Garden Hour

Spring/Summer Climate Update (timestamp 2:06)
Laura Edwards, SDSU Extension State Climatologist, walked us through the spring/summer climate outlook. 

• Be weather aware. Have two ways to get severe weather information
• 30 day review: temperatures were near to above average from April 6 to May 5. Some parts of the state had good gains in soil moisture from spring rain events.
• Typical last frost date is the first or second week of May for much of the state.
• Laura highlighted the soil moisture map from the SDSU Mesonet. It is accessed by choosing “24-hr Soil Moisture” from the “Select Layer” drop-down menu.
• Drought monitor update shows improvement of one to two categories for many areas of South Dakota.
• The 6 – 10 day outlook shows warmer than average temperatures and a slightly higher than normal chance of precipitation especially in the northwest corner of the state.
• May 2025 outlook shows above average temperatures for SD and below average precipitation.
• Summer outlook indicates increased likelihood of warmer and drier conditions, even through the fall.
• Growing degree day information on the Mesonet. 

Spring insect and arthropod news (timestamp 19:25)
Amanda Bachmann, SDSU Extension Urban Entomology Field Specialist, highlighted some spring insect and arthropod activity to be aware of.

• Ticks are active in South Dakota. The SD Department of Health is tracking tick encounters via their survey.
• The monarch butterfly migration is kicking off, and monarchs have been reported as far north as central Iowa as of May 5. The overwintering population in Mexico covered 1.79 hectares, a 99% increase over the previous year.
• Insects that overwintered as adults are active! Wasps are looking to build nests, and this is the time of year to remove those early attempts before they get too big.

Questions (timestamp 29:36)
Do we have praying mantises? 

• Yes! Learn more in this article.  

Are bees less active or abundant this spring? 

• Maybe? Check out iNaturalist to see what bees are being observed in South Dakota already, and consider adding your own photos to the data.

Manure as garden fertilizer (timestamp 1:12)
Hans Klopp, SDSU Extension Soil Health Field Specialist, discussed using manure as garden fertilizer. 

• Animal manures are readily available in South Dakota
• Green manure, and compost are two other common types used in gardens.
• Manure can be high in soluble salts, nitrogen, and phosphorus which can cause issues.
• Fertilizing Gardens in South Dakota guide

Spring and summer weed control in lawns (timestamp 21:04)
Graig Reicks, SDSU Extension Weed Ecology Field Specialist, covered some of the weeds that are popping up this spring.

• Dr. Reicks went over how to identify and manage quackgrass – one of the more common and pernicious perennial grass problems in lawns.
• Crabgrass is an annual grass, and May is too late for preemergence herbicide to be successful.
• Post-emergence options are available for crabgrass (quinchlorac).
• Broadcast spraying and spot spraying are both options, but may require different mixing rates and equipment.
• Methylated seed oil is an adjuvant that is used with some herbicides to help them stick to the plants.
• Mid-May is a good time to apply nitrogen fertilizer.
• Early fall is the better time to manage dandelions, white clover, and ground ivy (creeping Charlie) with herbicide.

Mast year (timestamp 39:43)
Rhoda Burrows, Professor and SDSU Extension Horticulture Specialist presented some botanical odds and ends.

• Mast years are when there are lots of seeds produced by trees
• Have a mystery apple on your property? DNA testing for apple cultivars is available from Washington State University
• Comparison of fruit bagging techniques – now is the time to bag apples while they are small to prevent codling moth infestation
• Have you tried growing any of the haskap berry cultivars?

Questions (timestamp 49:13)
Rhubarb bolting? 

• The hot weather caused some rhubarb to bolt. Support the plants with additional water.

Timely tree care (timestamp 1:27)

John Ball, Professor, SDSU Extension Forestry Specialist & South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources Forest Health Specialist, discussed what types of tree care should be happening now.

• Check out the latest Tree Pest Alert for degree day updates and the drought monitor map.
• If it’s not raining or snowing, make sure to water woody plants as much of the state is in some level of drought. Cases of tip die-back in trees that were not watered last year are being reported.
• Woody plants and allergies: oaks and cedars are producing a lot of pollen now.
• Apple scab treatment: should be on the third treatment; if not started, it’s too late.
• It’s time to treat for cedar apple rust.
• Codling moth sprays start when the apples are small and continue about every 10 days.
• Apple maggot is not out yet (mid-June), so there’s still time to prepare for treatment.
• Spruce needle cast diseases are being reported.
• Tree defoliators: fall cankerworms out west in native oak stands.
• Emerald ash borer flight has started in South Dakota; now is the time to begin treatment.
• Pine engraver borers in the Black Hills.

Land restoration with wildlife (time stamp: 28:11)

Jason Schoch, SDSU Extension Tribal Local Foods Program Manager, covered wildlife and biodiversity-friendly farming projects.

• Small-scale and subsistence farming without chemicals.
•  Feather Two Farms in Porcupine, South Dakota: using beavers, beaver dams and beaver dam analogs to change waterflow and improve water infiltration, as well as coppicing willows for firewood and stream bank regeneration.

Questions (time stamp: 1:04:13)

• Codling moth first spray and trapping (see the May 14 Tree Pest Alert for more details).

