Category: Greenville

By: Andrew Jeffers, Greenville County Horticulture Agent

The 2025 Master Gardener class brought together 28 participants for a fall season of hands-on, research-based learning focused on real problems from Upstate yards and landscapes. Each Tuesday, the cohort moved from fundamentals to field application—building a shared language around soils and plant nutrition, plant physiology, integrated pest management, plant pathology, nuisance wildlife, and diagnosing plant problems.

Learning didn’t stay in the classroom. The group practiced sample collection and diagnosis, compared notes on “look-alike” issues, and took targeted site visits that connected teaching to practice—so what they learned in the morning showed up in better decisions that afternoon. A simple capstone kept it practical: every participant chose a real landscape issue, used credible (.edu) sources to identify causes, and outlined a step-by-step solution to share with the class.

By graduation, the cohort had what they came for: confidence to identify before treating, clearer judgment about when (and when not) to use pesticides, and a toolkit for communicating recommendations to neighbors, clients, and community groups. The next step is service—bringing those skills to help desks, demonstration gardens, and local outreach events across Greenville County.

By: Andrew Jeffers, Greenville County Horticulture Agent

The IPM Symposium has grown into a place where pros compare notes, sharpen their diagnosis, and leave with steps they can use the next morning. That momentum has been building—237 attendees at the 6th annual event underscored the demand for practical, field-tested guidance, and last fall’s 7th Annual IPM Symposium kept the focus on decision-making with sessions like “Will Consumers Purchase a Landscape Scouting Program?” that translated research into service design for real clients.

This year, Horticulture Agent Drew Jeffers is taking the next step. The 8th Annual IPM Symposium will be simulcast to extend access to teams who can’t travel—municipal crews, small shops, and out-of-area professionals—so more people can engage with the duplicate evidence-based content that’s guided the series, including insights from our work on consumer IPM knowledge. The goal is simple: reach more practitioners, keep the conversations grounded in data, and help crews make better choices that protect people and landscapes across the state.

By: Andrew Jeffers, Greenville County Horticulture Agent

This spring, Horticulture Agent Drew Jeffers published “Estimating Consumer Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Knowledge” in HortTechnology—a data-driven look at what homeowners actually understand about IPM. Coauthored with colleagues Behe, Vassalos, Bridges, and White, the article (March 3, 2025) provides a clear reference point we can use to tailor education, outreach, and industry communication.

Jeffers has already put these insights to work. In February, he led a pesticide-credit webinar for professionals—“Professional Pest Scouting Programs: Using Consumer IPM Knowledge for Pest Management Decisions”—to translate the research into tighter scouting routines and clearer client messaging (31 attendees). Master Gardener audiences engaged the public-facing side of this work in sessions on navigating consumer recommendations. In contrast, industry audiences explored how to use consumer IPM knowledge to market plants (125 attendees).

This paper also complements his earlier HortTechnology study on whether customers would purchase a landscape scouting program. It gives practitioners both what clients know and how they might buy. Together, these findings help to design services and education that meet people where they are—leading to better decisions and healthier landscapes.

By: Andrew Jeffers, Greenville County Horticulture Agent

The South Carolina Certified Landscape Professional (SCCLP) program took a big step forward this year by moving statewide training online through Clemson’s Canvas platform. Built for working professionals who need flexible, competency-based learning, the on-demand format lets crews and managers build skills on their schedule while preparing for certification. Now in its fifth year—with nearly 600 participants to date—SCCLP is also entering a new phase: the first renewals are underway, marking a significant milestone for the credential’s staying power and value across the industry. The current cycle runs September 1, 2024, through August 31, 2025, and remains accessible statewide, giving companies a consistent, scalable way to onboard and upskill staff without pulling them off jobsites.

SCCLP is also getting an update. Jeffers is currently refreshing content and assessments, streamlining navigation, and aligning modules more tightly with current best practices and regulations so that what learners study online translates directly to safer, higher-quality work in the field. As we move into the next cycle, the focus stays the same: keep SCCLP practical, flexible, and closely tuned to what landscape professionals need day-to-day—so the skills learned online show up as better results on the ground.

By: Andrew Jeffers, Greenville County Horticulture Agent

Over the past year, Horticulture Agent Drew Jeffers’ pesticide education and safety work has centered on three simple goals: equip professionals to make compliant, effective decisions; give homeowners clear, confidence-building guidance; and keep practical training available whenever people have time to learn. That meant building durable on-demand options while continuing live, credit-bearing programs that meet people where they are.

On the asynchronous side, he expanded two self-paced courses that anchor our outreach: Commercial Pesticide Applicator: Core & Category 3 (Ornamental & Turf) and Pesticide Safety for Homeowners. As of August 31, 2025, 13 learners had enrolled in the Core/Category 3 course and 15 in the homeowner course, using modules on reading the label, PPE, application timing, and recordkeeping to translate regulation into day-to-day practice.

