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 .

I hate to tell you, but this is the very last Making It Grow show, and you're going to have to find something else to watch... on Tuesday nights.

Terasa, it really is sad.

Terasa> Ah, you know, my heart skipped a beat when I heard those words come out of your mouth.

But I think that is your April Fool's joke to us.

Amanda> It is kind of... (laughter) We would miss y'all way, way too much to even think about doing that.

So don't despair or don't, don't get excited, depending on how you think about us.

I'm Amanda McNulty and I'm a Horticulture Agent.

A Clemson Extension Horticulture Agent, how about that?

And it's wonderful to come on the show Terasa because I studied horticulture so long ago, and things have changed a lot and I've forgotten a lot, so.

Terasa> Well, things are always changing.

And that's one of the great things about Clemson Extension and Making It Grow , is we do our very best to get that information out to you, our viewers, so that you can put it into action.

Amanda> And Terasa, Terasa Lott, And you are over a district now, and fortunately you're still kind of... based, Sumter is your home base, so you can come and help us.

But, you, if people, they can call HGIC but also you take questions on our Facebook page, I believe.

Terasa> I do, yes.

And so that's an easy way to reach us.

Makes it easy because, doesn't matter what time you happen to be active.

Just as long as you have that device, you can just send a message to the Facebook page, and we'll do our best to get you an answer.

But it is, primarily just me.

So there are additional staff at HGIC and you can reach out to them via email, HGIC@clemson.edu Or if it's something where you really need to talk with someone, you can reach them Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at (888) 6-5-6-9-9-8-8.

Amanda> Goodness.

You've memorized the number.

Terasa> I've said it a few times.

(laughter) Amanda> I hardly know my phone number.

I thought about getting it tattooed, cause sometimes I'm like, "what is my number?"

Anyway.

We've missed you, Jackie Jordan.

Jackie> I know, I've been busy.

Amanda> Yeah, you are busy because you have so many counties, Fairfield, Kershaw, and Richland and some of those are rural and people are still kind of actively farming, I believe.

Jackie> They are.

And there are parts of each of the county that are rural and parts of, especially Richland and Kershaw that are starting to get really urban and busy.

Amanda> Aren't they though?

Yeah, yeah.

And I think you've got flower farmers and we keep meaning to come and see some of them.

So you need to remind me.

Jackie> I will.

Amanda> Yeah, yeah.

Jackie> I will.

Yeah.

In each county we have some flower farmers.

Amanda> Isn't that fun?

It really is.

<Mhm> And so instead of going to the grocery store you can get flowers from somebody locally.

<Exactly> And it'll be different things too.

Yeah.

Cool.

All righty.

A newcomer.

How 'bout it?

Woo-hoo.

Brittney King, you are the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

Uh, and that means you help farmers, I think, and people who are doing it for, you know, to make a living.

Brittney> That's right.

Amanda> And trying to, because it's hard to farm these days.

Chesterfield, Darlington, Florence, Lancaster, Lee, and Marlboro.

Woo, and I bet they're doing different things in different parts of the state.

Brittney> Yes, yes.

Pretty, pretty widespread area.

But, there's a lot of different crops being grown by all different kinds of farmers.

We've got fruits like muscadines, blueberries, and strawberries and peaches.

And then we've also got a lot of farmers that will do seasonal vegetables as well.

So this time of year, they're getting ready to do their leafy greens and tomatoes, beans, and peas.

So there's a wide range of crops being grown.

Amanda> And you said we, are we like number one in the country for producing something?

Brittney> For collards.

Amanda> Collard greens.

Gaw, Isn't that fun?

<Mhm> It really is.

And, I like artichoke pickle with my collards greens.

Brittney> Ooo, that sounds amazing.

Amanda> Have I brought you some artichoke pickle?

<Mm-mm> I'll have to get you some.

Dr. Nelson> I want some.

Amanda> Well, yeah, I will.

Yeah, because, we really do like that.

And they're fun.

People think of artichokes, and they think of, you know, but it's a root... Dr. Nelson> Right.

Amanda> Root... Root crop, too.

Which is really fun and easy to grow.

Doctor John Nelson, retired Curator at the University of South Carolina's Herbarium, and still botanizing like a fool and carrying around that plant press everywhere you go.

Dr. Nelson> That's right, yeah.

Working on that shoulder here.

Carrying that plant press.

Amanda> They are kind of heavy.

Dr. Nelson> They can get heavy.

The more you put in them, the heavier they get.

Amanda> That is true, isn't it?

Yeah, yeah.

And of course, then you take them down and Herrick Brown who has taken over the Curatorship at the herbarium.

Has a, I think he... he utilizes a fair number of volunteers if people want to talk to him about that.

Dr. Nelson> He has a number of little helpers.

They're very active.

They've always got something going on.

And, he's got a wonderful assistant.

Her name is Avery.

And she is, always ready to help him out.

Amanda> Also, if people come across something, you know, it's fun this time of year, all kinds of things are coming into bloom.

And a lot of people don't know what they are.

I think you can call him up and send him a picture or something and he'll try to help you.

Dr. Nelson> Sure.

Yeah, that service is still available for free.

So it's, yeah, a lot of fun.

Amanda> Well, we are delighted that you're with us.

I've been missing you- Dr. Nelson> Well, I'm glad to be back.

Amanda> Yeah, yeah.

Okay.

We have some fun things for you to watch, later in the show.

Some segments coming up.

Jarrett's Jungle, Jackie Macaulay came down.

We did terrariums.

Oh, it was great fun.

And then the Irmo Middle School has a pollinator garden.

And we had a wonderful time visiting those kids.

They were so knowledgeable.

And I think they've got a big event this weekend.

So check it out.

If you want to learn more about monarchs and the things to feed them, milkweeds.

That's a good resource.

All righty, Terasa, I bet we have some "Gardens of the Week" that viewers have shared with you.

Terasa> Which I think, are equally as fun as some of those segments that you mentioned.

So this is your time to shine.

I encourage you, whenever you see us ask for photographs, you can just post them on our Facebook page and let us know what you're growing in your yard, your garden, some indoor houseplants, or perhaps you've captured one of the many beautiful places in our great state.

