looking at these diverse crops.

And I think the people who grow things like strawberries, have y'all come together, with an organization.

Spencer> Absolutely.

We've just formed the South Carolina Small Fruit Association last year.

Which is great for all strawberry farmers.

Blueberries, blackberries, in the state of South Carolina.

We've got some support and we're able to make some hires through Clemson University, in the pathology area to help support these small fruit growers.

And so we're really excited about that.

Amanda> I think that you've got a treat for us back at the store.

Spencer> We do.

We have some chocolate covered strawberries.

So if you want to, we can go try them out.

Amanda> Let's boogie.

♪ It was a fun place to visit, and we had a good lunch while we were there.

And of course, McLeod Farms is an underwriter for our show, for which we thank them.

Well Cor-, you've got something sitting right there, so I guess we're going to talk about it, Cory.

Cory> Well, I don't know if I'm crazy or not, Amanda, but I've, a recent hobby of mine has been learning to graft, trees.

<Whoa!> Where you combine a couple of you know, different traits of trees together.

In this case, it's an heirloom apple tree.

<Yes> And so, last year, last spring actually, I went to a workshop in Georgia at the Georgia Botanic Garden and learned how to graft apple trees.

And so this is one of the grafts that I did in that workshop, which has been going wonderfully.

I did four, three of the grafts took, which I was really happy about.

Amanda> I'd be proud.

Cory> And then they were growing well.

I planted one out in my garden at home, but a couple of them I had left in containers, and this spring they didn't leaf out like I expected them to.

And I got to investigating and noticed that, they had been attacked by ambrosia beetles.

<No> And, yes, unfortunately, ambrosia beetle are boring beetles.

Not because they're dull, but because they bore into the wood (laughter) ...of trees.

And this one you can actually see here on this, grafted tree, if we can get a close up, a little tiny hole, actually in the graft union.

So where the two pieces of- Amanda> Uh-huh.

Cory> It's right about... there.

<Okay> Where the two pieces, where the rootstock and the scion were grafted together.

We got, an ambrosia beetle in that graft union.

And then- Amanda> You want to tell us a little about what they do?

Cory> Yeah.

So these beetles, these little beetles bore into the stem of woody trees.

Usually small trees, transplants or things that are under stress from transplant shock or drought or flooding, is very common.

And they bore into the wood.

And it's not actually the boring that does the damage.

It's they introduce a fungus.

And these little beetles are actually farmers.

They're mushroom farmers, fungus farmers.

So they introduce this fungus into the wood.

Amanda> Is it, carried on their head?

Cory> It's carried on their body parts, they have little pockets, that hold the fungal spores.

And then when they bore in that fungus inoculates inside the tree and grows, and then their babies, their larvae feed on that fungus.

And so I believe in this little section of stem here, I have a beetle.

And so we're very carefully, I'm going to try not to cut myself.

I want to very carefully try to split this stem open and show you the beetle, hopefully.

We'll see if this works.

Terasa> So while Cory is doing the... tree surgery here.

(laughter) A couple of years ago, I lost, or I had ambrosia beetles in a redbud and was able to talk with Doctor Dave Coyle.

I think that was during the time we were filming, like the Covid isolation.

<Yes> So we talked to him via zoom- Amanda> And he's our Forestry Specialist.

Terasa> Yes.

And very sad... because there's really not much you can do.

Amanda> So why do they kill the... Why do they kill the plants, Cory?

Cory> Well, lost a piece of it.

Terasa> Uh, oh.

(laughter) Cory> Probably had the beetle in it.

But you can see here the "gallery" we call it, the tunnel that the beetle created when it bored into the stem from the outside.

And I have a picture that'll go up that shows what you'll see at home.

Is this toothpick of sawdust sticking out of the stem.

So basically, they push this little "toothpick" we call it of sawdust.

Amanda> So that's not frass.

Cory> It's not frass.

It's not the poop.

It's the actual wood material that they've been chewing on.

And they kick it out because they're not eating it.

They're putting the, the fungus in there.

And you can kind of see maybe the outline of the fungus, getting started in here.

<Okay> And so, that fungus clogs up the pores, the xylem, the vascular tissue inside the stem and causes... interrupts water flow inside the stem and causes the plant to die.

Amanda> And right now I've been seeing, lots of places that are offering fruit trees and roses and all kinds of things.

And they have a lot of apple trees.

Apple trees in most of South Carolina don't perform well, if I'm not mistaken.

<Correct> And explain where you are and why they, you hopefully are going to have great success with the one that is still coming back in the yard.

Cory> Yeah.

So we, in Extension, we kind of stratify fruits on the level of difficulty they are.

So some things are fairly easy like blueberries.

That's kind of like the go to for beginners in South Carolina.

Blueberries, blackberries some of those things.

But then the tree fruits are more advanced.

Peaches and apples- Amanda> Figs are pretty easy.

Cory> Figs are pretty easy.

Yeah.

But apples and peaches are very difficult to grow in South Carolina because of all the insect pests and diseases.

I'm in the upstate, so it's a little bit cooler, a little bit closer to the apple country, near... You know, people think about Hendersonville, Hendersonville, North Carolina for apples.

So it's a little cooler up there, a little easier.

But I've actually been focusing on southern heirloom varieties.

So these are historic varieties that were grown in the South, you know, more than 100 years ago.

That are thought to be a little bit more better adapted.

And so those are starting for years.

