BRAD FOWLER CHECKS IN 7/22/26

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:29

Oh Brad, I'm so sorry. Where are you stuck?

SPEAKER_01 0:33

Uh well, I actually have turned around uh and I'm going back towards Georgetown because you literally cannot get through. Um so and I thought I was gonna be really smart instead of getting off on 501. I thought I'd go around kind of through town and go over the other bridge. Uh no, you you you can't go anywhere. So I hope everybody's staying away from Conway right now.

SPEAKER_03 0:56

Oh my gosh, that is so unbelievable. I'm so sorry.

SPEAKER_01 0:59

Um okay it's all good.

SPEAKER_03 1:01

Well, what is on your mind with the because we usually chit-chat before you come on, so what is what is actually uh going on with you and uh what are you guys working on? I mean, I know we still have a bit of a drought going on, and you are you getting a lot of questions about that or concerns or things have you know, people having dying grass and all that.

SPEAKER_01 1:23

Oh yeah, yeah, definitely. We are always getting questions about that. Um and it just it kind of is what it is, you know. I I mean, I think it's easy for us to kind of get worked up about the fact that yes, we we have pretty much had a drought since the spring, and yes, it is really, really tough, especially on like farmers and stuff. Um, but I try to keep everything in the in perspective and and at some point we're gonna get some rain and the grass is gonna be fine, um, and and everything will will kind of work out. And and yeah, it's tough and you don't want to see it, but it kinda is what it is. Nothing we can do about the weather, so we just kinda have to, you know, kinda have to get through it. And one of the things I was gonna talk about is is native plants today. And the reason I was gonna talk about that is because of the weather that we're having. And so a lot of times when we're planting a bunch of stuff that n isn't native, and I'm not saying you need to plant all native plants. I don't I don't think that's the case, but our native plants they can tolerate some of this poor weather when we go into drought and we get really, really hot. And so it's uh it's a good idea to use some native plants, especially in your foundational plantings, because you just don't have to worry about 'em as much and they can tolerate the the bad, you know, the bad weather, the heat, drought, that sort of stuff. So just something to think about.

SPEAKER_03 2:42

Okay. All right. Um, there are a lot of times when you can uh you know, you you're in an HOA and there are things that are allowed and not allowed. Um have you found a lot of people having issues with that kind of thing? Like that, you know, they want to have something that gives privacy, but is it allowed by an HOA? Are there some generic type of plants that help you get that kind of like natural border without having to, you know, you can't plant that tree or a tree or something like that?

SPEAKER_01 3:16

I'll plant something on them.

SPEAKER_03 3:18

I know. Nick hates HOAs.

SPEAKER_01 3:20

How how mad do you want me to make the HOAs this morning? Oh wait, please tell us, tell us about Yes. Am I gonna I'll probably start getting phone calls after after this. Um no, so I have uh back when I was in the landscape industry, my job now, you know, I've worked with a whole lot of HOAs uh over the years, and I understand the benefits of HOAs, and I I'm you know, I'm really not talking junk about HOAs.

SPEAKER_02 3:44

Yeah, I don't, but anyway, continue.

SPEAKER_01 3:48

I'm trying to be nice, Dick. Unfortunately, a lot of times some rules are put into place and they're put there a lot of times even with good intentions, but the outcome is is really not great. And so, yes, a lot of times plants that I would possibly recommend uh for for a landscape may not be allowed, or maybe there's a plant list uh of like things, these are the things that you can plant, and some of the stuff on that plant list aren't exactly great. And so what I would recommend to somebody kind of in that situation, they're trying to plant some stuff, and the HOA maybe is is not a big fan, you know, go through Clemson, go through the Home and Garden Information Center website and get some information on those plants and what they're trying to do and present that to the HOA. And you know, maybe try to have a meeting and say, hey, can we think about changing some of these rules and stuff so that we can incorporate more native plants or or you know, whatever it may be? Because yeah, there's a lot of great stuff out there to plant. There's a lot of cool things you can do with the landscape. Um, and and sometimes, you know, unintentionally rules are put into place that kind of hinder people from being able to do that stuff. Now, you know, I also run into a lot of people that, you know, they want to put their compost pile in the front yard. I get it. Yeah, it's your property, but if you're living in a neighborhood, they're probably not gonna let you put the compost pile in the front yard. They're probably not gonna let you plant, you know, completely a a native wildflower meadow in your front yard because they're trying to maintain a certain look and that sort of stuff. So we gotta work with them, but they gotta work with us too, and and that's where I have come in at times. Um it's not something I love to do, but I have kind of come in at times and mediated and kind of talked with HOAs and and you know, kind of, you know, told them told 'em about some some different things that could possibly be done, that sort of stuff.