So let's take a look.

We're going to begin with Stacey Gamble, who sent us Spiraea that is starting to flower in Lexington.

From Nicole Goodman, a variegated Monstera.

And it's demonstrating its climbing habit.

Judy Stone sent in Forsythia, or some people call that "yellow bells."

And she said, "this particular shrub has been in her yard since 1971."

<Fun> That's some, that's some longevity there.

Julie Brown shared potted daffodils, brightening up an indoor space.

And we round out "Gardens of the Week" with Hartmut Veil, who shared an absolutely beautiful sunrise in the background with a patch of daffodils in the foreground.

So, we really appreciate your sharing.

There are other photographs and you are welcome to view them anytime by visiting our Facebook page.

Amanda> Thank you and thanks to the people who send those in and who garden.

And you don't have to have the most wonderful, yard in the world.

Just find a pretty little space in your yard, a pretty patch.

We're not going to come down and go, oh, nanny nanny boo boo, right?

Terasa> That's right.

They are randomly chosen.

Amanda> Okay, have we got some questions?

Maybe we can help somebody.

Terasa> I sure hope we can help some folks.

We're going to try to start with John in Camden, who said, "I have several weeds in my lawn.

What should I do to control them?"

One of them has purple flowers.

I bet I know which one that one is.

(laughter) Amanda> Jackie, you know, we do have people who don't want anything in their lawn except whatever they, turfgrass they want.

But so, what do we think?

Jackie> Well, unfortunately, this time of year, we are in transition, where our warm season turf is coming out of dormancy.

So you're really limited on what you can do.

Plus, the majority of these weeds are winter annual weeds.

So they're going to flower and die probably quicker from the heat than any herbicide will give them control.

Amanda> And by this time in their life, I think they're kind of big and hardy.

Jackie> And they're hard to control.

So herbicides really should be targeted around Thanksgiving and early January.

Amanda> For these weeds?

Jackie> For these weeds, that you are seeing now.

So when you see them in bloom, it's really too late.

So I would say... manage your approach.

There's two different ways you can look at this.

One... weeds are there, they're helping the pollinators.

The purple flower is probably henbit which is really important to our native pollinators.

Amanda> Henbit is the purple one?

Jackie> Yes.

Henbit is one of the purple ones.

So, you know, it's an important source of pollen and nectar.

Or you can mow them to prevent them from producing seed and sort of limit the weed seed bank for next year.

So if you really, really hate the appearance, mow them.

That's probably going to go a lot further in that weed control for next year than doing any herbicides now.

Amanda> Okay.

And we really want to limit using pesticides when we can, because it doesn't just, you know, it has repercussions beyond just the target.

Jackie> Absolutely, absolutely.

The more you put in to good cultural practices for your turfgrass, the less weeds you're going to have.

So you can manage the water, manage the soil, there's a lot of things that you could do.

Even the way that you cut your lawn has a huge impact on how much weeds you'll have in the future.

Amanda> And... and it varies, from turfgrass choice to turfgrass choice.

So, I think we have some great factsheets, don't we Terasa?

Terasa> We sure do.

HG is a wealth of resources.

And you know, Jackie, when you were talking about that, it got me thinking.

Sometimes people ask "What is a weed?"

And a weed is just really a plant that isn't desirable.

For whatever reason.

And I think you might have brought some... Jackie> I did, I did.

So I went shopping.

(laughter) With this warm weather, that we've been having, and I got some neat little plants and, this is a Trifolium.

It's a clover.

And, you know, when we think about a lot of the weeds that are in the lawn, we have clovers.

There are some annual clovers there are some perennial clovers that are present this time of year.

And this is another clover, but just so cute.

So this is going to be a great one to use in some container gardens, some hanging-, you know, some planter gardens, so.

It's always... "beauty is in the eye of the beholder."

We should say.

<Yes> Amanda> Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Terasa> And kind of the setting.

So someone, might appreciate it more in a planted area where they put it, rather than if it just decides to volunteer in your lawn.

<Yes> Amanda> Okay.

Thank you so much.

I sure appreciate it.

Well, Terasa, who's next?

Terasa> We're ready for another one?

Next, our question comes from Rebecca in Florence.

And Rebecca said, "My blueberry bushes did not produce as much fruit last year as they usually do.

What could be causing this and how do I fix it?"

Amanda> Well, Brittney, you have a lot of people who are growing blueberries and even the home gardeners that's a favorite of theirs.

What advice do you have for us?

Brittney> Yeah.

So this is something, it's actually a question I get pretty commonly.

So, blueberries are a perennial crop, just like muscadines.

So pruning is very, very essential to making sure that one, that they, have better airflow to help with disease, <Ah> and then two, it maximizes the yield and the quality of the fruit that you get.

So you have to understand that blueberries, the buds are going to fruit off of one year old wood.

So the reason why you want to prune back so hard this time of year is to stimulate that nice, vigorous growth so you get healthy new wood to produce those buds, that will then give you nice, big, beautiful fruit.

Amanda> So you'll get the fruit next year by pruning now.

Brittney> Right now, no, right now what you prune you will get fruit in the, in the early spring- Amanda> Whoa.

Well isn't that wonderful.

<Mhm> Okay.

And then, one thing, you know, we always saying, you know, get a soil test, get a soil test get a soil test.

And I think blueberries are kind of an exception to what... usually we have to add lime to get the pH.

But are blueberries a little bit different in what they want?

Brittney> Yeah, yeah.

So they do like a little bit more of an acidic soil.

So I definitely, before you plant or even if you've have them for a while and they're not doing well, maybe get a soil test to see if the pH has risen.

Generally they want it to be between four and five- <Ooo> -on the pH scale.

Yeah, yeah, kind of low there.

Yeah.

Amanda> Really low.

Brittney> Some of them can even go a little bit lower.

But generally around four to five is recommended.

Amanda> And so you can, you know, some people just say, you know, vegetables or fruit is a big category you can check.

But you can also ask for a specific thing like blueberries.

Brittney> Mhm, yes.

Amanda> Okay.

