Tag: Horticulture

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.

Nicole Goodman
Horticulture Agent
Spartanburg County

Nicole Goodman has fully stepped into her role as the Urban Horticulture Agent in our county. In addition to offering regular workshops on gardening topics (announced through our Facebook Page) and assisting residents daily, Nicole is dedicated to fostering broader community impact through the work of the local Master Gardener Volunteers.

One project particularly close to her heart is the Teaching Garden at St. Luke’s Free Medical Clinic in Downtown Spartanburg. This initiative is designed to educate the community on growing nutritious food, practicing safe food handling, and promoting both mental and physical well-being.

Through collaboration with the clinic’s dietitian, JuliSu, and director Ms. Smith, the garden has become a thriving partnership. Monthly volunteer workdays continue to transform the property into a fully functioning edible and teaching garden.

Project Highlight
This season’s major milestone has been the beginning of terracing the steep east hillside of the property. Thanks to the enthusiasm of this year’s Master Gardener Volunteer students, the project is progressing smoothly. Volunteers—both experienced gardeners and community members new to the field—are not only learning about plants, but also about safe building practices that turn unusable slopes into productive spaces.

While tremendous progress has been made, the garden still requires the removal of several large trees to improve sunlight access and support the continued success of edible plantings.
For ongoing updates, follow the Teaching Garden’s Facebook page: Teaching Garden of St. Luke’s Free Medical Clinic (green logo with three hands).

Over the past three years, the Clemson Cooperative Extension food crop team has been collecting data for specialty crop production areas and their value to the economy. The pilot scheme began in 2022 with 6 crops. This year marks the repeat of the initial crops and data capture for the remaining 14 crops

Based on the figures for 2024, commercial horticulture in Fairfield County indicates that specialty crops account for $23,310 in revenue. This is based on two years of data, with the final crops to be added this year.

Researchers within the team utilize the data to justify grant proposals; we in Extension can utilize the data to justify our impacts on the state. If you believe or know of any people producing specialty crops in the county, please reach out to me, and I will be happy to collect the information. All information is treated with the strictest confidence.

Rob Last, Commercial Horticulture Agent: rlast@clemson.edu | 803-359-8515 

Pots of Possibilities

Urban Horticulture Agent Jackie Jordan teamed up with Fairfield County 4-H agent, Martina Wicker to offer Pots of Possibilities. The spring Pots of Possibilities workshop offered participants a chance to make their own edible container garden. Participants combined Malabar spinach, cucumber and tomato plants in pots and learned how to care for the plants. The goal of Pots and Possibilities is to provide citizens of Fairfield County with the tools to grow their own nutritious food.

Master Gardener Training Classes

Jackie Jordan, the Fairfield County Urban Horticulture Agent and Master Gardener Coordinator will offer two Master Gardener Training Classes this fall starting in September. The Kershaw County class will be held on Tuesdays and the Richland County class will be offered on Thursdays through November.

The Master Gardener Training Class trains, selects, and utilizes knowledgeable volunteers to facilitate the educational work of the local Horticulture Agent by delivering research-based information to the citizens of the state.

Jackie Jordan: 803-722-1196 | jkopack@clemson.edu

The stage was set. All summer long, York County 4-H’ers had been tending to their tomato plants—watering, staking, pruning, and hoping for the perfect harvest. They all started the same way, with six small tomato plants—this year’s chosen varieties were Celebrity and Sun Gold—handed out at the start of summer. Each young grower transplanted their plants into a garden or container, then spent weeks battling weather, pests, and the unknowns of plant growth.

Yesterday, it all came down to one thing: the York County Tomato Judging Contest. Six titles were up for grabs. Ribbons, bragging rights, and a summer’s worth of work were on the line. The York County Master Gardeners stepped in as judges, inspecting each tomato with care, weighing entries to the gram, and debating over shapes, colors, and, yes… even the “worst” looking fruit.

Finally, the results were in:

2025 Winners

• Heaviest Open – Caroline Huffstetler – 355 g
• Heaviest Project – Morgan Webbie – 319 g
• Best Tomato – Natalie Estes
• Best Plate of 3 – Katelyn Huffstettler
• Worst Looking Tomato – Evie Martell
• Green Tomato – Raelynn Harris

Some tomatoes impressed with size, others with perfect form—and some, well, made everyone laugh. But every entry told a story of patience, learning, and determination.