UK horticulture tour (timestamp 2:05)

Sydney Trio, Education Coordinator and SDSU Extension Horticulture Assistant, shared photos and stories from her recent trip. 

• Sydney joined Dr. John Ball, SDSU horticulture students and SDSU Master Gardeners on a trip to Edinburgh, Scotland and London, England.
  Highlights include a monkey puzzle tree, Kew Gardens, Kensington Palace, Royal Botanic Gardens, Dunbars Close Garden and Edinburgh Castle.

Horticulture resources and spring plants (timestamp 29:46)

Robin Buterbaugh, SDSU Extension Horticulture Field Specialist, covered some of the SDSU Extension horticulture resources and spring plants to look out for.

• SDSU Extension Gardening Resources: Garden Hotline, Tree Pest Alert, Garden & Yard Newsletter 
• Native plants in bloom include spiderwort in Brookings and golden alexander in Luverne, MN.
• Upcoming events: Palisades State Park Plant Tour on June 11, 2025, and SDSU Native Plant Initiative plant sales (June dates across the state).
• With the recent moisture, there are lots of fungi popping up, including dead man's finger fungus.

Spring insect highlight (timestamp 42:50)

Amanda Bachmann, SDSU Extension Urban Entomology Field Specialist, discussed recent insect sightings.

• Ants outdoors are generally not a problem, but there are tips for handling ants indoors.
• Pollinators are active, but were slowed down by the cooler weather.
• Keep an eye out for mantis egg cases and other signs of natural enemies.
• The monarch migration is progressing north, with sightings in southeast South Dakota and even Pierre!

Questions (timestamp 49:40)

How does one find out about the international tours?

• Currently, tours are offered to SDSU Extension Master Gardeners, but stay tuned for future opportunities through McCrory Gardens for members.

What should you do about ants in garden beds?

• They are not plant pests and can be left alone.
   

Growing sweet corn (timestamp 2:33)
Kristina Harms, SDSU Graduate Research Assistant, discussed her research and how to grow sweet corn. 

• Don’t worry if your sweet corn is struggling right now: cool temperatures are slowing growth.
• Sweet corn doesn’t have a long shelf life, but can be processed in many ways.
• Current research is investigating tillage and clover living mulch in sweet corn systems.

Horticulture resources and spring plants (timestamp 17:09)
Kristine Lang, SDSU Extension Consumer Horticulture Specialist, gave an update on her lab’s summer research plans.

• Completed projects on soil tarping in onions and broccolini integrated with living mulch.
• New specialty crop research projects: impacts of high tunnel production methods on lettuce (17 varieties!) and tomato (grafted and non-grafted) heat tolerance and nutrient content.
• When planting lettuce, pelletized seeds are easier to handle.
• Using wool in the garden as both a mulch and a soil amendment
• Direct sown flowers (37 types) in the high tunnel versus the field and a pumpkin trial.
• Summer field days 
• Rainy day activities: SD vegetable short course, rose variety trials

Spring insect highlights (timestamp 46:13)
Amanda Bachmann, SDSU Extension Urban Entomology Field Specialist, shared recent arthropod activity.

• Opiliones (aka daddy longlegs) are harmless garden visitors.
• It’s time to pick out insect repellants: keep an eye out for EPA registered active ingredients, and read the labels for application instructions and target critters.
• June bugs (actually a beetle) are emerging, especially in southern SD.
• Upcoming events: Little Wings on the Prairie (July 19, Oahe Downstream), InsectFest (Sept. 6, McCrory Gardens)

Questions (timestamp 53:15)
How long does it take for wool to break down in the garden?

• It takes about two years!

Food preservation and harvest calendar (timestamp 3:56)
Jessica Meuleners, SDSU Extension Nutrition Field Specialist, shared new resources including a harvest calendar, food preservation tips and tricks, and upcoming events and activities.

• The Harvest Calendar is a tool you can use to know when fruits and vegetables are in season. This will be posted on the website soon.
• SDSU Extension's Food Preservation page has guides and videos for beginner or advanced preservers. 
• Pick It, Try It, Like It, Preserve It is a collection of fact sheets on how to preserve over 40 different fruits and vegetables - recipes included!
• SDSU Extension has a food safety product evaluation that allows canning enthusiasts to make sure their favorite recipes are safe. The testing is available and free to South Dakota residents. The best part - you can have your recipe featured in our upcoming cookbook! 
• The South Dakota Crunch Off is an annual statewide event celebrating local produce. The event will take place from September 15 - October 31. Check out the event page to start planning your "Crunch Event" now.

Produce prescriptions (timestamp 18:25)
Gemma Bastian, SDSU Extension Nutrition and Health Specialist, gave an overview of produce prescriptions and the Dakota Food Rx program

• Produce prescriptions are programs that provide free or low-cost produce to patients experiencing food insecurity and managing chronic disease.
• The Dakota Food Rx program is unique because patients receive locally grown produce from CSA farmers.
• Dakota Food Rx is in the second year of its pilot and is available to eligible patients near Spearfish, Sturgis, Sioux Falls, and Tyndall. You can learn more on the Dakota Food Rx program page. 
• Healthy bean recipes cookbook

Tough plants for tough conditions (timestamp 42:04)
Kristine Lang, SDSU Extension Consumer Horticulture Specialist, covered tough plants for tough growing and environmental conditions.