SPEAKER_03 5:44

So Yeah. I mean, like sometimes you don't want to like ruin your view, but you kind of want to have a little privacy, like along the fence line on the sides. Um Right, exactly. Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 5:55

And you have to think about the neighbors too. So I it's a it's a tough situation.

SPEAKER_03 6:00

Yeah, absolutely. All right, what else has uh come across your emails with people needing help with?

SPEAKER_01 6:07

Well, one thing I wanted to to throw out at people, um, especially anybody out there that's growing okra. I mean it it is it is no secret at this point that I I like I just I I cannot stand okra. Um it is the the the most disgusting uh uh food in the world, I think. But um there is something you need to do with the physical. No, it's it's horrible. No, it's not it's not just you, it is it is terrible. But we have a little pest, uh an insect pest that uh is getting on our okra, uh, and it's affecting a lot of the uh larger producers and stuff a little bit more, but um it it's uh I guess we I don't know if we can call it invasive at this point, but it is a uh a pest that's uh that's uh damaging the okra quite a bit. And so I would just like to tell people, you know, if you're growing okra and you see kind of a weird uh little small insect on it, you know, shoot us a picture uh and kind of let me try to figure out uh what it is. We're it's called the uh uh a cotton leaf hopper is is what we're looking for, and and like I said, it's affecting the okra uh fairly significantly, at least it did last year. So we're kind of looking for it this year. So just something to just something to keep in mind.

SPEAKER_03 7:20

Okay. And uh Nikki, did you have a question on the budget blinds text line?

SPEAKER_02 7:25

No, actually, well, one person's hey, hold up, I love okra. How do they cook it though? It must be deep fried. I I do want to say thank you to Brad because for months I've been threatening I'd send him a picture of my issues around my house, and I finally this weekend I get up early. And I went out, I was mowing along doing the artwork before it got like, you know, unbelievably standing on the sun hot. Yeah. And I sent him a couple pictures and and you know, I tried to make it fun and uh and I'm glad I I made you laugh a little, but you did help me. And thank you again, Brad. You're awesome. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 7:56

I I am I'm glad to do it. Um I mean, just on a you know, just from a friend standpoint, I'm glad to do it, but at the same time, I mean, it is literally my job to I'm allowed to be.

SPEAKER_02 8:09

Well, uh what was the name of that stuff that I sent you? I I'm I I gotta see if I can pull up your uh text. Um that weird grass that grows like like it has these legs on it.

SPEAKER_03 8:21

The vineyard.

SPEAKER_02 8:22

Yeah, the viney stuff. I thought it was the one thing, and you said no, it's the torpedo something. Yeah, I thought it was, but what is it?

SPEAKER_01 8:28

Yeah, so that was not torpedo grass. That was, I'm pretty sure that was carpet grass, which is very, very similar to centipede grass. In fact, most yards that have centipede grass in it, they probably have some carpet grass there as well and don't even realize it. If you were to put carpet grass and centipede grass in front of me, I I may I might would have a hard time telling them apart, especially initially. It would take some some looking to to to tell them apart. So you essentially treat them the same way. They kinda uh carpet grass and centipede grass kind of grow the same way, but a lot of times carpet grass will put out a little bit more of those uh those kind of long runners uh like that. So fortunately you don't that at least in that picture, there was no torpedo grass.

SPEAKER_02 9:11

Yeah, I I wasn't sure.

SPEAKER_03 9:13

And it's like torpedo is pointy on the end or something, right?

SPEAKER_02 9:16

This is just like a weird flat viny thing.

SPEAKER_03 9:18

That's what I have. I thought that was torpedo grass.

SPEAKER_02 9:21

It doesn't really bother my lawn. I just keep those things off the walkways.

SPEAKER_01 9:26

Yeah, yeah, no, it's there, yeah, they're gonna keep growing over the walkway. Um, yeah, that that's the aggravating part. But uh, you know, at least something's growing. That's one way to look at it. Well, that's yeah.