Live programs rounded out that foundation, offering recertification webinars that moved from diagnosis to action—like Managing Diseases in Ornamental Landscapes (November 13, 2024; 45 attendees) and Professional Pest Scouting Programs: Using Consumer IPM Knowledge for Pest Management Decisions (February 26, 2025; 31 attendees)—each designed to reduce misuse, align products with label language, and slow resistance through better timing and selection.

To maintain a clear pathway into legal, safe use for growers, we hosted Initial Private Applicator Training & Exam twice at the county office (June 7 and November 8, 2024; five participants each). Beyond test prep, these sessions emphasize storage, mixing and loading, spill response, and documentation—habits that protect people and places.

For homeowners, he ran a three-part Ornamental Pest Management series in spring of 2025 that kept IPM front-and-center: Insects (March 5, 2025; 48 attendees), Diseases (April 2, 2025; 21), and Weeds (April 30, 2025; 33). Each webinar walked through correct identification, non-chemical tactics, and, when necessary, how to choose and apply a pesticide responsibly—always by the label.

He also took these messages to where professionals gather. At the 7th Annual IPM Symposium (October 10, 2024; 87 attendees), we explored how consumer IPM knowledge can sharpen scouting and treatment decisions, and at the Urban Tree Health Workshop (June 13, 2024; 85 attendees), we connected diagnosis, calibration, and risk reduction for crews working at scale. At Cultivate 2024 (July 14, 2024; 168 attendees), our session on Pesticide Label Interpretations used real labels to build fluency in the parts that most often trip up compliance.

Finally, he compared how different Extension systems coach the public by sharing Navigating Differences on Pesticide Recommendations for Consumers with Master Gardener audiences in Florida (February 14, 2025; 21 attendees) and Ohio (December 10, 2025; 38), clarifying a common theme: start with identification, select the least-risk option that can realistically work, follow the label, and document the result.

Threaded through everything is the same approach—teach people to slow down, diagnose first, and let the label lead. By combining flexible, self-paced learning with targeted live sessions and field-tested examples, we’re helping professionals and homeowners make safer, more effective decisions that protect their families, clients, and landscapes.

By: Heather Nix, Water Resource Agent

As we approach the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene, many of us are reflecting on – or still recovering from – the damage it caused. One lesson is the importance of being prepared before the next storm arrives.

If your home relies on a private well for drinking water, it’s especially important to know how to disinfect your well after flooding. Floodwater can contaminate private wells with bacteria, sewage, fuel, and other pollutants. If this happens, shock chlorination is the standard way to disinfect it to remove the bacteria. If your well is contaminated with fuel or other pollutants, this method will not be effective. 

Supplies needed:

• Regular, unscented bleach (5-6% sodium hypochlorite) – about 1 gallon
  (Do NOT use: scented, no- or low-splash, or color-safe bleach)
• Waterproof gloves, eye protection
• Small funnel or 5-gallon bucket (optional)
• Tools to open well (if needed)

The Shock Chlorination Process

Below is a simplified overview of the steps. For detailed instructions, see these helpful resources:

• NC Department of Health & Human Services: Disinfecting Your Private Well with Liquid Bleach (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUKxtAbdbEg)
• University of Georgia: Disinfecting Your Well Water: Shock Chlorination (https://fieldreport.caes.uga.edu/publications/C858-4/disinfecting-your-well-water-shock-chlorination-2/)

STEP 1: CONFIRM ELECTRICITY IS OFF

1. Confirm electrical wiring to well has not been damaged and is turned off.
2. If wiring is damaged, do not proceed until it has been repaired and is safe to operate.

STEP 2: INSPECT THE WELL

1. Inspect well for damage (examples: cracked casing, missing cap, broken seal)
2. Inspect well and surrounding area for ongoing contamination (ex: sewer line break, dirty stormwater, oil/gas leaks)
3. The well must be repaired, with no active contamination, for disinfection to provide lasting results.

STEP 3: RUN WATER UNTIL CLEAR

1. Turn power on to well. Use caution!
2. If well is intact and there is no active contamination > run water from outside spigots until it appears clear.
3. Disinfection methods are less effective if water is not clear.

NOTE: If needed, collect water now for use during waiting period.

STEP 4: ADD BLEACH

1. Open well access (ex: plug, air vent, or lift entire well cover)
2. Pour bleach into the well casing. A funnel may help to direct bleach into the well.
3. See Disinfecting Your Water Well (https://dnr.mo.gov/document-search/disinfecting-your-water-well-pub2733/pub2733 ) for instructions on calculating the correct amount of bleach for your well. If you cannot perform the calculations, one (1) gallon bleach is usually (more than) enough per residential well. 