They were almost a lot of these were... a lot of them did go extinct.

<Lost> But some of them have been resurrected.

And you can now purchase some of those old varieties and give them a try.

So that's what, that's what I've been doing.

Amanda> Now, how much space do you have to have for an apple tree.

Cory> So these are grafted onto semi-dwarf rootstocks.

So the rootstock portion the lower portion that involves the roots actually can control the growth of the top of the tree to some extent.

And so you can get semi-dwarf, dwarf rootstocks.

These are semi-dwarf.

So the trees will get 15 to 20 feet tall.

Of course they have to be pruned regularly to keep them under control and bearing.

But yeah, it's just a, it's been a fun little hobby.

But this is certainly a frustrating, occurrence that happened this spring for me.

Amanda> How long do you think it will be before you get some apples?

Cory> Three to four years, from the time they go in the ground, usually.

Amanda> Well send some down here.

Cory> I will.

Yeah, I hope to do so.

Amanda> Well Terasa, whom can we help?

Terasa> Let's see what we have.

We are going to try to help Laura, in Pawleys Island.

Who said, "I planted a tree and some azaleas last year, but they just aren't doing well.

What could be the problem?"

Amanda> Ah, well, this is your neck of the woods.

Help us out, here.

Brad> It is.

So.

Yeah, I recently got contacted by by someone that was, their plants were living, but they just weren't doing real well, you know?

And it's one of those things it's kind of hard to figure out over email or phone call.

<Yeah> You got to get all the details and stuff.

And so, I went out to the, to the home and I started looking around a little bit and I started pulling some of the soil away from, away from the plants.

Because they did, they were leafing out and stuff, but they just they weren't growing like they should.

And so I started pulling some of the soil away, some of the mulch away.

I looked at a Japanese maple that was at least six inches to deep in the ground.

<Whoa> The azaleas were four to six inches too deep.

Amanda> That's like trying to breathe if somebody is sitting on your chest.

Brad> Exactly, exactly.

It just chokes the life out of these plants.

So they'll, they'll continue to live, but they just won't do well.

And I was explaining to the homeowner, a lot of times, what happens is when you buy plants from a nursery... And not the fault of the nursery necessarily, but they get up sized in their pots- Amanda> Because they start, they have to start out in kind of a little pot and- Cory> Exactly.

And so you get the soil on top, you get roots that start to circle and build up on top.

And so, you may even plant your root ball at the proper height, but the plant is already too deep in its own root ball.

And so you really need to concentrate on pulling back some of that soil some of those encircling roots.

And what we really want to see is where that, that stem or trunk starts to flare out into the roots.

Amanda> That root flare.

Brad> Exactly.

And you want to put that at or just above ground level.

You know, I always tell people I would rather see a plant an inch or two too high than an inch too low.

You know, it's probably going to grow if it's a little bit too high.

But that was the one of the main reasons that these plants, like I said, they were living, but they just weren't, weren't doing well.

And surprisingly, they had actually put down some roots and stuff.

But they- Amanda> They were trying.

Brad> They were being choked out.

Amanda> Well, and one thing that I, I've just started taking everything that I get out of the pot and looking at it because I'm finding those encircling roots.

And sometimes, there are five plants in one pot.

<Yes> I mean I thought I was getting a good head start on something, and they just had it stuffed, you know, stuffed full of stuff, and they weren't going to grow if I just planted it.

So I had, ended up having to pull them apart and started up with these little tiny plants that I'd paid a lot of money for.

Cory> Amanda, I encourage people to consider or basically bare rooting those plants.

So when you pull them out of the container, shake all that potting soil off.

Cut any of those circling roots and extra long roots.

I mean, don't get crazy with it, but, you know, take off some of those defects, if you will, before they go in the ground.

But don't be afraid to shake all that soil off as long as you're ready to put it in the ground.

As soon as you do that, they'll actually do a little bit better for you.

Amanda> And, that's one reason why fall is the best time to plant.

And also, Cory, I've introduced a lot of weeds that have a very delayed germination system.

That come in- Cory> Potting soil.

Amanda> And not the nurseries plants at all.

And so I put it in a bag and put it in the, in the trash.

Not in my compost or anything because I've got, I have some weeds that I just, oh, la, la, la.

Cory> Our favorite, chamber bitter.

Amanda> I know.

(laughter) And gripeweed.

Cory> Yep.

And gripeweed.

Amanda> Okay.

Well, Rivendell Farm, we had a lovely time down there.

It's called a mini farm.

And there was just all sorts of fun things going on, including children and chickens, which is always fun.

(gentle music) ♪ ♪ ♪ Amanda> I'm talking to Margo Huggins.

We are in Williston, South Carolina, and she has a...farmette.

And the name of this enterprise is Margo> Rivendell Farms.

Amanda> And I think that is something that refers, is talked about a lot in The Hobbit.

Margo> Yep.

Tol- It's not a nod to Tolkien.

A lot of people think it is.

But where we started this, my husband and I, was when we lived on Rivendell Drive in Lexington.

So that's actually where the name came from.

And then people continuously were like, oh, and saying things to me out of The Hobbit.

And I would look at them like, I don't know what you're talking about, but one day I will read the book, all of the books.

Amanda> But again, you describe this as a farmette.

And so, what do you mean by farmette?

Margo> Farmette, to me means a very small farm.

I work in big agriculture.

I work for a company called Americot, and I provide NextGen cotton seed to large row crop growers.