Brittney> Exactly.

Amanda> Well thank you for that news, that was great.

I do love blueberries.

<Right?> Aren't they fun?

Brittney> They're wonderful.

Amanda> All righty Terasa?

Terasa> You know, I love that Doctor John is back.

It feels like it's been forever.

And sometimes he brings some tasty treats to, to have a little taste test.

So, I'm thinking he might have something for us today.

Is that the case, Doctor John?

Dr. Nelson> I sure hope so.

Sometimes the things I brought haven't been so tasty, but I think this might- Amanda> We're always game.

Dr. Nelson> I know, everybody here is pretty adventurous.

And I brought something that actually is not a native plant, of course.

You never see this growing on a tree in South Carolina.

But it is a plant that is marketed.

It's called a papaya.

And I think everybody has probably seen it in a supermarket, whether they knew what it was or not.

And a papaya is a, tropical plant... Carica is the genus.

And, sure enough, it is a, plant that's native to Central and South America.

Amanda> Okay, not too terribly far away.

Dr. Nelson> No, but the ones that we see in a supermarket are either grown in a greenhouse or in situ- Amanda> In those places.

Dr. Nelson> -in Central America and then sent up here.

And this one was actually at a supermarket.

You know, I'm usually at these, Latin American markets looking at stuff.

This one actually came from a more standard supermarket in the neighborhood.

<Okay> But we're going to cut it open and see what's inside- Amanda> It must be a great big tree because that looks like a heavy fruit.

Dr. Nelson> It's actually not a tree in the classic sense.

It's a large herb when it grows, it's just a big old herb.

You know, I've seen this stuff growing at, the... at Lake City in Darla Moore's farm, <Whoa!> and they get to be just about eight feet tall trying to make flowers.

Amanda> Let me see how heavy that thing is.

(laughter) Dr. Nelson> By the time they get, when we're growing them here it gets too cold too soon for them to set fruit.

Amanda> Well, this looks interesting.

Dr. Nelson> Well, let's cut it open.

Amanda> Let's see what he's like.

Dr. Nelson> Yeah, let's like.

Ta-da.

I'm going to cut it this way.

Amanda> All righty.

Dr. Nelson> Everybody... Oh, look, it's easy to cut, that's for sure.

<Wow!> Amanda> Dang.

All the way through.

Dr. Nelson> And we're going to open it up.

Terasa> We need to know what type of fruit it is.

<Wow> Dr. Nelson> Yeah.

What type of fruit, the botanist wants to know.

(laughter) Well, we see that it is got a, innards, full of seeds.

And a mesocarp and a pericarp on the very outside.

This is a berry.

It's a kind of a, technically, a kind of berry.

<Ah> Now these, the things in the middle are seeds, of course.

And, the seeds are not too good to eat, Amanda> So they're not tasty?

Dr. Nelson> No.

I mean, we could try'em, but... Amanda> That's okay.

Dr. Nelson> What, what we're more likely to be enamored of is the flesh, which is...

I'll cut my finger off probably doing this.

I'm sacrificing for Making It Grow , but, that's all right.

Everybody can have some.

We can... Amanda> Pass it around.

Dr. Nelson> Pass it around.

Amanda> Well, cut some more.

I'll cut some more.

Amanda> Might want two pieces.

Dr. Nelson> And see what- Terasa> My mouth is watering down here.

Anxiously awaiting... (all eagerly chatting) Dr. Nelson> It's very pretty, sort of peach colored.

Amanda> It's lovely.

Dr. Nelson> I'll scrape some of this stuff off.

And then do this, and, I'll tell you what.

I'll take... (slicing sounds) one, and I'll give you some.

Amanda> Okay.

Dr. Nelson> And then we'll pass it down.

Amanda> I'm going to, knock the seeds off.

Dr. Nelson> Yeah.

<Thanks> And I bet if you get a seed or two it won't hurt you too much.

Amanda> Mmm.

Juicy.

Very mild.

Don't you think?

Dr. Nelson> Mmm.

<Mhm> It's sort of... tropically tasting.

Amanda> But good.

Yeah.

Dr. Nelson> Mhm.

And... Brittney> Interesting.

Dr. Nelson> Papaya, the sort of thing that I bet you could grind up in a margarita or something, but Amanda> Terasa, what do you think?

Terasa> It is very mild.

I would say, reminiscent of a cantaloupe flavor- (all agreeing) Amanda> Boy, that was spot on.

Brittney> -Texture is softer, but yeah, cantaloupe, yeah.

Amanda> Jackie?

Jackie> It was very good.

You're right, the seeds are not very good.

(laughter) The seeds give it a... peppery taste.

Brittney> Peppery, yeah.

Amanda> Oh, did you taste the seed?

Brittney> Yeah.

Jackie> I did.

Dr. Nelson> And the seeds are...

In the past, I've tried to grow this stuff from seed, and it was actually pretty easy.

Amanda> But there's, but you'd have to have a, big old greenhouse.

Dr. Nelson> I just wanted to see if they would sprout.

Amanda> Oh, okay.

And they did.

Dr. Nelson> They did.

And then... Amanda> Okay.

Dr. Nelson> That was the fun part.

<Yeah> Just seeing if it would work.

<Okay> And, let's see... Yeah, papaya is the name and... Yeah they're, to me, a great big herb- Amanda> What is the, what does the leaf look like?

Dr. Nelson> They're really pretty.

They're big old gigantic leaves with lots of, divisions.

Palmate divisions.

Amanda> Palmate, whoa.

We'll have to look it up.

Dr. Nelson> Very pretty leaves.

Amanda> Thanks a lot.

Dr. Nelson> Sure.

Amanda> Well, as I said, Jackie Macaulay came down, to show us how to do terrariums.

We had a great time.

You're gonna have fun too.

Amanda> I'm happy to welcome Jackie Macaulay from Jarrett's Jungle over in West Columbia back to Making It Grow .

And, tell everybody a little bit about your shop.

> Well, hi!

I've been there for 45 years, and we carry mostly indoor plants.

So if you need something for your house, we can help you with that.