This project isn’t just about who grows the biggest or the prettiest tomato. It’s about watching something you’ve nurtured from seedling to harvest, learning through trial and error, and discovering that sometimes the journey is just as rewarding as the ribbon.

A huge thank-you to the York County Master Gardeners for judging this year’s contest, and to the families and volunteers who made the Tomato Project possible. We can’t wait to see what grows in 2026!

Kristin Kunde 
York County 4-H Agent 
Cooperative Extension
Clemson University
120 N. Congress St.
York, SC 29745
w 803-639-9102
kkunde@clemson.edu
Civil Rights Statement

The world of horticulture is as dynamic as it is rewarding. Every day presents new opportunities to learn, grow, and connect with nature—and the more I immerse myself in this field, the more I discover how much there is to explore. Moving continents certainly accelerated the learning curve—Switzerland, with its colder climate, presented far fewer pest challenges compared to the Upstate!

As the Horticulture Agent for Spartanburg County, my mission is to serve our community by continually expanding my own knowledge. The more I learn, the better I can support and empower others to grow and thrive in their own gardens and landscapes. One of the questions I’m often asked is, “What native plants should I grow here in the Upstate?” This led me to create a native plant identification program for Wofford College’s Lifelong Learning program. In the course, we explored botanical terms like lenticels and sepals and examined 50 plant species that are native to our region. This project not only deepened my understanding of local flora but also allowed me to teach others about the beauty and benefits of these plants, all while expanding my own botanical vocabulary.

In addition to my work with local plants, I’ve had the privilege of advising St. Luke’s Free Medical Clinic on their journey toward growing food and developing a teaching garden. Through this collaboration, I’ve learned more about vegetable gardening in the Upstate—no small feat, given our unique growing conditions. These insights have allowed me to better assist clients with their own home gardening questions, offering advice that is both practical and regionally relevant.

I’m also excited to be working closely with our local Master Gardeners, who play an invaluable role in our community. Their outreach efforts continue to inspire me, and I look forward to collaborating with them on an upcoming class, set to launch in Fall 2025. Together, we’ll empower even more people to grow their knowledge and skills in horticulture.

On the horizon, I’m working on something I’m particularly excited about: the Backyard Homesteading classes. Many homeowners are eager to become more self-sufficient, and I’m thrilled to offer them the tools and guidance to do just that—even with a small backyard. From planning your property to raising and butchering poultry, from canning to beekeeping, and even eating your weeds—there’s so much potential in small spaces. It’s my goal to help homeowners reclaim their food sources and find joy in their gardens in ways they may never have imagined.

As I continue to grow in this role, I am incredibly grateful for the guidance and support I receive from my fellow agents and supervisors.

Nicole Goodman – County Consumer Horticulture Agent

Jackie Jordan Urban Horticulture

Join us as we grow together, one pot at a time!

The Pots of Possibilities Series is a container gardening program designed to help combat food insecurity and promote sustainability in Fairfield County.

Offering classes each spring and fall, this initiative provides residents of all ages with the tools and knowledge to grow their own food in small spaces. The program is completely free of charge, but spots are limited, so be sure to reserve your place in this hands-on, community-driven experience.

For more information, check out The Pots of Possibilities Series Flyer

Jackie Jordan Urban Horticulture

Jackie has served as the horticulture agent and Master Gardener Coordinator for Kershaw, Fairfield, and Richland Counties for the past 11 years and serves as a resource for local plant nurseries, flower farmers, Christmas tree farms and homeowners in Fairfield County. Jackie recently partnered with the Council on Aging to offer a hands-on microgreens workshop.

For the past five years, Jackie has partnered with the Camden Library to offer a monthly garden program. Topics are based on the season with input from the attendees on what they wish to learn. The programs are offered the second Tuesday of the month at 2:00pm.

Some favorite topics (in alphabetic order) are: Beds and Walkways, Caring for the Winter Garden, Container Gardening, Drought-Tolerant Perennials, Peace through Gardening, Sound and Touch (Sensory Gardens), Permaculture Basics, Pollinator Gardening, Plant Propagation, Rejuvenating Soil, Seed Starting, Selecting and Planting Trees, Succulents and Cacti, Summer Cut Flower Gardens, Tomatoes, Water Gardens, Xeriscaping, Rock Gardens, and Vegetable Gardening.

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.