And I've done this for almost two decades.

I've worked in big agriculture.

So, you know, I go to thousand acre farms, so I can't in good faith call what we're doing here on this quarter acre, a farm, especially because it's not our main source of income.

It's what we do as a side hustle or hobby to, you know, it brings us joy.

But it also is bringing in some money too, to help pay for itself.

Amanda> And I think at first, like many people, you were growing vegetables because we all love vegetables out of the garden.

But a lot of people around you are doing that.

And I think you found a way to specialize.

So what have you kind of centered in on as your specialty?

Margo> We are growing tons of cut flowers now.

And it's wonderful.

And yes, we did start, we actually started, my husband and I, when we started dating with just a four by eight raised garden bed in our backyard.

And it is...exploded to almost a quarter acre, now that we grow flowers and fillers and all those great things.

Amanda> And there's... a season, two seasons, you have kind of the early cool season flowers and then the summer flowers.

So, tell me what you have in each grouping.

Margo> So a lot of folks don't understand the timing of flowers or flowers, in general.

So we plant cool season flowers at the end of September, direct seed them or we plant plugs and transplant them in and they sit in the ground all winter long, and those are the things that come off for Mother's Day.

We also plant tulips and they're planted here as annuals.

So we get them in and we have to chill them.

And then we plant them around Christmas time.

And they're the first things that will come off for us, usually in March.

And then the season moves on, you know, March, tulips, Mother's Day, the things that we planted in September come off.

And then we get into our really warm season flowers, the, the frost intolerance things that lots of folks know.

Amanda> Yeah.

You've got giant cone flowers, which I love.

You had phlox.

Oh, is there anything more glorious than phlox?

Margo> I know.

Yeah.

And, we plant a lot of perennials as well.

For filler, we've got some eucalyptus growing and mahogany splendor and a lot of this stuff I was able to start from seed, so it's a really fun process.

Amanda> And then you've got herbs.

Margo> We do.

Yes, I grow a lot of basil.

Amanda> Yes.

Margo> We do.

We use basil as filler, but we also make our own pesto.

So we freeze it and we have it all year round.

Amanda> Then you've got a funky kind of purple leaf plant.

What was that?

Margo> Yeah, beefsteak plants but it's a weed, and it's wonderful for filler too.

Amanda> You've got what a lot of people call Queen Anne's Lace.

Margo> Yes, we do, and some different versions of that for filler.

It's really fun to use the whole entire crop season, because it'll produce a really pretty flower and then sort of dry down to this interesting filler.

Amanda> I think you found out that some of your grandparents or somebody once had a farm devoted to one flower, and you've got some of that here now too?

Margo> Yes, ma'am.

So, my paternal grandparents actually had a business where they grew Gladiolus, and I didn't know that until two years ago.

We've been doing this flower farming journey for four years now, and I only found that out two years ago.

And I have their business paperwork.

It's...it's wonderful to have that.

And Gladiola is actually my favorite flower.

Amanda> Well, and I love the shorter varieties and particularly like it when they fall over and get some curves.

They don't have to be just straight up and down.

Margo> That's right.

And that's actually one of my favorite things about tulips too, because there's no rhyme or reason.

You just put a tulip in a vase and it will end up growing like three inches.

So it's really fun to watch flowers progress in their lives.

And, you know, to know when exactly to harvest them and what you need to pinch and what you can't pinch and what needs to go in a cooler and what absolutely can't go in a cooler.

There's a lot of intricate things to learn about flowers.

Amanda> Then you've got a second batch of sunflowers coming in, I believe.

Margo> Yes, ma'am.

Amanda> Okay.

Margo> Yeah, we succession plant sunflowers and zinnias, and we will every two weeks for the rest of the summer.

Amanda> Wow!

And you do this, like every week or every other week.

You have some local farmers markets or things like that where you take them.

Margo> Yes, ma'am.

We, take to the Barnwell Farmers Market every other Saturday, and then oftentimes we'll take to, a little local coffee shop in Barnwell called Accelerator Coffee .

And we will tell people what we're doing on our Facebook page.

So if folks want to follow what we do, we try to get the kids really involved.

We want them to know how to grow things where their food comes from, and we like them to get dirty, too.

Amanda> Do the kids get excited about it?

Margo> It depends.

Amanda> Do they take bribes... Margo> No, I, I should get them to do that.

We did have a little competition on Facebook, where I had them each make an arrangement and put them on there, and then let the Internet vote.

And actually, my daughter won.

So, my five and a half year old won.

So I was pretty excited about that.

Amanda> That's lots of fun.

Margo> It is.

Amanda> Well, I just think this is great fun.

You've got, some chickens over there.

We could hear them.

(mimics chicken sounds) So you get the, I think the little girls go and gather eggs for you.

Margo> They do.

They finally... That's their chore.

They get eggs.

We hope they don't break them when they get back to the house.

Amanda> Well, it seems like a delightful way for these little gals to grow up, and, y'all are having a lot of fun.

And it's a way for you to, relax after traveling a fairly large area.

<Yes> And to come home and just enjoy this wonderful little place y'all have here in Williston.

Margo> It is, it's where I center myself and then find God often enough.

So it's a wonderful, tiny slice of Heaven here that we've created.

My favorite time of the day is the golden hour.

You know, especially in the summertime when it's brutally hot out and I'm fully sweating.

And know I'm going to get in the shower real soon.

