Gardening Tips

August 16, 2021 By Hyams Garden Center

Hydrangea Paniculata ‘Phantom’

Hydrangea Paniculata ‘Phantom’ is a remarkable panicle hydrangea with the largest flower heads of any of its species. The flowers could be up to 15 inches long. The conical color-changing blooms unfold in midsummer as a creamy white, then graduate to a blushing, soft pink as the summer progresses. It is a heavy bloomer with sturdy-stemmed flowers that do not flop. It is a robust upright cultivar and produces dense, conical, rounded heads of sterile white flowers. It calls for moderate to hard pruning. The color of the flowers is not affected by the pH of the soil. Phantom blooms on the current season’s wood so it is not susceptible to late spring frosts. It does well in full sun to light shade and is moderately drought-tolerant. ‘Phantom’ is a hybrid of Hydrangea paniculata which is native to Japan, China and Korea where it grows at altitudes up to 4,000 feet.

June 26, 2021 By Hyams Garden Center

Planting Chart for Coastal South Carolina

When it comes to fruits and vegetables, it is important to know when to plant them. Here is a chart that may be of great help to all those who want to take up gardening of vegetables and fruits in coastal South Carolina.

	Spring Planting	Fall Planting
Asparagus	Early January to Late February (Crowns)	——–
Beans, Snap	March 15^th – 30^th	August 15^th – 30^th
Beans, Pole	March 20^th – 30^th	August 1^st – 10^th
Beans, Half Runner	March 15^th – 30^th	August 15^th – 30^th
Beans, Lima	March 20^th – 30^th	August 1^st – 10^th
Beans, Pole Lima	March 20^th – April 15^th	July 20^th – 30^th
Beans, Edible Soy	May 10^th – July 15^th	——–
Beets	December 15^th – January 30^th	August 1^st – 20^th
Broccoli [Transplant Plants]	February 15^th – March 1^st	August 10^th – September 15^th
Brussels Sprouts	——–	August 1^st – 15^th
Cabbage [Transplant Plants]	December 1^st to January 15^th	August 1^st – 15^th
Cantaloupe & Honeydew	March 10^th – April 10^th	——–
Carrots	December 15^th – January 30^th	August 1^st – 20^th
Cauliflower [Transplant Plants]	——–	August 1^st – 20^th
Collards	February 20^th – March 15^th	August 1^st – 25^th
Cucumber	March 20^th – 30^th	August 1^st – 20^th
Eggplant [Transplant Plants]	March 25^th – April 10^th	July 20^th – 25^th
Garlic	——–	October 1^st – November 30^th
Kale	——–	August 15^th – September 15^th
Lettuce	December 20^th – February 5^th	August 15^th – 25^th
Mustard [For longer harvest season, plant at intervals during suggested dates]	January 1^st – February 25^th	August 15^th – October 1^st
Onion, Sets	February 1^st – March 1^st	October 1^st – November 30^th
Onion, Plants	February 1^st – March 1^st	——–
Onion, Seeds	——–	October 1^st – 30^th
Okra	April 1^st – 20^th	June 15^th – 30^th
Peanuts	April 25^th – May 15^th	——–
Peas, Garden	January 10^th – 20^th	——–
Peas, Southern	March 25^th – April 15^th	August 1^st – 10^th
Pepper [Transplant Plants]	March 25^th – April 10^th	July 20^th – 25^th
Potatoes, Irish	February 1^st – 15^th	July 15^th – 30^th [Seed potatoes for July planting and fall harvest may have to be mail-ordered. It is usually available from local garden supply stores].
Potatoes, Sweet	April 15^th – July 1^st	——–
Pumpkins	——–	July 1^st -15^th
Radish [For longer harvest season, plant at intervals during suggested dates]	January 1^st – March 1^st	September 1^st – November 1^st
Rutabaga	——–	August 1^st – 20^th
Spinach [For longer harvest season, plant at intervals during suggested dates]	January 1^st – February 25^th	September 15^th – November 10^th
Sweet Corn [For longer harvest season, plant at intervals during suggested dates]	March 20^th – April 30^th	——–
Squash, Summer	March 20^th – April 10^th	August 10^th – 25^th
Squash, Winter	March 20^th – April 10^th	August 10^th – 25^th
Tomato [Transplant Plants]	March 25^th – April 10^th	July 25^th – 30^th
Turnips [For longer harvest season, plant at intervals during suggested dates]	January 1^st – March 1^st	August 25^th – October 15^th
Watermelon	March 25^th – April 20^th	——–

For more information on freeze and frost occurrence data for cities in South Carolina, please see the NOAA website: https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/climatenormals/clim20supp1/states/SC.pdf

May 17, 2021 By Hyams Garden Center

Ivy Topiary Maintenance

Potted Ivy (Hedra Helix) is maintained by watering when its soil is dry. We recommend that you use a water meter when watering your ivy topiary. Do not mist your topiary, put it in direct sun or allow water to stand in the saucer.

Fertilize your topiary with liquid plant food, prune, weave and clip vines to keep topiary shape. If your topiary becomes infested with bugs, you can treat it by spraying the topiary with a solution of soapy water. Mix 3 to 5 tablespoons of ivory liquid soap with one gallon of water. After you spray your topiary let the leaves dry. Spray topiary again with plain water to remove soap from the leaves. Continue to use the soap mixture every four days for the next two weeks to rid your topiary of bug infestation. Soap will kill Aphids, Mites and other insects. For better results use a stronger commercial insecticidal soap.

April 14, 2021 By Hyams Garden Center

Time to apply Lawn Fertilizer

It is time to apply 15-0-15 Centipede Lawn Fertilizer. This works on all types of warm season grasses we grow, namely, St. Augustine, Centipede, Zoysia and Bermuda. This formulation will ease your grass into fully greening up. Once that happens, you can go after any weeds you may have. Please avoid using “Weed & Feed” products until your grass is fully greened up and actively growing. You can also put down any fungicides or insect controls to prevent problems you may have had last year. Feel free to email me at rhowie@hyamsgardencenter.com with any questions. Our phone lines have been overwhelmed with calls and may be hard to get through. (Randy Howie)