We've got lots of experience, and, you could see anything from an orchid to a bonsai tree to a little mini plant that you might use to build a terrarium.

<Whoa!> Which is one thing that we're here to talk about today.

Amanda> Okay.

Well, we have to start with how the roots is going to drain and how the roots are going to be in it, so.

How do we start building the layers that we need?

Jackie> Okay.

Well, to build the layers, there's several different things that you can use.

<Okay> But...

I like to put a little bit of, of rock or some coarse material at the bottom so that if I do over water the terrarium, the excess water and moisture will have someplace to go.

So, I'm going to start using something called Leca.

And Leca is used, it's little clay balls that have been expanded.

<Uh-huh> And it's lightweight.

<Very> So being lightweight, you can use it in a glass container.

If you were to use rocks in the bottom, and it gets heavy and you pick it up, the bottom may just drop out of it.

<Whoa> So use something like sand or these little pebbles.

Amanda> Are these available locally?

Jackie> Yes.

You can buy them locally at a good garden center or hardware store.

Some of the pet stores carry them because they're also good for, some people who, you know, might raise frogs, lizards, turtles- Amanda> Oh, okay.

Sure.

Not for cats and dogs?

Jackie> Not really for cats and dogs.

You go to the pet store for the reptiles, <Okay> to find them.

Amanda> Okay.

And tell me what it was called again.

Jackie> It's called Leca.

Amanda> Leca.

Okay.

Jackie> Yeah.

And so after you get your Leca in there, you can, go with a little layer of charcoal.

And I use this activated charcoal.

And I also get this from a, pet store.

<Okay> And this keeps the bacteria and the algae and the fungi- Amanda> -at bay.

Jackie> From... growing.

Amanda> So you don't have to put much in?

Jackie> No, just a, just a light layer.

<Okay> And, you know... spreading it out good is, is a good idea so that the whole area will be covered.

And carbon just absorbs excess moisture.

<Okay> Keeps your mold at bay.

You can use as much as you want.

Some people like to see it, so they would put like a big layer.

You can also use sand.

And sand is pretty because you can make a layer that will really show up with the sand.

Amanda> And this is just builders' sand.

Jackie> Yeah, this is just builders' sand like you would use for concrete.

And having different layers on the glass also adds to the interest of the terrarium.

Amanda> It does.

Jackie> And you know, gives you something else to focus on.

Amanda> And this one, I think, is- Jackie> That's got all sand.

Amanda> Yeah.

And that's lovely.

Jackie> I didn't even put any Leca in the bottom of that one.

Amanda> Because of the shape of this one, that worked out very well.

Jackie> Yes it did.

And this is the similar shape.

And then, my soil is just simply a, peat mix.

It's got vermiculite, it's got perlite.

It's got peat moss in it.

<Okay> And it's a sterile mix.

<Ah> And, this mix I've used for a long time.

And you can use something that's really good for house plants.

Amanda> Excellent drainage.

Jackie> Yeah, good drainage and something not too heavy.

Because when you're working in a glass container, once again... Amanda> You said you'd had an unfortunate accident.

Jackie> I did, broke a very nice container once.

So I'm going to use a piece of driftwood.

I just find wood at the beach or someplace like that.

And I think it just adds a little bit of interest to it.

When you're making a terrarium, you want to make it... feel like it's outside.

You know, you want to bring the outside, inside.

Amanda> All righty.

Jackie> So you're trying to make like a little garden.

And, you know, back in the 1840s this man named Frederick Ward, he, he created a Wardian case that enabled Kew Gardens to import a lot of plants from Africa and South America, that he wouldn't have been able to had he not had it.

And a Wardian case is just like a glass box, <Okay> that's been made to transport plants in so that they stay moist and humid.

<Yeah> Because they used to try to bring them back from there and they would die.

Amanda> -Months and months at sea.

Jackie> Yeah, they'd be months at sea, and they would die.

So he really, created the terrarium even though they didn't call it that then, they called it a Wardian case.

So I've just, I didn't mess with the roots any.

They're already in small containers.

Amanda> You took a little bit of the extra soil- Jackie> -And I did, I put a little extra soil around it.

And sometimes I like to use a little tool, like a little spool on a stick to tamp down the soil around the plant, just to kind of- Amanda> Because it's hard to get your hand down in there and do all that.

Jackie> Yeah, your hands are too big.

Amanda> Especially as you get more stuff in there.

Jackie> Right.

And so, you want different textures of plants because if you put everything the same, it'll just sort of blend together and be boring.

So you try to pick different leaf textures.

So this is a lot different than the fern that I put in there.

And you also want to use different colors.

So, and if it's too large you're just going to make it a little bit smaller by picking or cutting some of your leaves off.

(laughter) And I was trying to decide if I wanted to use that one or the pink one.

<Ah> And I think I'm going to go with the pink.

Amanda> That is so pretty.

Jackie> Because I think it'll add a little more color, and it definitely needs some leaves picked off of it.

So, I'm going to just make it a little bit smaller by taking some of the lower leaves off.

They'll, they'll grow back from new growth.

And you really don't have to pick off too many, but just some of the larger ones.

Amanda> Do you have a tool that you can use after it's planted, if you need to take more leaves off?

Jackie> Yes.

I use some long-handled scissors.

Amanda> Oh, okay.

Yeah.

Jackie> And I wish I would have brought them to show you today, but you know, you can just buy any kinds of scissors that you can get down there and snip.

And I've even on the, the bottle types, I have created my own tool for that, by using like little fingernail scissors.

Amanda> Gracious.

Jackie> And, actually putting sticks on them so I can use, you know, clip from a very small space- Amanda> It's hard enough to make arrangements, this is getting way over my head.

Jackie> Yeah, well, we're not doing one of those today, so you don't have to worry about it too much.

All right, so now I've got some color in there.

Now, I want like a little ground cover at the bottom.

<Ah> I'm going to use this beautiful little ficus.

Amanda> Isn't it lovely?

Jackie> Yes.

It'll blend in well with the foliage.

It's a nice dark green.

Amanda> And give you a whole 'nother component to the height.

Jackie> And this is going to be like my ground cover.