But just those last few minutes of light out there is an incredible experience.

Amanda> Well, we're so glad that you found your way to South Carolina and Williston.

Margo> Me too.

Amanda> Thank you for letting us come.

Margo> Thank you for being here.

♪ Amanda> We had a grand time down there with Margo, and it's interesting how now people are not just farming row crops, but they're farming flowers.

And so you might want to find someone near you.

They're scattered all over the state, and you could go and get some things that, you wouldn't find otherwise and bring them home and make a flower arrangement.

It could be fun.

Anyway.

Well, Hank and Ann, thank goodness my dear friends, outside of Saint Matthews.

I go out there when, my yard is kind of bare, and fine things for hats.

And so I got an Amaryllis, which is this red thing.

I have to take it off because I can't see backwards.

So this is an Amaryllis and Ann had these sweet little roses and then, Attilaea and Cory, I think that's... grows in, kind of wet spaces in the shade.

Isn't it a native plant?

Cory> Yeah, that's a native shrub.

It's a deciduous shrub.

Grows on the sides of creeks and ponds and that sort of thing.

It's very, it's a great ornamental as well.

Amanda> Yeah.

So it was very happy in their yard.

And then this funky thing, this pink thing, Ann calls "powder puff plant."

And you can see why, because Terasa, we could put some powder on with it, I guess.

And it's, it's not, it's from, I think from Mexico or a little bit farther south.

You looked it up, didn't you?

Cory> We had to look it up.

The genus is Calliandra, which I think would mean "beautiful flower."

Amanda> It is pretty.

Cory> But that's a fairly common, it's a legume, which is interesting.

Most people wouldn't think of it like that, but that powder puff type flower, I see in a lot of tropical... plants, you know.

Amanda> It's mighty pretty.

And Teresa, she said her hummingbirds come to it, which I don't see what the heck they're coming for.

Seems very peculiar.

Terasa> Evidently, it's a nectar source.

We normally think of a tubular structure when we think of being attractive to hummingbirds.

Amanda> But, it's right by her hummingbird feeders.

And she said they land there to go to the feeder, but she's also seen them feeding on it.

So, I thought that was quite fascinating.

I ought to pull it apart and see if I can get some nectar down there if I palpitate it with my tongue.

But anyway, I'll do that later.

Not this time.

So... (laughter) Well Terasa, let's see if we can help somebody else.

Terasa> Alright.

We have a question that came in from Diane in Newberry who said, "How do I know when to stop harvesting asparagus?

I've had a great crop this year."

Oh, one of my favorite fresh out of the garden vegetables.

Amanda> Aren't they just wonderful?

Well, Cory, let's get some advice.

Cory> Yeah.

So, asparagus is great.

It's a really interesting vegetable, because it's a perennial vegetable.

We don't have a lot of those that we grow.

But you plant it one time, and it comes back year after year.

As long as you take care of that patch and get it established well before you start harvesting too much.

But that's a great question because they just, those spears just keep coming up.

And, you know, a spear is just the, early shoot stage of the asparagus coming out of the ground.

Which eventually will be this big, ferny... frond of foliage, eventually, if you leave it to grow.

So those come up in the spring, early spring, and we harvest the spears and eat them when they're eight, six to eight inches long.

When they're nice and tender.

But if you do that, you know, if you don't stop, it'll eventually you'll exhaust the plant.

Amanda> Wear out the plant.

Cory> You'll take away all of its resources.

And so you have to, at some point, stop.

And that's a common question we get is "When do you stop harvesting asparagus?"

And so the general recommendation is when the spears reduce in size to the size of a pencil or smaller, and you've got a pencil in your hand there, you need to stop harvesting the spears.

Amanda> That's mighty little.

Cory> So, the first spears that come up are usually the larger spears.

They're the, they're the bigger diameter spears.

And then as you harvest they get a little bit smaller, through the season.

So usually it's going to be, I would say four to six weeks of harvest on a mature asparagus patch.

<Okay> And then once those spears start getting the size of a pencil, you need to stop harvesting and let those, those fronds mature into foliage.

Amanda> And I believe if you want to establish an asparagus patch, the males are more productive than the females.

Brad> I believe so, yeah.

It's funny, we had a, I worked with a, little school garden, in Georgetown.

It's actually where my son goes to daycare and, and they came to me, were like, "Brad our asparagus, we're just we're not getting anything, you know, we planted it."

And they were very, very concerned.

And I said, "Well, when did you plant it?"

"This year."

(laughter) You know, that's your reason you're not getting anything.

It takes a couple years.

Amanda> And Terasa, there used to be one that my mother remembers called Carolina Colossus, which was very, very large.

And of course, right where I am, there were, every many of the farmers had several hundred acres of asparagus.

Terasa> Wow.

Amanda> Isn't that interesting.

Yeah.

And so there's still some that kind of pop up every now and then.

I notice them in the fall because the foliage when it, when the, when it gets its autumn color is so very, very beautiful.

Cory> And I've read that historically South Carolina was maybe the largest, <Yes> largest producer of asparagus in the world, maybe.

Amanda> And, where Hank and Ann are there is, there was a, it's right on the railroad track because the railroad would come through and pick them up and carry the asparagus up North.

And so there was a USDA asparagus grading shed right there on their property, right by the railroad track.

Cory> Wow.

Terasa> How fascinating?

Amanda> And Edward's mother and my mother would say that, of course, they sent the, the fine ones up, you know, up, you know, to the market.

