Author: kdllrd

Questions about pond weeds are common throughout the summer. As water temperatures warm, cyanobacteria blooms can occur more frequently. While there are many cyanobacteria species that can look different in a pond – all are capable of producing toxins, so care should be taken to avoid or limit contact with these blooms as much as possible. The Land Grant Press (LGP) article Introduction to Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) in South Carolina Freshwater Systems provides more detailed information.

The CU Plant & Pest Diagnostic Clinic can evaluate samples to confirm if a bloom is cyanobacteria and will provide specific control recommendations. See Submitting an Algae Sample for Identification for more information. In the meantime, there are a couple do it yourself tests that help indicate if a bloom is cyanobacteria; instructions are provided in the recently published HGIC Fact Sheet Do It Yourself: Visual Indicators, Stick Test, and Jar Test for Cyanobacteria.

Water planning efforts continue throughout the state to ensure plentiful, clean water for future generations. The recently published LGP article Water Withdrawal Regulations in South Carolina provides an overview to increase understanding of the current rules. The SC Department of Natural Resources is leading creation of River Basin Councils in each of SC’s eight major river basins; these Councils will work over a two-year period to draft a River Basin Plan. The Edisto RBC is nearing completion of the first draft of the Edisto River Basin Plan. The Broad River Basin Council started meeting earlier this year and is currently accepting applications for representatives from Local Government, Industry, or Economic Development.

Upcoming events include the SC Water Chats webinars focusing on Source Water Protection (Free! 9/20 and 9/22, @1:00pm) and several free Adopt-A-Stream volunteer water quality monitoring trainings are offered in Spartanburg this fall. See the Clemson Extension Events Calendar for the latest water-related event information.

An On-Farm planting located at a cooperating farm has established new experimental grape varieties and new muscadine cultivars. Fruit harvest began two weeks ago with ‘Rhazzmatazz,’ a novel seedless hybrid muscadine-vinifera hybrid grape developed by Gardens Alive plant breeder Jeff Bloodworth.

The next grape I just started harvesting is ‘Oh My,’ another seedless cultivar from the same company. Muscadine plants we are evaluating but have not started picking are ‘Paulk’ and ‘Ruby Crisp.’ These are University of Georgia cultivars donated by Dr. Patrick Conner. Other experimental varieties will not begin fruiting till next year as plants were planted one year after initial planting. Yield and quality data on these varieties are being collected for direct farm application. Information from this planting and the demonstration grape farm at Clemson’s Musser Farm assists several new muscadine farmers in the upstate.

Five farmers from several counties toured the Musser Farm to observe small fruit production. More recently, three farmers accompanied me to Gardens Alive Farm in Kings Mountain to consider newer varieties.

Grapes fit well into fall production programs, especially for anyone growing pumpkins and doing Fall field days. We know what works now, but many new varieties are being cultivated. With the information we gather from these trials. We will be ready for what is coming next.

Finding a facility to harvest and process your livestock is a challenge for producers of any scale. This challenge has been exasperated by labor shortages and increased local meat demand. Fortunately, an exemption for small-scale poultry producers allows them to harvest and sell their meat.

Many South Carolinians bought poultry during the pandemic as a hobby and our call volume regarding poultry harvest and processing has certainly increased. To safely and humanely process chicken requires hands-on training. This can be a complex skill and is certainly not something you’d try to handle “virtually”.

Through an extension innovation grant, we have secured funding to put together a mobile processing unit. This consists of an enclosed trailer that houses the necessary equipment to teach producers on-farm the proper practices of processing. We are still outfitting the trailer but have planned its first two outings. We will use the mobile processing unit at a “train the trainer” meeting and then will offer a poultry processing workshop to the public on November 11th. The goal of the mobile processing unit is to educate producers of any size on humane harvest, efficient processing, safe food handling, good marketing practices, and even some good cooking recipes.

I anticipate a busy fall with livestock shows, cattlemen meetings, and our extension workshops. Thank you for your support of Clemson Extension.

Our Master Gardener Volunteer training course is off to an excellent start. The Master Gardener program trains citizens who want to give back to their community by delivering horticultural education outreach and service to residents through various locally-offered programs. There are approximately 284,307 residents in Spartanburg County spread across 819 square miles in the Upstate of South Carolina. Due to county size and population, Clemson University Cooperative Extension in Spartanburg County relies on knowledgeable Master Gardeners to help meet the consumer horticulture needs of our residents. Students learn about soil conditioning, soil fertility, plant identification, weed management, stormwater runoff pollution, drainage mitigation, integrated pest management, and pesticide safety.

The Spartanburg Master Gardeners are involved in multiple projects around the county. Some include work with habitat for humanity, Hatcher Gardens, Spartanburg Community College, Spartanburg Farmers Market, The Landrum Farmers Market, and many others. The Spartanburg Master Gardener association, known as the Master Gardener Association of the Piedmont (MGAP), also runs a one-acre Plant-A-Row Garden, which provides over 15,000 lbs of quality produce to local soup kitchens and food pantries annually. To learn more about SC Master Gardeners, visit https://www.clemson.edu/extension/mg/. To learn more about the local association activities, please visit https://www.facebook.com/MstrGrdnr.

Spartanburg County 4-H’ers and brothers, Jackson and Neyland Brockman, participated in the South Carolina 4-H Small Garden Project this summer.  This is the brothers’ second time participating in the project and they have learned a lot!

