BRAD FOWLER CHECKS IN 4/22/26

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Brad Fowler, your Clemson Extension commercial horticulture agent. You know, proper irrigation is key to keeping things thriving, especially with our unpredictable weather. And speaking of irrigation, a big shout out to Conserva Irrigation. They truly are your sprinkler system caretakers. From the Liz Callaway Show with Nick Summers.

SPEAKER_05 0:21

How's the new position?

SPEAKER_01 0:23

It's good.

SPEAKER_05 0:24

Yeah?

SPEAKER_01 0:24

Yeah, it's going good. Okay. I'm I'm busy. I'm having to like relearn a lot of stuff. Um, you know, I just I hadn't been dealing with fruits and vegetables, you know, my, you know, for my entire career. And so now kind of switching over to that, it's uh, you know, just trying to learn some new stuff and and just making sure I can help the farmers. I mean, that's the biggest thing, is is we just want to make sure that because their livelihood depends on the have you gone out on some calls because there's drought problems.

SPEAKER_05 0:51

So what are the main issues?

SPEAKER_01 0:54

Well, it it depends on, you know, if we're talking about the home landscape and and we'll talk more about that uh on here, but uh, you know, with the farmers and stuff, it's a lot of them do a lot of those folks, especially in the fruit and vegetable world, do have irrigation, but it's still there's there's nothing like rain, you know. Yeah, we've talked about that, right? It's just rain brings something different, and so you know, and in those places where they don't have irrigation, you know, those those plants just they can only withstand so much when it comes to drought. And so it's it's it's important that we that we get some rain, but you know, we don't have to raise we can't make it rain. Exactly. Well, some people can.

SPEAKER_05 1:26

So yeah. But we need it on the farms, not on uh Seaboard Street. Exactly. So uh Well, hey now Look at you, glitter gal. I was just saying glitters forever. Um so uh Brad, so tell us, you know, because some people have little farms in their backyard and little, you know, what do they call those?

SPEAKER_01 1:49

Raised raised beds, and they got some, you know, vegetables are growing and stuff like that, and so they need rain too. Um but uh, you know, obviously you need to be, if you do have vegetables for, you know, for instance, you do need to be irrigating those. I mean, vegetables are gonna take, especially if they're in like a raised bed or a pot or something like that, they're gonna need regular water. Those pots and those raised beds are gonna dry out really, really quickly, way faster than uh than than they would in the ground. Even in the ground, they still during this kind of drought need a good bit of water. But in those raised beds and stuff, they're they're gonna need quite a bit of water. So I would just encourage that. But also with that, as you water a whole lot, you're washing nutrients through that soil. Okay, and so you might have to keep fertilizing some to make sure that you know you're keeping up the nutrients and stuff with with whatever it is you're growing.

SPEAKER_07 2:38

All right.

SPEAKER_01 2:38

Um now the lawns are a whole different story. Uh, and I know people are gonna get frustrated because their grass is is is not gonna be growing.

SPEAKER_05 2:45

I see, you know what I saw? I mean, I saw people putting down sod, and I was like, whoa, that's a like during a drought to put down sod, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:56

I hope they've got irrigation, is all I can say.

SPEAKER_05 2:59

Uh I mean that's gonna be that's like a bad time, right?

SPEAKER_01 3:03

It's not great, uh, for sure. It's one of those you can situations, but you know, it's not it's not a great idea. I would wanna I'd wanna wait till we get a little bit of rain, but if they got irrigation, you know, it it's really important if you are putting down sod in a drought, you know, water the ground before you put the sod down. If you put sod down on dry ground, it's just gonna suck all the moisture right out of it. So water the ground before you put the sod down, and then yeah, it's you're gonna kind of run on a fine line of or planting seed. Yeah, oh, that's gonna be because that takes a lot of water.

SPEAKER_03 3:35

So I've told you before about my weed lawn. Yes. It's mostly weeds, but you keep it looking good, short, and you know it's a 20-footer. It looks great 20 feet away. Why is it that the weeds flourish in a drought? But the grass that I do have is like, help me.