And then they'd have to eat the broken ones.

But Mama said they would just say, "oh, no asparagus again," because for four to six weeks it was just asparagus, asparagus, asparagus.

Terasa> Over and over and over.

Amanda> I know, isn't that fun.

Terasa> There's purple asparagus too.

Amanda> I know, and they're delicious, too.

Yeah, they're lots of fun.

And, and now they are becoming a crop that some of our specialty farmers are growing again.

Cory> That's right.

Amanda> Yeah.

Okay.

All righty.

Well, Terasa?

Terasa> We've got something else, let's see.

Maralynn in Myrtle Beach, we were sort of alluding to this earlier.

Wants to know, "When should I start fertilizing my grass?"

Amanda> People just- Terasa> The million dollar question.

Amanda> And it's interesting that it was Maralynn who asked, because usually I think it's the husbands who want to get out there and start getting that grass green and slinging all that fertilizer out.

Brad> Right.

Amanda> Well, help us out here Cory.

I mean Brad.

Brad> Yeah it's, it's easy for us to get started too early.

You know, we get anxious, we get a couple of those warm days, and we're like, man, "I really want to get this, this grass growing."

But we really need to wait until our nighttime temperatures start to get up into the, into the 60s.

That's when our grass is really starting to grow, <Vigorously> more vigorously, exactly.

That's our real growing season.

And so sometimes that takes a little longer than we anticipate, especially if you're in the upstate.

You know, down next to the coast it happens a little quicker.

But, my kind of rule of thumb is May 1st.

I don't like fertilizing, much before May 1st.

And even then, we had a couple years ago, it didn't warm up really well until towards the end of May.

And so, it's really a temperature based thing.

Say if you got to do it, May 1st, I wouldn't do it before then, but- Amanda> Depending on where you are though if you are in the upstate- Brad> Yes, it may be a little bit later.

It may be closer to June or, you know, so, you know, it's really a temperature based thing.

And what we don't want to do is we don't want to throw a bunch of fertilizer on a grass that's still kind of sleeping.

You know, it's, you end up with a bunch of real sensitive, foliar growth.

And if we get another cold snap, it can harm it.

And so you don't want to, you don't want to push it to do something it's not quite ready to do.

And when you go to the big box stores, you see all these fertilizers for grass and a lot, a lot of them have a very high middle number, which is the phosphorus.

And I understand that most of our soils have plenty of phosphorus, and that's something that can run off very much and get in our waterways and cause blooms, algal blooms.

Is that right?

Brad> Right, right.

And yeah, so there are, like you said, tons of fertilizers out there.

And so we talk about it all the time.

We're Clemson Extension, you need to do a soil test.

Figure out, you know, where your nutrients and stuff are.

You want to make sure if you're if you are fertilizing, if you're doing these things to your grass, that you're doing it with a purpose.

And not just randomly throwing stuff out there.

Amanda> And throwing your money away.

<Exactly> Because it can be a lot of it.

Cory> It's important to note too, that we grow several different types of grass <Yes> in South Carolina.

And they have different fertility requirements.

And so that's, it's important to know what kind of grass you have.

Amanda> Poor man's grass because... Cory> It's very different to fertilize centipede versus Bermuda grass or in the upstate, tall fescue.

So, it's important to know what you have.

And like Brad said do the soil test, to make sure you're getting out the right stuff.

Amanda> And if you don't know, you can come bring a sample to the office, can't you Terasa?

Terasa> You can.

Please don't ask me because identifying grass is not my strength.

But we do have people who are much more knowledgeable.

Helps if it's flowering, depending on what it is.

Amanda> I think we've got time to squeeze one more in.

Terasa> One more question.

Let's try to help Robin.

I'm not sure where Robin wrote in from, but she said, "I have a strawberry patch.

Really producing a great crop, but something is eating them.

And I'm afraid of rat and mice poop because we have a wooded area behind the house and I'm seeing poop on the patio.

I'm really afraid of harvesting the fruit.

What can I do?

Can the plants be salvaged?"

Amanda> Well, and you do want to wash fruit.

I mean, that's the first step, I would imagine.

But, Cory, What do you think's going on?

Cory> Well, what doesn't like a strawberry?

I mean... Amanda> I like them.

Cory> Pretty much anything will eat strawberries.

So, I've seen box turtles.

Terasa> Oh, yes.

Box turtles love strawberries.

Cory> I've seen, you know, I mean, even dogs will pick a strawberry.

So lots of things could potentially- <Squirrels> Squirrels, chipmunks, groundhogs.

Brad> I have a three-year-old.

Cory> Yeah, three-year-olds.

(laughter) Just about anything will eat a strawberry, so it's hard to say.

I mean, certainly rats would eat strawberries, mice, rodents.

So it's possible that, that's the issue.

We actually, were talking to a farmer recently.

We've got a picture, I think, of a strawberry eaten by a possum.

Amanda> A possum?

Cory> Yeah.

Opossum.

So- Amanda> The ones that act like they're dead.

Cory> So, like I say, it could be just about anything.

About the only way to really prevent animals from eating a berry like that is some sort of exclusion practice.

So bird netting or some type of way to try to exclude the animals from the area, would be about the only real way to do that.

But, like you say, the critical thing is going to be, washing off...

Anything that you bring in from outside needs to be washed.

Amanda> Okay.

Oh, goodness gracious.