So I am going to kind of split the roots off <Okay> a little bit on this one.

Just to flatten him out.

See how I just kind of flattened the roots.

<Ah> I didn't really pull any off.

I just, just made them like a little pancake.

And I think I'm going to use my little tool.

And now...

I'm gonna ease him down in there.

And just kind of bring some of your other soil, soil around.

Amanda> Get him tucked in well.

Jackie> Yeah, get him- You want to make good contact with the soil because if you don't, the plants won't really grow very well.

And since I have a little color on this side, I'm going to put a little bit of color on the other side.

Amanda> Okay, balance.

Jackie> Balance.

That's right.

This is a Fittonia.

Fittonia is also called a "nerve plant."

Amanda> A "nerve plant?"

Jackie> Mhm.

They come in whites and they come in pinks.

Amanda> All right.

Jackie> And the fuller you get it the more you have to use your tools.

<Certainly> Because you can't really get your hand down in there like you could in the beginning.

And I'm gonna use this... (Amanda laughs) kind of tamp it around- Amanda> Does anybody have... needles and threads on spools anymore?

Jackie> Yeah.

You really need the smaller spool, for that.

But that was the only one that I had made up.

And then check it and see if you've got some spots maybe that you need to add some soil to.

Amanda> And this is easy because we can see right through the glass.

Jackie> Yeah.

And I see a place like up here in the front where I might like to put a rock or some moss.

And so, I think I'm going to opt for some moss.

You can use real moss.

Which... Amanda> But these are dried lichens.

Jackie> Yeah.

This is a dried lichen, and I find it to be a little more, long lasting.

<Okay> Now, if you have a yard that's plentiful with moss, you know, you can just go out in your yard any time- Amanda> -With this one you don't have to worry about having soil contact either.

Jackie> Right.

And you might need to watch that moss a while, because you might bring in some creepy crawlies in it that you didn't want in your terrarium.

But, you just look around to see where you might need to add a little something for some interest.

A little, I even use things like pecans.

You know, just anything that gives it that sort of a woodsy, feel to it.

Amanda> That's fun, or acorns.

Jackie> Acorns would work.

Amanda> Yeah.

That'd be fun.

Jackie> I've seen people make little men out of the acorns.

Which is really cute, you know, to do things like that.

And you could use, like, an orchid in here.

The plants that stay in a terrarium get really good humidity.

So, when you, like maidenhair ferns that you can't hardly grow in your house.

<Whoa, no> If you put them in a terrarium you can grow them.

Amanda> Oh, and there's nothing as beautiful.

Jackie> They're so graceful.

Amanda> Yeah, okay.

Jackie> Now we need to water it.

Amanda> Okay.

Jackie> I was about to forget that.

So I use a spray bottle to water it because it's easy to get too much water in a terrarium.

And when you get too much water in it, then you end up with- Amanda> And your medium was not wet or damp at all.

Jackie> No, it was not, and you can tell by the colors of the soil, because you can see as it's coming down, the soil gets darker.

So, when your terrarium needs water, the soil will be a lighter color and you'll know when to water it.

<Okay> This also enables you to put different types of plants in your terrarium so that you can water each one individually and not have to- Amanda> If they have different requirements.

Jackie> Yeah, they might have different requirements.

<Wow> Like if you have an African violet or something in there.

So, I think that looks really pretty.

Amanda> You were telling me that, this is a nice thing to take to people in a nursing home or a hospital situation.

Because... you sometimes put things in it that make it seem like you're walking through the woodlands.

Jackie> That's right.

Especially on your larger terrarium, <Yeah> you can really get a feel for a forest in there.

And so, if someone's shut in and they can't get outside, it's a lovely thing to give them.

And they do make them in plastic containers, too.

You can go to your pet store and buy, a place that sells fish, and they'll have a plastic bowl.

Because I know a lot of the, you know, nursing homes and things don't allow glass.

They don't want a lot of glass.

Amanda> I just think this is lovely the way it is, and it seems so natural.

But some people like to have a little more fun, and I think there are things you can put in them if you want to.

Jackie> Yes there are, some people like to put little colorful things, like we've got the little mushrooms you can <Oh> ...put in.

Amanda> That is kind of sweet.

Jackie> Yeah.

Or we have frogs.

You can put a little frog in there.

If you like frogs.

You can even glue them to the glass if you want to, to have them in there.

And we've got things like the little turtles.

Amanda> Different color things.

Jackie> Yeah, different colored things.

Amanda> And are these just, where do you find all these funky little things?

Jackie> I find them different places, museum stores or, you know, like our State Museum has them.

Amanda> Come on.

Jackie> So, you can find them lots of places.

Amanda> Isn't that something.

Jackie> Yeah.

Just look in the children's, you know, where the toys are.

Amanda> Yeah, yeah.

Well, this has just been such fun.

I want to thank you so much for coming and expanding our idea about gardening.

Jackie> Well, I've really enjoyed it.

Thank you for having me.

Amanda> Jackie is a good sport for coming down, and she had the best time.

We had some other people here that day and we just all laughed and had a great time together.

She's so nice to show us all these wonderful things that some of us can do ourselves.

People are interested in those terrariums.

And, there's some different little tools you use and you get to go shopping, which is always fun.

Anyway.

So hats, hats, hats.

I have a flowering crab, and... when I planted it Terasa, I was careful to get one that didn't set fruit because my brother had one in his yard, and it always had wasp around it, that were always stinging his children, you know, because the fruits would get on the ground.

But anyway, I just think it's so pretty.

And the little pink buds, aren't they lovely?

And then I have some kind of Viburnum.

This, this one.

And I don't remember what it is.

John might know, but it's a flower.

And, you know, it's lovely to have things that bloom early.

(all agreeing) Don't you think?

Yeah.

Dr. Nelson> Especially fragrant things.

And... the crabapple should be fragrant.

(sniffing) Amanda> Maybe there's something wrong with my nose.

Not particularly, but we'll see.

I am a little stopped up, so maybe it's just me.

But it is pretty, and you got to give it that.

It's lovely, yeah.

Anyway.

And it's got like, you know, it's got pollen and stuff for the pollinators.