SPEAKER_01 3:51

It's just they're they're just, you know, God made them that way. They're just they're just here to stay. Like they are. I do a couple talks on weeds uh from time to time, and when you start to look at the way weeds grow and how you know their mechanisms for for sustaining themselves and that stuff.

SPEAKER_05 4:08

They have that like one long root that goes down, they can get long roots that can reach down further to water.

SPEAKER_01 4:12

They can create, they have tubers on them that that store up. Why can't we make grass like that? No, right? That would be nice. If you hey, that's our c that's how we get rich, Nick. We will figure out how to make grass. Have Nick and Brad's wheat grass. Exactly.

SPEAKER_03 4:27

Yeah, hybrid. Hybrid, like between a weed and you never have to water it, mow it once a year. It's perfect.

SPEAKER_02 4:34

That's perfect. I love it.

SPEAKER_05 4:35

We just have to make weeds beautiful.

SPEAKER_02 4:37

Yeah, and then people make weeds beautiful again. You know, not the 420 weeds. I mean weeds in your backyard.

SPEAKER_05 4:43

Here's the thing I'm I'm wondering. Um, I I was watching this debate with um R. F. Kennedy uh Jr. about glyphosate.

SPEAKER_06 4:52

Okay.

SPEAKER_05 4:53

Um, and they were really mad at the Trump administration because they were saying that the Trump administration was allowing glyphosate to still exist.

SPEAKER_06 5:04

Okay.

SPEAKER_05 5:04

But what he corrected them during that hearing just recently, Nick, I don't know if you have that clip of RFK talking about glyphosate. But he said that you you have it all wrong. We're trying to r fund something that will find a better, healthier version of what the glyphosate does. Because we talk about how that's like Roundup, right?

SPEAKER_01 5:30

Right, yeah, yeah. So for for a lot of years, and um I'm I need to preface this by saying that um this will probably be my last day here because I'm gonna get fired after this.

unknown 5:40

What?

SPEAKER_01 5:41

Don't do that. Listen, no, it's it's when you start talking about chemicals, it gets it gets the blood boiling and stuff. You could go from a super secret agent for Clemson to a free agent. Yes, Callaway show. They're just not gonna pay anything for me. No, I don't mind, I don't mind talking about it because this is what we're here for. This is the you know, this is stuff we have to talk about. Now, politically, you know, I try not to step into that realm because I don't know what they're what they're doing all the time when when that stuff where that stuff is concerned is concerned. But yes, the the traditional chemical in or or active ingredient in Roundup was glyphosate. There's a whole lot of information out there about glyphosate. You can make your own decision as how you feel about glyphosate. They are replacing glyphosate in Roundup with some other chemicals. Now, once again, you have to do some research decide how you feel about is that chemical better or worse than glyphosate. And like I said, there's a ton of different research out there. Yeah, we've actually got some uh information on the Home and Garden Information Center website. Uh one of our uh specialists, uh Dr. Coyle, has done some talks on um uh on glyphosate, but it would it be great if we can find better alternatives? Sure. I and I'm not one to tell you just to go out there and spray willy-nilly and you know whatever you are doing though, even the organic materials a lot of times have safety regulations and have labels that tell you how to use that. You don't want to go around drinking like, you know, uh there's like some horticultural vinegars. They're pretty caustic. I mean, they're not like they're not like safe, you know, even though it's an organic material, right? You still have to be very, very careful. You still need to read the label, no matter what you are putting out, the label is the law, and that's what's gonna help keep you safe. And so, you know, it's it's a tough conversation.

SPEAKER_05 7:28

We've heard of um when I was doing my research, was you know, the Roundup Ready Seed, and I was like, what is that? And no matter how much you spray your farm, the um, you know, the propagation of these seeds, whatever the plant is that grows it, it won't res it it won't uh it it's protected from the Roundup. So you can douse your whole farm, but that seed is genetically modified to live through that, right? Which helps the farmers a lot, but then a lot of people are worried about the you know consuming.