Well, and I think sometimes you even have to, if you have, a wire fence or something, it has to be extended down in the ground a little bit.

Is that true?

Cory> Depends on what pest you're trying to exclude.

But yeah, if it was a rodent or a rabbit, or something like that, that could dig real easily, you would probably want to extend it into the soil.

Amanda> Okay.

Well, another berry that's lots of fun is a blackberry.

And I just love blackberry pies.

They are just wonderful.

And so Zack Snipes has a good friend that he, took us to... that he went to see and did a very interesting interview with this gentleman about why he was farming, specifically.

♪ Zack> Hi, everyone.

My name is Zack Snipes.

I'm a county Extension Agent for the Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service.

My job is to work with the fruit and vegetable producers in the Lowcountry of South Carolina.

And today we're in Stewart Point or the, Seabrook area of Beaufort County.

And I get to interview one of my good friends, one of my favorite farmers, Roy Green of Simply Green Farm.

We got some rain today, but I'm happy to to have you here, Roy, today.

And, thanks for coming on the show.

Roy> Thank you, Zack.

It's good to be here.

Zack> Yeah, man.

So tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got into farming.

Roy> I'm one of 14.

My mom and dad, had 14 children.

They were farmers.

I got into farming because they farmed, back in 1940.

They bought ten acres of land, for 100 dollars.

Zack> 100 dollars?

Roy> 100 dollars, Zack>...for all ten acres?

Roy>...for all ten acres.

Zack> That's a good deal.

Roy> That was an excellent deal.

Mom, mom had the money, Dad didn't.

But, mom, saved up the money.

She had it.

And back then, when someone needed money to bury a loved one, instead of having the money, they would put up property.

So they put up the property, and she had the money, and she bought the land and, and the rest is history.

They, they farmed... they farmed a little bit of everything cucumbers, tomatoes, beans, squash, zucchini.

And they would take it to a local market.

I was, as a little boy, I was right there.

You know, either carrying the bucket or carrying the water or doing something.

Zack> Yep.

So you grew up farming?

Roy> Grew up farming.

Zack> Yep.

And then, and then you've continued farming the whole time or what happened between when you were a little boy and now?

Roy> Well, I, I kept on farming until, I got out of school and then I left, when I graduated from high school, I left and I went to New York for about 12 years.

And then I came back in 1992, and Dad had kind of stopped with farming.

He had, you know, he was tired.

All the kids was gone after, you know, farming, everybody left.

Nobody wanted any parts of farming.

Farming was hard, I mean, and the money wasn't there.

So, it was a better living.

People went in the... brothers and sisters either went in the military or they went to the city.

And that's when I went and I came back.

Zack> And so you guys were able to hang on to the land that we're still on today?

Roy> Yes, yes.

Mom, that was one thing mom always thought, she was, She...was determined to keep the land.

And then, after the farming, then you had family members that moved in different parts of the land.

You know, we built houses here, you know, mobile homes.

So we still had the farm here and certain parts of it.

But it wasn't...it wasn't the whole thing wasn't farm.

Zack> Right.

So then I get a call, I don't know how many years ago now, and says, "Hey, man, I want to start farming."

And so, you picked farming back up, I guess.

And so that's when you called me.

And, when I walked out here, it was just a bare piece of ground.

Man, we've come a long way in a few years, hadn't we?

Roy> Exactly, exactly.

I moved back, from New York in 1992, and Dad had stopped farming, so I kind of talked Dad back into getting into farming on a limited basis.

So he...he did it.

He gave it a try.

It gave us a little time to get to really bond together and, you know, get to know when we were small, you didn't really have time to talk to your dad.

He was working, busy working, busy doing this and that.

So, so I started back and then, I had an opportunity to buy another piece of land next to our property, which is this property right here, which is five acres.

And that's when I called you.

I cleared it off and I said, "Zack, I want to do something with this property."

And I said, "you know, I'm thinking about growing blackberries."

Zack> Yeah.

Roy> I talked to a farmer by the name of Mr. Jackie Barefoot.

And he was growing blackberries.

So I was intrigued, but I never I didn't know anything about it.

So that's when I called you.

Zack> Right.

And so I came out and we kind of talked about some things and looked at the land and, kind of made some suggestions on, you know, what way to orient the land and whatever and kind of pick some varieties out.

And now, now, what's the farm doing?

What are you growing here now?

Roy> I'm growing blackberries.

I bought some blackberry plugs ...from Nurse Farms, and it turned out great.

Like you said, we picked out an area.

We decided where the sun was going to be more sun.

We decided to put it in high tunnel and outside, so that worked out great.

Zack> For our viewers, that are watching that may not be familiar with a high tunnel.

What's what's a high tunnel?

Roy> A high tunnel is...

It's various names for it.

Some people call it a hoop house.

Some people call it a greenhouse.

It's just a sheltered area, with plastic that you can get the sun in, but you can, block out some of the rain.

You can block out the rain.

And you have some of them they're built different.

Mine has drop down sides.

So you have open sides and open front and back doors.

Zack> Okay.

So what's the advantage of being able to open the front doors and the sides of the greenhouse?

Roy> For ventilation.

You get more air circulation.

Down here in the South, you know it gets pretty hot.

Zack> It gets very hot.

So, so you have some blackberries growing under this high tunnel structure, and then you have some growing in the field.

Can you tell us a little bit about the differences and the nuances, because there are differences between the two, correct?

