Garden

All Garden Content

baptisia plant with green, cane-like braches with yellow and purple flowers

Baptisia: A Hardy, Flowering Perennial

Baptisia (Baptisia australis) is an herbaceous perennial known for its hardiness and for its early-Spring blossoms. Its other common names include False Indigo, Blue Indigo, and Wild Indigo.

Organic cabbage and sweet corn plants at the SDSU Southeast Research Farm.

Producing Organic Cabbage and Sweet Corn with Cover Crop Integration and Reduced Tillage: Updates from the SDSU Southeast Research Farm

Research on clover cover crops grown in combination with four tillage and weed suppression methods was conducted at the SDSU Southeast Farm. Vegetable crops trialed included sweet corn and three varieties of cabbage.

Variety of vegetables growing inside a high tunnel.

SDSU Extension 2025 Garden Hour series starts May 6

May 02, 2025

/garden-yard/problems-and-solutions

black, clear and white tarps covering the middle and compost mounded around the edges with wooden pallets on top

South Dakota Vegetable Grower Experiences with Soil Tarping and Solarization during the 2024 Field Season

Research report on South Dakota vegetable grower experiences with soil tarping and solarization during the 2024 season

Clover pathways after being mowed with sunsetting in the background.

Broccolini Performance in Three Established Clover Living Mulches in Eastern South Dakota: Year Two Results

Research report determining the impact of three established clover species on weed suppression, crop growth, and broccolini yield in year two.

Left: Black soil tarp on a research plot. Right: The same research plot uncovered, revealing little-to-no weed pressure.

Early Season Soil Solarization and Occultation Impacts on Weed Pressure and Onion Yield in Eastern South Dakota: Year 2 (2024) Results

Research report on whether soil tarping can reduce weed pressure in onion yields for the second year

A hand holding a soil sample taken from a soybean field.

Soil Testing Labs

This page contains a list of nearby state or private laboratories that can be used for crop production fields, gardens and lawns.

A pile of soil and compost covered with straw

Composting Basics

The natural process of composting is aided by providing an ideal environment for bacteria, fungi, and other decomposing organisms (such as worms, nematodes, etc.) and produces a "Black Gold" that is rich in nutrients and organic matter.

hand examining clump of soil organic matter

Soil: It’s Not Just Dirt

Most soils are complex ecosystems with worms, insects and microscopic organisms, which all work together in helping plants grow.

Seven different prairie flowers that have gone to seed arranged on a tabletop.

Native Seed Hand Harvest Guidelines

Hand harvest of native plant seed is a low-cost and low-tech method suitable for collecting seeds for small-scale use. Learn some important guidelines for harvesting, storing, and stratifying native plant seeds.