• Keep an eye on your transplants and switch to deeper, more infrequent watering as they establish.
• The mulch trials are off and running (field day July 29).
• Tough conditions include fire, hail, and deer.
• Smokey days reduce light transmission and can damage plants if it persists for too long.
• Never Underestimate Mother Nature
• Remember that a hungry deer isn’t picky, but they tend to not prefer odd textured leaves. Hostas are one of their favorite things.
• Landscape plants rated by deer resistance

Plants at McCrory Gardens (timestamp 2:10)

Sydney Trio, SDSU Extension Horticulture Assistant, reviewed what plants are in bloom at McCrory Gardens.

• The weather has been cooler and rainier, so planting is a little bit behind.
  Some plants in peak or close to peak bloom are the roses, peonies, calendula, wisteria and clematis.
• Vegetable garden additions include basil varieties, cotton, peanuts, strawberries, Swiss chard, bush beans, birdhouse gourds, tomatoes, cucamelon, luffa gourd and many herbs.
• The three sisters garden has corn, beans and squash. This year, the corn is being replaced by sunflowers.
• Submit questions any time to the Garden Hotline.
• John Ball's, Professor, SDSU Extension Forestry Specialist & South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources Forest Health Specialist, Tree Pest Alert is updated weekly during the growing season. 
• Upcoming McCrory Garden events include the Garden Party on August 1, 2025, and the Garden Expo on August 2, 2025.

Soil/plant interface (timestamp 18:48)

Rhoda Burrows, former SDSU Extension Horticulture Specialist, joined us before her retirement for one last Garden Hour. Thank you, Dr. Burrows for 24 years of service to SDSU Extension!

• The rhizosphere is the area around the root and contains loads of bacteria.
• Roots can defend the plant by exuding compounds that kill pests and pathogens.
• Rotate crops or interplant crops as a variety of plants support healthy soil organisms.
• We can influence the soil with pesticides, fertilizers, tillage, plant diversity, and soil organic matter.
• Adding organic matter improves soil quality, water retention, and nutrients.

Western South Dakota native plants (timestamp 41:30)

Robin Buterbaugh, SDSU Extension Horticulture Field Specialist, discussed native plants found in western South Dakota.

• Downy painted cup: Castilleja sessiliflora, a hemiparasitic plant that needs grasses to thrive.
• SDSU Native Plant Initiative's final plant sale of the season is August 2, 2025, at McCrory Gardens.
• Spring flowers include: scarlet guara, star lily, prairie turnip, white beardtongue, Rocky Mountain iris, fringed puccoon, death camas (poisonous) vs. textile onion (edible), starry false Solomon’s seal, broadbeard beardtongue, two-lobe larkspur (toxic), prairie smoke and prairie bluebells.
• Onyx Cave plant community: observed over 10 species on a hike in the area.
• Sioux Falls area gardeners, check out Food Rescue 605 and BreadBreak.

Questions (timestamp 56:13)

Can you plant a scarlet maple in a 10-foot boulevard space?

• It might not be enough space considering the size of the mature canopy.
   

Pot in pot gardening (timestamp 2:41)

Sara Ogan, SDSU Extension Horticulture Assistant, covered how she uses pot in pot gardening in a challenging landscape.

• Her challenging landscape is a sloped retaining wall with deep rock mulch, which makes it hard for plants to thrive.
• Pot in pot is usually a nursery production technique, but can be used in home gardens.
• To install, dig in the socket hole and line it with a pot. Fill an identical pot with soil and plant(s) and place in the socket pot.

Managing phosphorus (timestamp 15:54)

Hans Klopp, SDSU Extension Soil Health Field Specialist, discussed managing phosphorus levels in gardens.

• Phosphorus is one of the eleven essential garden nutrients.
• Too much phosphorus can cause water eutrophication and alter soil microbial communities.
• Many fertilizers have the same levels of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, which can result in an excess of phosphorus over time.
• Soil testing is the best way to see your phosphorus level.

June insect update (timestamp 33:40)

Amanda Bachmann, SDSU Extension Urban Entomology Field Specialist, covered recent insect sightings for the month of June.

• Green lacewings are abundant right now! Look for the bright green adults and the alligator-shaped larvae on your plants. Eggs are laid on a long stalk, so if you see those, you’ll have more lacewings soon.
• Leafcutter bees remove semi-circles from leaf edges. This damage can be handled by the plant, and the bees are using the leaf pieces to line their nests.
• The spotted June bug (grapevine beetle) is out and about. These are some of our larger June beetles and feed primarily on wild grape.
• Monarch butterflies have been in South Dakota for about a month, and caterpillar sightings are being reported on Journey North. Milkweed is blooming as well and being visited by lots of insects.

Questions (timestamp 43:26)

How would one cut back milkweed to encourage regrowth and more monarch visits?

• Michigan State University has a ReGrow Milkweed for Monarchs project with all the details and the research findings.