Roy> Correct.

Correct.

In the high tunnel, you can control the weather.

You can control the elements.

You even control the bugs to a certain degree.

So here you can, And then I have a water system.

I have a drip irrigation system in the high tunnel.

Outside, you get, you know, I can I have an irrigation system outside also, but I can't control the rain out there.

When it rains, it rains, and then with the bugs, you get more fungus.

You get more bugs, outside.

Zack> Outside than inside.

So...so it's a protected area.

It's a little more sheltered, and you can control things a little bit.

So you're quality's a little better on the berries, potentially.

Roy> Exactly.

And from my take, the berries are a little sweeter.

It's a little larger too, inside the high tunnel.

Zack> Well doesn't it get hot in this high tunnel?

How do you kind of combat that, especially during the summers?

Roy> Open up the sides, pretty much.

And...in one of them I have fans in it that kind of keep the air circulating, but I find that it really doesn't affect it that much.

Zack> Right.

You also use, I see on these tunnels, a black cloth.

Tell us a little bit about that and why you would use that black cloth?

Roy> That cloth is called a shade cloth.

What it does, it shades 25 percent of the sun out.

You can get various types of cloth.

You can get them up to 60 percent shade, but I choose 25 percent because I don't want to block out too much of the sun because as you know, you need the sun- Zack> -Right.

Roy>...for the blackberries.

Zack> But it blocks out enough to where, you know, maybe the berries aren't getting blistered by the sun.

It kind of knocks down some of the UV rays and keeps a little better quality on the berries.

Roy> Exactly, exactly.

And I kind of find a good niche right there with the 25 percent.

I think that works pretty good.

Zack> Right.

Well, tell us a little bit about, the varieties of blackberries you grow, because when I was growing up, I worked on a peach farm and we had blackberries and, the varieties you have here aren't like the varieties I had to pick that had thorns on them, and you came out all scratched up and bloody and that sort of thing.

So tell us a little bit about these and why you chose these varieties.

Roy> Yeah, I did some research and I, researched a company called Nurse Farms and they, they, produced this variety.

It's a plug.

It grows on a trellis, it grows.

You put the plug in and it grows up, and it's thornless.

Zack> Oh, so you don't get scratched when you pick it.

Roy> You don't get scratched and you don't have to bend over as far to pick them.

You pick them.

You put it on a trellis and...you pick them on a vine and it grows from the cane and it goes to the laterals and the lateral, produces a berry.

Zack> Okay.

And so most... blackberry varieties produce one crop a year, but these are different.

And they produce how many crops a year?

Roy> So far, two.

But, I got my fingers crossed I might have a third crop.

Zack> So three crops in one season?

Roy> Three crops in one... Zack> Yeah.

So, for those viewers at home, University of Arkansas has bred some varieties in the last couple of decades that actually produce blackberries twice a year.

But as we're seeing in the high tunnel, you might could get three crops a year out of them.

So that's very encouraging for a farmer.

Roy> I think so, because with the high tunnel, you get that early picking in April and then you get a late picking- Zack> -So you're picking blackberries in April?

Roy> Picking in April.

You're starting to produce in April.

Zack> Wow.

So typically when I think of blackberries, we're thinking about getting them in, you know, May or June, but you're picking two months early.

Roy> Oh yeah.

People are... the customers are amazed, "Where do you get blackberries from at this time?"

"It's not.

It's out of season."

I said, "not Simply Green."

Zack> Right.

So under the high tunnel they're coming in earlier.

And then the field ones come in a little later.

And by the time the ones in the field come in, then the second crop is being produced on the ones in the tunnel, right?

Roy> Exactly.

Zack> So you're having basically a continuous harvest from April through when?

Roy> April, the season, the first picking normally lasts about two to three weeks, and then it stops and you prune everything out.

And then you can get another harvest probably in May, June, and then it stops again.

And then I'm hoping that I could get another harvest in August, August, September, October area.

Zack> Wow!

So, we were talking earlier before we started filming about, you know, the maintenance on these blackberries and, and how you fertilize them and water them and prune them and take care of them.

Can you walk us through what that process looks like for you?

Roy> That process is... is a long process.

A lot of, pruning and tipping, Blackberry demands a lot of pruning.

If you don't prune them, they grow... they can grow up to the ceiling.

So you got to tip, when you call it tipping, you just tip the edges of them, and that produces the lateral, the lateral shoots out.

And that's what hangs on to the trellis and you kind of tie them on the trellis.

Zack> Okay.

So the tip pruning.

So like we take one of these tips and pinch it.

And instead of being one it forks out into two.

And then it's going to produce blackberries on both ends of the thing.

Is that what you're saying?

Roy> And sometimes, it can go three.

It'll fork out as much as three.

Zack> So...the viewers at home should be tip pruning if they want to get increased production.

Roy> Tipping is a key.

If you don't tip, you're missing out.

Zack> Right.

What do you do with the old canes that have died?

Because these canes grow, they live, they produce fruit, and then they die.

And it's fairly obvious to see which ones are dead.

How do you how do you manage that?

Roy> I prune the old canes out and get rid of them.

I don't use them for anything else.

They're just old canes.

Hopefully, I'll find something to do with them.

But right now I don't have any use for them.

Zack> Right.

So that's a... that's a big task.

You know, I guess after harvest because you're excited about the harvest and then there's work to do after that.

Correct?

Roy> Blackberries are a lot of work.

