Savannah Valley District

Growing Holiday Greens 

Zachary Snipes, Assistant Program Team Leader-Horticulture, Area Horticulture Agent With Christmas and New Year’s Day right around the corner, the only thing that should be on your mind is a big ol’ pot of collard greens for your holiday celebrations.  Now is the time of the year when greens should be happily growing in gardens […]

Preparing for Fall Forages

Hillary P. Carnley, Area Livestock & Forages Agent As the leaves begin to change and the temperatures cool, September signals more than just the arrival of autumn—it marks a crucial transition period for livestock producers. While warm-season pastures begin to fade and forage availability declines, hay or supplemental feed becomes necessary to maintain animal health […]

Live Air Quality Data Now Available for the Savannah Valley District

Clemson University researchers installed air quality sensors in five locations in the Savannah Valley District: Allendale, Blackville, Hampton, Orangeburg, and Walterboro. The information from these sensors are now available online – with updated air quality readings every two minutes. The circles on the map are colored according to the current air quality (green = good, […]

Help your Yard Beat the Heat by Watering Wisely

Ellen Sturup Comeau, Water Resources Agent, Beaufort County Sunny weather, hot temperatures, and high humidity are here! Staying hydrated is critical to staying healthy in the intense weather, and the same is true for the plants in your yard. However, did you know that overwatering your plants can lead to more issues than underwatering them? […]

Hope in the Rain

Beatriss Calhoun, Water Resources Extension Agent  Rain in the Lowcountry often feels more like a threat than a benefit. Flooded roads, soggy yard spaces, and overflowing ditches all have a way of making a good storm challenging. However, what if we looked at the rain differently? What if each storm offered not just a challenge […]

Are Minerals Really That Important?

Hillary P. Carnley, Area Livestock & Forages Agent You find yourself back at the feed store, comparing prices on mineral supplements. You glance at the options and think, “Are minerals really that important? Surely there’s not much difference between blocks and loose minerals.” It’s a common thought—but the truth is, minerals play a much bigger […]

Peach Production: A Peachy Keen Cultivation Story  

Anna Sara Hill, Horticulture Extension Agent A tasty fruit synonymous with summertime in the Southeastern United States, is the peach. In fact, August is National Peach Month. Whether eaten fresh, or in a dessert such as a cobbler or ice cream the delicious flavor of South Carolina’s state fruit is as “peachy keen” as the […]

Summer Thirst

Patti Chapman, EFNEP Nutrition Educator, Beaufort County Would you quench your thirst in this summer heat by drinking a big, tall glass of SUGAR?!?!  At a recent “Child Abuse Prevention Festival,” Nutrition Educator, Patti Chapman, encouraged attendees to guess and measure out how much sugar is in a 20-oz. bottle of Coca-Cola.  The answer is […]

Around the Countryside Red Bugs: The Itching Begins

Marion Barnes, Senior County Extension Agent, Clemson University It’s official: summer has arrived with the heat, humidity, and red bugs. Many Lowcountry residents are just “itching” for some relief from these pests so common to our area of the state. Red bugs, also called chiggers, among other names that may not be appropriate to repeat, […]