SPEAKER_01 8:02

Yeah, the ramifications of that. And once again, that's that's I guess that's kind of where my knowledge kind of ends as far as as that is concerned. But yeah, there's there's a whole lot that goes into this stuff, and you mentioned the farmers and stuff. I mean, they're trying to grow a lot of different stuff for a whole lot of people, and they need certain things to be able to do that, but you know, how you and there's a lot of people doing it different ways.

SPEAKER_05 8:23

You know, we've got people doing it completely organically, we've got people doing it, you know, using the bear plants are smaller, and there's the crop is smaller, and you know, and they're trying to compete. It's definitely tougher.

SPEAKER_01 8:34

I mean, it's it's not easy to grow something completely organic, and that's why those things are more money. Yeah, that's why that's why it costs more.

SPEAKER_05 8:40

Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_03 8:41

Couple questions here.

SPEAKER_01 8:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 8:43

Uh this could be one of those things where you say you can. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 8:48

Awesome.

SPEAKER_03 8:48

I noticed my neighbor, next door neighbor, putting D E F on his grass. I asked him what he was doing. He said it's diesel exhaust fluid. Right. And it's pretty much 100% nitrogen. And he said it's dirt cheap, 430 a gallon. He mixes it with uh 20 to 80 with water. Says he's been doing it for years, and I can tell you his yard is the greenest yard anywhere in my neighborhood. Is this a good idea? You can. I've never heard of that. That wasn't a Dost? Well, you can. There it is. But what are your reservations about this practice?

SPEAKER_01 9:29

Well, it's just not a registered product for, you know, and we can't even, I really can't even talk about it because it's bad for our aquifer? You know, it's it's I I think DEF, I don't even want to say because I can't remember. Yes, it is technically like a it's like urea or something, I think, which is kind of nitrogen-ish. You know, this is getting a little above my pay grade with the science and stuff. The the thing is, it's not registered for that. I can't even really talk about it. Once again, if that person wants to do that, that's you know their business, but uh it's not labeled for that. And so I don't rec I can never recommend anything that's not labeled for that specific use.

SPEAKER_03 10:08

Um what is the b and I know you don't get into recommending products by name, so maybe you can just be general here, but what is the best product in the store to kill weeds uh but it doesn't kill your grass, it kind of helps your grass.

SPEAKER_01 10:22

Sure, yeah. And so with that, yeah, I can't recommend a specific product. On our Home and Garden Information Center website, we have fact sheets with multiple products listed to choose from. But what I can tell you, one of the most common active ingredients is 2-4D. It's safe on most grasses and kills broadleaf weeds out of most grasses, a whole lot of different chemicals have 2-4 D mixed with some other different active ingredients to kill those weeds.

SPEAKER_05 10:48

Is is that like a spray?

SPEAKER_01 10:50

Yes, a lot of times it's spray, but it does come in a granular form, but you need to be careful. Don't don't do it right now during this drought. That grass does not need to be stressed when you're when you're using these chemicals because the grass tolerates these chemicals, but if it's under stress, these chemicals can also harm the grass. So we got to be careful.

SPEAKER_03 11:08

We have somebody who works in pest control and said, You really need to say that again for the people in the back to mind at the labels for these pesticides andor weed killers because they contain they do contain dangerous chemicals, and if not handled or applied properly, you're putting yourself in danger. Right, exactly. That's the whole thing.

SPEAKER_01 11:24

Yeah, yeah. The and the label talks about pets, it talks about wildlife, it talks about everything. And yeah, I mean, it's not fun to sit around and read chemical labels. They're like you have to have a magnifying glass to read them, but they are what keeps us safe, keeps our neighbors safe, and keeps the environment safe.

SPEAKER_05 11:39

All right.

SPEAKER_03 11:40

Excellent advice.

SPEAKER_05 11:41

All right, and you know, um, you know, we talked about not this is kind of a bridge uh over to Agent Orange.

SPEAKER_03 11:49

Yes.

SPEAKER_05 11:50

But these things that were used to kill foliage, we've learned what those things can do to people's bodies and get passed on to for generation to generation.

SPEAKER_03 11:59

Yeah, I was gonna say we learned it's generational.