Yeah, it's a lot of work to prune it.

You prune everything out.

Zack> Right.

All right, Roy, so now we're at the phase where we're harvesting these blackberries.

Where are your markets?

Where are you getting rid of these things?

Roy> I provide blackberries to the Gullah Co-op.

I provide blackberry to the community in a You-Pick basis.

And I also provide blackberry at a farmer's market.

That's where I'm... Zack> The Gullah Co-op, can you tell us a little bit about your relationship with them and how that process works?

Roy> They're a co-op that helps minority farmers, Black farmers, and they, they help us, with distributing our berries.

Zack> So Roy, it's been great to hear about your farm and what you're doing here, but I think you have a greater purpose than just growing blackberries and... you know, providing them to the co-op and the markets and stuff.

What's the bigger purpose here?

Roy> It's just... the purpose that I really take pride in is keeping the heritage, keeping the legacy alive with farming in the community.

Back when I grew up, there were over 20 farmers in this area.

Now I'm the only one.

And keeping it going and, and...having the produce that people can come up and still get local produce, produce from, from a local farmer.

And they look forward to it.

I got, I got customers calling me every day.

"When will your okra be ready?

When will your peas be ready?"

So, it's to keep it going and to have that, that pleasure in knowing that you're offering a good product, you know- Zack> -to the people you live around.

Roy> To the people I live around.

Zack> That's right.

Roy> And they come back, every year.

<Yep> And because it's less and less farmers exist now in areas in our community.

Zack> And I know you're providing a service to the community in that way, but you also give back, by exposing youth to agriculture.

Can you tell us a little bit about how you're involved there?

Roy> Yeah, I work with the local schools.

I work with the Whale Branch Elementary, Middle and High School.

We have a not for profit, organization called Heritage Community Farm, where we build gardens.

And the students are actively involved and they get to go from start to finish, planting to harvesting.

And they get, they get a big thrill out of it.

You could, you should see them, during Thanksgiving, when we grow collard greens and cabbage and they get to take it home and enjoy it- Zack> Proud of it, huh.

Roy> I love it because you can see the excitement on their face.

They don't know about these things, but they grew up in this community and they have... very little knowledge of what this community was all about.

It was all about farming.

Zack> Right.

And you're also providing potentially a place for them to work, you know, if they come through the program and they have something to do, if they, if they're interested in farming one day.

Roy> That's right.

Because... a lot of young people, they have different talents.

And sometimes at a young age they don't know which way to go.

And if you can get them started in something that they like, you know, maybe they'll catch on, or maybe they'll be a Zack, one of these days.

Zack> Or maybe they'll be a Roy, one day.

Roy> Maybe, you know.

Zack> Roy, thank you for letting us come out today and doing this interview and hearing a little bit about your history and your vision, and your, really your heart for your community and the young generations coming up.

We appreciate you having us today.

Roy> Well, I thank you for coming out.

And before you go, I have a special treat.

My wife, Jackie, she makes, blackberry lemonade.

That's one of the way that we use our blackberries.

And you're going to love it.

Zack> All right, man, I'm pumped.

♪ ♪ ♪ Amanda> This is a great time to support your local farmers.

Things haven't been transported in from way across the country, and they're fresh.

And, we do want to keep our farmers, in business.

So go out there and find something wonderful near you.

A lot of people are just fussing and fussing about weeds in their lawn.

Cory> Yeah, it's that time of year, you know, springtime.

Things are really growing, fast.

And there's one that gives me fits this time of year.

That's just...

It loves the cooler spring weather, and that's, I call it "ground ivy."

Other people call it "creeping charlie."

It looks like it has about a dozen common names, but it's, a non-native weed.

Creeping weed in the mint family.

That really loves cool weather and loves shade.

<Uh-huh> And so if you've got a shady section- Amanda> In the mint family?

Cory> It's in the mint family.

It has square stems.

So pretty much any plant that has square stems, is in the mint family.

If you look at the bloom, it's got a cute little bloom.

But if you look at that bloom, it's got that classic mint family bloom like a salvia or something like that, but smaller.

And it's very fragrant.

So if you could smell it right now, you could, especially if you mow it, you can really tell that you've got creeping charlie or ground ivy.

It's a cool season perennial.

So it lives year round.

<Oh> But it really takes off in the spring of the year spreads and then it kind of goes almost dormant during the summertime, during the heat of the summer.

And you can almost tell you're shady spots in your lawn by where this grows.

It really likes the shade, probably because it's not crazy about the heat of the summer.

Amanda> Well, grass doesn't like shady spots?

Cory> Most grasses don't like shady spots.

And so yeah, you'll get the, the grass will be thinning out and the creeping charlie will be coming in.

I've got one particular spot in my landscape, that's heavy shade.

And I really don't have much grass at all.

And this is pretty much taken over.

Which is, actually okay with me during this time of the year.

It blooms and there's pollinators, gets all over those blooms.

But then during the summer, it kind of dies out.

And now I'm kind of left with a bare spot in the yard, but.

It can be a challenge and it'll grow into landscape beds, too.

The good thing about landscape beds, it's pretty easy to hand pull.

<Okay> It doesn't have a deep root system.

Amanda> Alright, well Cory I guess this isn't good in iced tea.

(laughter) Cory> I've never tried it, so I don't know.

Amanda> Well, thank y'all for being with us tonight.

We hope that you'll join us next week.

Good 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.