So I think it's pretty.

Yeah.

All righty.

Well, let's see... Terasa, I think we've got more questions.

Terasa> We are ready for some more questions.

This one...

It sounds like a problem.

Diana from Columbia sent us some photos and said "My azaleas lost all their leaves.

Can I do anything to bring them back?"

They're pretty sad.

It's a pretty sad photograph.

Amanda> Whoa.

Ugh.

I mean, they're usually just foolproof.

Jackie, is this something... What do you think's happened?

Jackie> Well, I would advise her to go in and cut back the branches and see if there's any green underneath of the cambium.

The one picture, you can see, one of the limbs is dying back.

She may have gotten a root rot in there.

<Really?> If you are not watering your plants correctly, if you are not, truly our plants, established plants need an inch a week.

And so making sure that you are not watering ten minutes a day every other day, making sure that you calibrate your sprinkler system to give them an inch all at one time if you're in heavy clay soil.

We do see this with the root rots developing on the azaleas.

And so the fact that the one branch was dying back, and then they lost all their leaves.

I would also suggest that if there is no green from under the cambium on the branches, that she dig it up and take a look at the root system.

If it feels mushy, she probably does have a root rot in there, and she'll have to come back in with different plants.

<Oh> But unfortunately, a lot of times when we're trying to figure out why a plant dies, we have to look at the entire plant, the root system, the branches.

It may be, multiple things that have gone on unfortunately.

She may have voles in there.

Amanda> Uh.

Jackie> I know, so there's many possibilities... but I would say even if you do lose a plant and it is dead, you still want to investigate why, because that will affect future plantings.

Amanda> Yeah, yeah.

And you can take the whole thing into your Extension Office if you want and they'll look at it with you, I believe.

Okay, well- Terasa> Sometimes it's like being a detective and just like when humans go to a doctor, you can't always tell what's wrong just by looking at a person.

Sometimes there's testing that's needed, right?

You test for viruses and things like that, bacterial presence.

And so sometimes we need to utilize our lab, and have them run some tests and see if we've got bacteria, viruses, something else going on.

Amanda> You know, when you ride by, houses where nobody's lived for 50 or 60 years and they're still those wonderful old azaleas in the yard.

I mean, often they're pretty foolproof.

Jackie> They are, they are.

And like I said, sometimes it's just, you know, improper care.

The watering could be off.

I've seen that before, where... they'll develop that root rot, but just because they're getting over watered.

Amanda> Too much is not a good thing.

Alright.

Well, thank you.

And I hope that, she can come up with something that she'll enjoy just as much as those beautiful azaleas.

Terasa?

Terasa> Well, this one's a little more lighthearted.

Looking for advice.

Michelle writes in from Darlington and said, "I'm rather new to the gardening world.

I'd like to plant a vegetable garden this spring.

What are some easy vegetables to begin growing that you recommend?"

Amanda> How about a radish?

Terasa> Not tomatoes probably?

(laughter) Amanda> Seems like radishes are pretty easy, but that's, it's hard to get real excited about having a whole meal around radishes.

What do you think she should start with?

Brittney> Yeah, yeah.

I definitely... Well, a lot of people don't, this isn't technically a vegetable, but herbs.

Herbs are really, really easy to start off with if you're getting into gardening.

You can grow them in the ground, grow them in containers.

Mint is super, super easy to grow.

Amanda> But maybe contain it- Brittney> Exactly.

I was about to say it will, it will overtake whatever you plant it in the ground with.

So definitely keep it in a container.

But there's a lot of herbs like rosemary.

Some of them, you can have them through the winter.

And the good thing with herbs is that if you like to cook with them a lot, you can harvest them multiple times throughout the growing season.

So you get a lot of use from them.

Amanda> Okay, okay.

Brittney> And then also just for vegetables, I would definitely try starting out with some of your lettuce mixes.

Like the mesclun mixes.

Kale is pretty easy to start off with.

Radishes are easy as well.

And the good thing with some of these leafy greens is that, they're quick to mature and then you get to harvest them for a while as well.

And they're not... you're not going to deal with as many, pests issues like insects and diseases, as you would with like squash and cucumber and tomatoes.

Those are just a little harder because we get so hot in the summer, that the insects and the diseases really... are a battle.

Amanda> Well, and sometimes, they don't set fruit because it's too hot.

Brittney> Exactly.

Tomatoes specifically.

Once temperatures get too high, the flowers will actually abort the fruit.

And so you don't get any fruit.

Amanda> So, so people get tomatoes, early, and then July and August, you can just forget it.

Brittney> It's rough.

Especially if you're trying to grow, some of the paste type tomato, some of the paste type Roma tomatoes.

Those do not do well in the heat either.

<Really?> Yeah, yeah.

So you really need to get those early.

Amanda> Okay.

Or late.

Brittney> Right.

Exactly.

Yeah, try to not have tomatoes in July.

Amanda> Well, thank you.

And I hope that this person gets some fun and starts enjoying gardening.

Terasa> It was really good to ask for some advice, because I think if you were to start and be unsuccessful, it might kind of deter you from wanting to do anything further.

So, start small, start with something easy, and then that'll maybe give you that reassurance and courage to try something a little more difficult.

Amanda> And a lot of people like raised beds now.

<Yes> Brittney> Something very simple.

Amanda> That will help you control your...

I mean, you can mix the soil, for the best results.

It's kind of hard sometimes if you, you know, they build these new houses, they kind of scrape everything off when you have to, it's hard to amend those soils.

Brittney> It is, it is.

Amanda> Well, thank you for giving people encouragement.

I think that's fun.

Terasa, is there something else we can talk about?

Terasa> There sure is.

Paula wrote in from Columbia and said, "This has really been a serious pollen year, and I'm seeing a lot coming out of pine trees.

Just how many kind of pine trees are there?"

Amanda> For some people, too many.

But that's a great basis of our timber industry too.

And a lot of people go to college on pine trees.

Dr. John, how many are there?

Dr. Nelson> Paula in Columbia wants to know about pine trees.

Well...