SPEAKER_02 9:37

Uh the Sago palm you identified, thank you very much. It looks different than what I thought, but this is again against the house. Are we in any danger there or are we okay?

SPEAKER_01 9:46

I mean, it's gonna be fine. I mean, there's nothing wrong too if it starts to get on the house, just trim those uh those back uh fronds or leaves off if they start to touch or something and uh you know kind of kind of let it go. I don't think there's any issue of it like messing with the foundation or or or anything like that.

SPEAKER_02 10:06

So and then uh the last one you identified was some variety of agave.

SPEAKER_01 10:12

Correct. Yep, yep.

SPEAKER_02 10:14

So anything I can do with that! Yeah, is there anything I can do with that or just let it be? Really? I'd make tequila with that, really. All right, do you have a recipe then? That's my last question.

SPEAKER_01 10:25

Well, there there you go. Just try to avoid it because as you know, they will stab you. Uh because they have spikes on them.

SPEAKER_03 10:33

Yeah, absolutely. All right. Any upcoming uh events or classes you want to share before we go?

SPEAKER_01 10:39

Well, I I actually, and I wish I'd have shared this uh uh maybe uh last week, but uh I actually did a a little series, a little two-part series thing at the Conway Library, uh finished it up uh yesterday afternoon. And so I was gonna tell everybody, you know, just try to keep an eye out on Facebooks around the libraries and and and stuff like that. Um, you know, we pop up all over the place. It's it's really hard for us to advertise per se. Um, but follow the the Clemson Extension uh Facebooks. We have an Ori County Facebook, I believe we've got a Georgetown County Facebook, we've got a horticulture team Facebook page, and then we've got like a general Clemson Extension Facebook. So that's one of the easiest ways for us to advertise. Advertising is always a problem for us trying to get you know the word out there, but uh just keep an eye out. You know, a lot of us will pop up in different places doing presentations for different organizations.

SPEAKER_03 11:32

So all right. And the website for you uh, you know, to follow your and get all those little uh uh fact sheets.

SPEAKER_01 11:42

Right. So that is the home and garden information center. Just go on whatever your search engine of choice is and type in home and garden information center, and it'll pull it right up.

SPEAKER_03 11:52

All right.

SPEAKER_02 11:52

Sounds good. Before we let you go, we do have a question that popped in. I want to make sure I get some of these uh uh questions out there. I don't know how to pronounce it, so if I do it wrong, just help me out. Uh this Kathy says, I thought rabbits and deer stayed away from Latana. Am I saying that right there? Lantana?

SPEAKER_01 12:07

Lantana. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 12:09

However, it appears something is eating the flower buds off my newly planted uh whatever you said it was, as soon as they open, what can I do?

SPEAKER_01 12:18

That's interesting. So I have found that no matter how deer resistant a plant is, if the rabbit or the deer is hungry enough, they will eat it. I have seen them eat uh holly trees halfway up, all the leaves gone. Uh and so what can you do about it? That's the kind of the harder part. There are some like organic wildlife sprays that you can spray to kind of deter them. The problem is they smell like trash because that's one of the ways it deters them. And if it rains, you have to reapply. Uh so that's honestly one of the one of the better methods, unfortunately. Um otherwise building a, you know, an eight-foot fence around the the yard is is another option, but there's not a ton of great ways uh to deter the wildlife. Um and even when you plant those deer resistant or wildlife resistant plants, sometimes they sometimes they get in there. Um so unfortunately I don't have a great answer other than s maybe trying the wildlife sprays.

SPEAKER_03 13:20

I was just uh reading that um squirrels dig them up and nibble on them. And rabbits, um uh and uh they'll nibble on them, but I didn't know they were toxic to certain animals. And that's why they avoid them.

SPEAKER_01 13:40

Well there you go.

SPEAKER_03 13:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:42

Yeah. See uh animals a lot of times will you know, they'll stick they'll stay away from the stuff that's gonna make 'em make 'em big. But uh yeah. But I've seen 'em eat I've seen deer deer eat just about anything.

SPEAKER_03 13:52

Yeah. Exactly. All right. Well, thank you so much, Brad Fowler. We'll see you next time.