This year, instead of planting a traditional garden, they opted for something a little different.  The brothers researched “sister gardens” and decided to plant corn, peas, and melons together.  The corn was planted in a circle, the peas were planted a little bit later and climbed the corn, and the melons were trained to grow around the base of the circle of corn.  The brothers also grew vegetables in raised beds and discovered that mint kept the farm cats from tearing up the garden.  The loofah gourd is their favorite plant and they enjoyed giving bouquets of zinnias they grew to friends and family.

Both boys completed 4-H Project Record Books where they kept track of their income and expenses for the garden, set goals for the project, and analyzed their successes and failures.  Small Gardens were judged, and record books submitted to the State 4-H Small Garden Project Committee this month to be considered for prizes.

Spartanburg County was well represented by the Brockman brothers!

To view video, please click here.

Do you have 1 to 10 acres of woods in your backyard? Would you like to reduce your lawn, plant trees, and invite wildlife to your suburban lot, all while becoming a better steward of your small parcel of land?

The Woods In Your Backyard workshop is designed with the small landowner in mind. It will help you to effectively care for forests and wildlife and increase your enjoyment of the land. You will learn to recognize and manage invasive plants & pests. It will identify potential income sources and help you understand how your land relates to the land around you.

Owners of even just a few acres can make a positive difference in their environment through planning and implementing the simple stewardship practices you will learn at The Woods In Your Backyard Workshop. Participants who own forested land, have natural areas, or are interested in turning mowed lawns into natural areas, are invited to attend! This workshop is designed specifically (but not exclusively) for smaller landowners, those with 1-10 acres.

Please contact Carolyn Dawson, Clemson Extension Forestry agent, at Dawson4@clemson.edu for more information. Date: October 15^th, Hayden Conference Center, Clemson, SC

To register for workshop click here.

Since its inception, the Cooperative Extension Service has served community needs as they grow and change. Recently the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDOC) and Clemson Extension partnered to bring a crucial job skills training to inmates that are within one year of scheduled release. The program provides training to persons wishing to rehabilitate themselves and provides skilled labor to a growing labor market deficiency in South Carolina’s green industry.

The SCDOC recruited 40 inmates to participate in the South Carolina Certified Landscape Professional Program. The course lasted ten weeks, and participants received instruction in basic horticultural skills such as soil conditioning, weed management, turf grass management, and integrated pest management concepts to reduce pesticide use. There was a total of four sites that participated via zoom to observe the lectures. Most participants were engaged and asked multiple questions, including how this certification can help them to find gainful employment. The project was funded by an internal grant from Clemson University Cooperative Extension. We are working with SCDOC to seek grant opportunities to sustain the project and offer it to a broader inmate audience.

Carolyn Dawson is the new Area Forestry Extension Agent for Spartanburg County. Although she has been with Clemson Extension for over 10 years, her responsibilities recently expanded to include Spartanburg and Cherokee counties.

Carolyn received her Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Florida in Forest Resources and Conservation. She started her career in Florida as the Duval County Forestry under the Florida Division of Forestry. She then accepted the position of Southern Pine Beetle Forester in Asheville, NC with the North Carolina Forest Service.

In 2011 she joined the Clemson Extension team. Her work includes assisting private forest landowners with timber management, teaching forestry camps, giving presentations to HOAs and other groups or organizations, and working closely with the South Carolina Forestry Commission on the Firewise program. Her main area of interest is Forest Health. Her latest accomplishment involved helping the non-profit organization Carolina Hemlocks get started. Their mission is to locate and treat hemlock trees on private lands in order to save the Hemlock trees of South Carolina. Carolyn is a registered forester and a certified arborist. She looks forward to working in our county and getting to know you and the area.

We are very pleased to announce that Mr. Colin Crippen has accepted the offer to become the 4-H Youth Development Agent for Spartanburg County, and he is very excited to join the 4-H family!

He is originally from Illinois and moved to South Carolina in 2019. He has been married to his wife Brittany for five years. Together, they have two dogs, Zoe and Max. Before accepting this role, he was a certified classroom teacher for six and a half years, working with students from kindergarten through fifth grade. In his spare time, he likes to exercise, explore new areas, spend time with Brittany and the dogs, and write. He has a passion for helping others and providing exciting opportunities for youth of all ages. He is looking forward to this new adventure!

I’ve been busy helping several new small-sized farms across the upstate get established and prepare for planting next spring. I also assisted with a nematode survey of all the upstate peach farms in conjunction with Churimani Kanal, Ph.D., and his graduate student. This work will continue next year.

As the principal investigator in a trial looking at a frost freeze protection product from Washington State University. It is a cellulose nano-crystal product intended to protect the fruit from freezing temperatures. It has been shown to protect cherry trees from temperatures of 10⁰F to 13⁰F, which could be revolutionary if the technology can be adapted to peach production here in the upstate.

An annual regional blackberry meeting was held in Savannah, Georgia, with over 50 participants and a peach meeting was held on January 22, 2022 that successfully attracted over 50 participants. Also, my annual strawberry meeting will be on February 24, 2022, and the annual vegetable meeting will be held on March 24, 2022. I have also co-organized a statewide peach meeting held online on March 10, 2022. I am very thankful for all the farms in the upstate counties I serve.