SPEAKER_05 12:01

It's generational, and that's what is scary. I think we learned a lot about that through the veterans uh that came back from combat. That these things could be um very seriously um harmful to your health or aquifers or water supply. Um so um what are you up to next? What do you do you want to invite anybody to any time?

SPEAKER_01 12:22

What am I doing? What am I doing? Um so I'm actually gonna be uh out uh in North Portal Beach today uh doing a like a plant swap. And for the life of me, I cannot remember the name. It's uh they they get a uh you know, different people from the community bring in some of their house plants and stuff like that, and um uh you know, you swap plants, you know. Somebody has something that you like and really you know, you just uh cookie swap.

SPEAKER_04 12:48

Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_01 12:50

I'll give you my sunflowers for your petunias. Exactly, exactly. It's very awkward, and you know, it's all a bunch of plant name. Wait, did you say it's awkward? No, it's not. Yeah, I did say that. No, it's uh it's it's fun, it's a good time. But Carmen's going with me. So Carmen's the the urban horticulture agent uh for Ori and Georgetown and Marion, and so we're going together uh to um I'll remember as soon as I walk out of here where I'm going.

SPEAKER_05 13:16

Well, if you remember, send me a text.

SPEAKER_01 13:17

Yeah, I'll send you a text. And that way I can tell.

SPEAKER_05 13:19

So, but is it only a certain community?

SPEAKER_01 13:21

No, I mean anybody can come. Uh it it's it's open to the I think it's open to the public. I might they might have asked people to sign up, but uh yeah, they normally have I've done it for a few years now and they normally have a pretty good crowd. Like I said, it's in North Myrtle Beach.

SPEAKER_05 13:33

I'll text you when I remember where people come in with all their pots.

SPEAKER_01 13:35

Yeah, they come in with their potted plants and stuff they've been growing for seed and stuff like that, and people swap plants and they have garden clubs and stuff there, and you know we're there and we hang out for a little bit and talk and stuff. So cool. It's a good time, it's fun. So I think that's the main thing I've got going on.

SPEAKER_03 13:50

It's fun and awkward at the same time.

SPEAKER_01 13:52

Exactly.

SPEAKER_03 13:52

I won't forget you said that.

SPEAKER_04 13:55

Thy shall not cover thy neighbor's plants. Exactly.

SPEAKER_03 13:59

Exactly.

SPEAKER_04 13:59

Unless you're with Brad. And it's all good.

SPEAKER_01 14:03

I got this one with a daisy in it. Uh I don't even bring anything. That's how bad of a holder cultural I am. I don't even, I don't even bring anything. I don't even grow anything.

SPEAKER_03 14:12

Bring nothing to the table.

SPEAKER_01 14:13

Exactly.

SPEAKER_03 14:14

I'm gonna take away your super secret agent status.

SPEAKER_01 14:17

I'm just not even like a I'm not I started to say I'm a pretty face, but I'm not even that pretty of a face. I'm just there. I'm a warm body. That's what that's what I am. That's all right. Just a warm body, wondering.

SPEAKER_05 14:27

We like you a lot. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 14:29

I like y'all too. This is fun.

SPEAKER_05 14:30

All right, Grand Strand Gardening, thank you, Conservat irrigation. And uh, hey, leaning on that irrigation now, that's for sure. They give uh free inspections to your irrigation. You can check them out online. And uh Brad Fowler from the Clemson Extension, tell us how people can reach you.

SPEAKER_01 14:46

As always, bfowler at Clemson.edu. And I would recommend people reach out to Carmen too, uh, for for stuff like I said. Uh that is a great question. Actually, I do know her email. It's C Ketron. So C K E T R O N at Clemson.edu. There you go. I remembered something.

SPEAKER_06 15:05

Nice. And you can meet her today. Yeah, yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_01 15:08

Whenever we figure out where we're going.

SPEAKER_06 15:09

Bring her a potted plant. You need to text Carmen and ask. Guarantee she knows. I'll text her.

SPEAKER_01 15:15

Yeah, she definitely knows.

SPEAKER_06 15:16

All right, thank you so much, Brad.

SPEAKER_01 15:18

Thanks, y'all.