In my philosophy, I think there are probably there must be a dozen different species of pines that grow in South Carolina.

Most of them are native, but there are some introduced ones.

<Yes> And Paula in Columbia is in the Midlands and by far I would say that the most common pine in the Midlands and probably throughout the state is loblolly pine.

Which is Pinus taeda, grows in every county of the state, Amanda> Was planted a lot for... Dr. Nelson> For timber and pulp.

And... it's probably the major tree that people see when they're driving along the interstate, <Okay> you can see a pine plantation.

But there are several other species, like I was saying, and some of them are not real, real common.

And, you know, it just turns out that I brought in a pine specimen to look at for a show and tell.

<Mhm> That's not part of it.

But it's right here.

And this is a, pine- Amanda> You want to set it down so that- Dr. Nelson> Pine.

Pinales pines that we've got are in the genus Pinus.

<Yes> And, all pines that we've got have male or staminate... that is the pollen producing cones.

That's where the pollen comes from, as well as the seed producing cones, which you could call the female cones if you want to.

Amanda> So do we notice the male cones often or not?

Dr. Nelson> We do.

Especially when they fall onto your, into your driveway and they look like little... colorful little worms.

Amanda> Yeah they do.

Dr. Nelson> Kind of scaly looking things.

That's where the pollen is coming from.

The seed cones, of course, don't make pollen.

But this particular pine is a sort of an unusual one that has been introduced, ...on purposed, on purpose as a, source of pulpwood.

And it's a kind of a funny one because it only has two needles, per what we call fascicle.

Let me see if I can pull one off.

I messed it up.

(laughter) But these suckers have like, two needles each time you have a bundle of needles.

Amanda> Alright.

Dr. Nelson> See there's a little teeny one.

Amanda> So is that a leaf?

Dr. Nelson> This is two leaves.

<Two leaves> And of course, with all pines, all the pines that we've got the needles are wrapped up at the very bottom and a little papery sheath, which is called the fascicle.

So a little bundle of, tissue which holds these things together, and in this case only two needles.

Other pines will have, three, some of them have five.

White pine.

Amanda> John, we had... once a pine tree that was just everywhere, hundreds of thousands of acres.

Which one is that?

Dr. Nelson> Well, that, you're probably referring to longleaf pine.

And of course, we still have it, but it's not as common as it used to be.

I mean, we still have plenty of longleaf pine, but not in the millions of acres that it used to be across the southeast.

Amanda> And then we have some, you think of pines as wanting kind of dry feet, but I think we have some that even, like wet feet or can- Dr. Nelson> Pond pine is that one.

You know, I don't think I even told you which this one is.

Amanda> Oh goodness gracious do that.

Dr. Nelson> Yeah, I have to do that.

But this is sand pine.

<Sand?> This is not a, not a native pine, but- Amanda> From where?

Dr. Nelson> From Florida, is where it's native.

Amanda> Alright.

Sand pine.

Dr. Nelson> Sand pine.

Amanda> Okay, well, thank you for bringing and telling us more about pines.

Dr. Nelson> You're welcome.

Amanda> Alright.

Okay.

The Irmo Middle School has, some teachers who just have so much fun working collaboratively, with students and, making a pollinator garden and learning, like... a lot about monarchs and the flowers that they need.

♪ Group> Welcome to the pollinator garden.

> This is a brochure that students have put together to talk about the monarch butterflies.

> The monarch butterflies are very crucial for our environment and ecosystem, and there are over 150 crops in the US that are going to be necessary for pollination.

It's what the monarchs do.

Jermainee> And without our crops then, we might not survive.

So it's good that monarchs are pollinating our crops.

> In the beginning of the year, we learned that the butterflies come from Canada, down through the US into Mexico, and they just they stay there through the winter, and, just go back when they're ready after winter.

> Throughout the year, we tag monarch butterflies.

First we capture them in the garden, and we tag them carefully on the wings with these marking tags.

This, the tags are not harmful at all.

They go carefully on the wing and we capture them to make sure that we can see if any of our monarchs that we find within the garden are recovered in Mexico.

Rey>...and in order for those monarchs to have a stable and normal migration process, they have to have certain kinds of milkweeds.

So whenever they come through South Carolina, there are three native species of milkweed, we have Asclepias incarnata, also known as swamp milkweed, You have tuberosa, also known as butterfly milkweed, and there's syriaca, also known as common milkweed.

Jermainee>...but unfortunately, monarchs are endangered or are declining for a variety of reasons.

Ashley> So basically, the milkweed supply is just running low, and without those plants, they are the only like resource for the monarchs to be able to lay their eggs, which means without the milkweed plants, then they won't be able to keep reproducing, and are going to leave our plants just unpollinated.

Jermainee> But there are ways that you can help with the monarchs.

You can plant milkweed, which is their host plant, as you know.

Amanda> I'm at Irmo Middle School and I'm speaking with Will Green, who's a seventh grade science teacher, you have my condolences and congratulations for being able to do that.

> Thank you.

I appreciate that.

We need those for sure.

Amanda> and we're sitting in front of a pollinator garden, and you got the idea to put this in, I imagine based on the fact that the monarch butterflies need our support.

Will> That's right.

All pollinators need our support, but we were especially interested in having a garden that featured milkweed, which is a monarch's host plant, and then we also have some other things in the garden, but the main focus is three species of native milkweed that we have in this garden, specifically designed for the monarchs, but again, pollinators in general, visit the garden.

Amanda> And although that's a lovely thing to do, to support the ecology of the world of North and South America, but I've enjoyed talking with some of your students, and learning about how each one has a different reason that this garden is so interesting to them, and what makes them want to come and work with it.

So can you talk about some of the spin offs, I think that is the surprising thing you told me that happened as well?

Will> Right.

So this, the garden is one part of the overall work that we do.

It's all intended to give the kids a chance to take action, to become passionate about something and to take action on some, some real issues that, you know, that they can become just interested in and learn more about, and it's cool for the kids, because sometimes I'm learning right alongside them and, and they get a chance to plug into the work in lots of different ways.

Some of them love the idea and the action of coming out and catching butterflies, catching monarchs in the garden and tagging them- Amanda> And when they tag them, that was very peculiar.