STEP 5: CIRCULATE CHLORINE

1. Run water from outside hose into the well casing until you smell chlorine coming from the hose. Turn off outside hose.
2. Turn on all water faucets, inside and outside, until you smell chlorine at each. Then turn off all faucets.

STEP 6: WAIT

1. Do not use any water during the waiting period. Chlorine requires contact to disinfect.
2. Wait 8-18 hours before turning faucets back on. The high chlorine level will help disinfect the pipes but can be corrosive if left too long (24 hours maximum). *Use caution while any chlorine smell is present – bleach can burn eyes and irritate skin.

STEP 7: FLUSH THE SYSTEM

1. After the waiting period, turn on outside spigot and run water into an area where it will minimize damage (away from septic tanks, streams, etc.). This water contains high levels of chlorine and is not safe for human consumption or contact. The water may be used for cleaning (reminder – bleach may damage fabrics, clothes, etc.).
2. Run water until you no longer smell chlorine odor. Turn the water off.
3. Run water from inside faucets until you no longer smell chlorine odor. Turn the water off.

NOTE: The water should now be disinfected.

STEP 8: TEST THE WATER

1. After 3-7 days, the chlorine smell should be completely gone, and the well water should be tested for bacteria.
2. If available, have water tested professionally.
3. Otherwise, use DIY test kit to indicate presence of bacteria.

Preparing now helps ensure that you’ll be ready to keep your drinking water safe if the next storm impacts your private residential well.

Greenville County 4-H is excited to introduce the Greenville 4-H Club, a new general-interest club open to all 4-H ages! This club brings back the tradition of community-based 4-H clubs, a structure that has historically been the foundation of 4-H across the country. Unlike the recent trend in South Carolina 4-H of offering primarily Special Interest (SPIN) clubs, the Greenville 4-H Club provides a broad range of activities designed to engage members in hands-on learning while building a sense of community.

The club’s first meeting was held in early February at Annie’s House, hosted by the local nonprofit Sustaining Way. Members enjoyed a tour of their sustainable gardens and then got creative making seed paper valentines—a fun and eco-friendly way to spread kindness and encourage upcycling.

Looking ahead, the next meeting is set for March 8th at Annie’s House, where members will continue to explore new skills and experiences. As more families move to the Upstate, we hope clubs like these will provide a welcoming space for youth to learn, grow, and thrive in Greenville County 4-H.

Want to get involved? Contact the Greenville County 4-H Agent, Amie Mabe to learn more and join the fun!

The project is a collaborative effort by Clemson Cooperative Extension, the SC Sea Grant Consortium, the SC Water Resources Center, and Tiger Strikes Asteroid Greenville.

Tiger Strikes Asteroid Greenville, 201 Smythe Street, Greenville, SC 29611. The exhibition is available through March 22, 2025, Saturdays (11am-5pm), free admission. https://www.scseagrant.org/beyondthesurface/

Upcoming events: Please visit the Clemson Extension Events Calendar for information on various events.

South Carolina’s green industry includes landscape service providers, nursery growers, greenhouse growers, and floral producers. Researchers have not been able to capture the economic contributions of these businesses to SC’s economy. Horticulture agent Drew Jeffers is surveying green industry professionals to capture this data to understand better and assist the specific needs of SC’s green industry.

            Data are being collected on products produced, services rendered, total sales, employee retention efforts, and what gaps they need in outreach from Clemson Extension. Information collected will be shared with the U.S. Farmgate survey partners and presented to extension professionals to determine what better services and educational outreach can be provided to these stakeholders. The survey is open through the end of February and results will likely be published by the end of the year.

South Carolina Certified Landscape Professional (SCCLP) Training Set to Expand

            Since its inception in 2020, the South Carolina Certified Landscape Professional (SCCLP) has had over 500 participants complete the program and obtain this certification. The training is online and on-demand, allowing professionals to adapt the training to their schedules and still work their regular schedules. The training covers soils, plant physiology, plant material identification, plant care, turf care, pest management, and low-impact development. In 2024, an advanced training on Integrated Pest Management (IPM) was launched as a follow-up course.

            The program has gained much success and has been expanded into community college horticulture programs, as well as a partnership with the SC Department of Corrections to offer the training to soon-to-be-released inmates. Recently, horticulture agent Drew Jeffers has begun working with Clemson Extension Agricultural education agents and SC K12 educators to bring the SCCLP to high school agriculture programs. This partnership would significantly add skilled labor to South Carolina’s labor pool, which the state’s landscape professionals find lacking.