It's kind of like putting a sticker on a banana.

Tell me about that.

Will> That's right.

The technology has changed over the years, it used to be just some adhesive you put on a piece of paper and stick it on the wing, and now the technology has led us to a sticker that similar to something you would find on produce at the grocery store, and it has a little unique code and a website that people can go to, and the idea is that we find out where our monarchs, monarchs that are on the east coast, where they migrate to, because they don't all migrate to Mexico, like the ones in the Midwest that funnel down through Mexico and into the mountains of Mexico.

So, the idea is that maybe we can, you know, figure out where our monarchs are heading to.

Amanda>...and monarchs leave Mexico, that's where they spend their winter, and they come up, and you see a few sometimes on that upward migration, but the majority of the ones you see, are coming down in August, I believe.

Will> Yeah, that's right.

So, you know, as they migrate, there's, different generations, you know, four, some even believe, maybe five generations in between and there's a super organism that is genetically different than the others.

There's the one that migrates to Mexico and roosts over winter and then migrates back, but we see the majority of our monarchs around the late August, September beginning of October time, and that's when we do our tagging, Amanda> That's perfect, because that's when the kids are back in school.

Will> That's exactly right.

So we hit the ground running at the beginning of the year, and we introduced them to this issue of pollinators in general, but monarchs specifically, and the decline in their numbers and why that's happening, and so the kids right off the bat, just get really deep into understanding why this work is important.

and that they are going to, you know, become a part of it, and then have a chance to take action.

We have had, you know, kids go to the Irmo Town Council and to present to them to ask for their support, and partner with us to get milkweed out into the community, specifically to the parks and the gardens in the town of Irmo.

We've had kids that, you know, they take part in terms of, you know, art projects, Amanda> Your signs are just great.

Will> Exactly, and to make the signs, you know, that spread awareness, because that's one of our ultimate goals, is to spread awareness of the issue.

You know, the signs take a student that's gifted in the arts and, being artistic, and it takes a kid that, that, you know, is good at research and processing information and putting it in words that are theirs, but also, you know, it explains and educates the public with whatever topic they want to educate them about.

So, we're proud of our signs and the fact that students created them.

Amanda> -but in your greenhouse, y'all have a program where you raised bedding plants, and also the milkweed, and make them available to the public at some time, and I believe a lot of the children really like greenhouse work.

Will> That's right, they do, and you know, we have students in there that have never put their hands in soil before, and so they are really excited to be able to do that and learn the process of planting seeds and transplanting and we teach them how to root different things.

Our science fair projects actually have come from work that we do in the greenhouse, and we get this real relevant scientific data that we can actually use and put into practice, you know, with our work the next year.

So it's good stuff, and we realized that, you know, our efforts to get milkweed into the community is, you know, that's the primary focus of the greenhouse, but we also raise other plants as well and they are able to plant some vegetables in the raised beds that we have and some of them you know, get to harvest the vegetables and take them home.

So, there's a lot of things to do for a lot of students.

Amanda> - and one of the things that's fun is of course, you've got the Gulf Fritillary, and so they learn about mimicry and some other scientific principles.

Will> That's right.

Yeah.

So, passion vine sort of planted itself in our garden, and that's the host plant for the fritillaries.

and so we get lots of fritillaries in the garden, and one of the things that they learn is the difference in flight for monarchs and fritillaries, as I like to say, the fritillaries just kind of fritillary along and they flap their wings a lot, where monarchs will flap their wings and then glide, and so they're able to identify the difference, and they learn that the milkweed has cardenolides in it, which are toxins that the monarchs uptake, and that is a defense mechanism for them, and since they are orange, the other orange butterflies like fritillary sort of get this mimicry defense because they resemble monarchs to some of the predators that might, you know, might want to munch on them.

Amanda> Y'all send kids out with nets sometimes, because although most of what happens, happens naturally here in the garden, but you do bring some of the caterpillars inside so that you can watch the process and they've got to come out here and figure out which orange butterfly I'm supposed to catch.

Will> That's exactly right.

Yeah.

So students come out, and they will bring monarch caterpillars back into the classroom just so we can observe them and watch them, and they will go through their lifecycle in there, and we can tag them from inside the classroom, in addition to catching them, the adults out here and tagging those, and sure they will, they have to know the difference in fritillaries and monarchs because we don't tag anything but monarchs, Amanda> I think you have a partner who's instrumental in this.

Will> I do.

Yeah, I do.

So Cacie Davenport is the other seventh grade science teacher, and she is right in there with me, and doing all of this work, and so we work together as a team to make sure that our students are able to participate and get all of the same experiences, you know, that we have to offer here in the garden, and also the greenhouse work as well.

Amanda> I'd like to put in a plug for both of y'all because I believe y'all have, you have 9 months appointments or whatever it is, and yet, y'all are here in the summer, when it's really hot and unhappy, a time to be outside in South Carolina, both of y'all are over here, spending time in the garden, and you have a true commitment to enlarging the life of your students and also being involved in the natural world.

Thank you so much.

Will> Yeah, I appreciate that.

It's...I can't do this alone.

I appreciate and I'm extremely grateful for her help.

It is a lot of hard work.

We do put in a lot of hours, but to see the kids just get really passionate about something and, you know, understand that they may carry this from their seventh grade year on to the rest of their life and have an appreciation for gardening, an appreciation for pollinators, monarchs specifically.

You know, that's why we do this work.

Amanda> -and if people want to know more about this and all the good things that happen at Irmo Middle School, what's the best way to find out?

Will> Well, it's easy, they can just go to Irmo Middle School's website, and there's a link on the website that will get them to all the information about our work and all of the things that we're doing out here related to monarchs and milkweed.

Amanda> I've had a grand time.

Thank you for inviting us.

Will> Thank you so much for coming.

(students cheering) ♪ Amanda> Everyone's interested in the monarchs and what we can do to help them and other pollinators as well.

We hope you've had a good time with us tonight.

We've had a great time.

Brittney, come back soon.

Brittney> I will.

Amanda> And, we'll see you next time.

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.