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Northern Corn Rootworms on sunflowers, zinnias, and dahlia flowers.

Corn Rootworm Presence in Cut Flowers

Multiple cut flower farms in Eastern South Dakota have reported corn rootworms on a variety of crops, including sunflowers, zinnias, and dahlias. Careful attention to species present, their timing, and the damage they cause can help inform integrated pest management strategies.

Gardeners browsing a tablet computer while visiting a garden center.

Home Horticulture Resources for Gardeners

Horticulture is the branch of plant agriculture dealing with garden crops. In addition to our website, there are many horticulture resources available on the web to provide research-based information to help every gardener succeed.

Aster Yellows Phytoplasma

Aster yellows is a phytoplasmal disease carried and introduced by aster leafhopper. It is known to infect over 80 different plant families, as the aster leafhopper has extremely broad feeding habits.

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.

Prairie pasque flowers blooming in early spring.

Native Plant Resources for South Dakota

As we continue to see the benefits of growing native plants in cultivated landscapes, finding the right plant for the right place requires the right resources. Learn about some available native plant sources, educational materials, and organizations serving our region.

Pollinator and Wildlife Habitat signs in a bed of plants and yellow flowers.

Funding Opportunities for Small-Scale Pollinator Habitats: A Guide for Urban and Home Garden Projects

Learn about some of the many funding opportunities available for urban pollinator habitat projects of all sizes and scopes.

Left: Holiday greenery arranged in a porch pot. Right: Homemade Christmas wreath hanging on a door.

Create Your Own Holiday Greenery This Season!

If you’re already itching to get back into the garden, holiday-themed pots and wreaths can add a fresh touch to the season and bring a little natural cheer to the holidays!

Left: Christmas trees growing at a German farm. Right: Poinsettia plant on display at a Mexican Christmas market.

Cultural History of the Christmas Tree and Poinsettia (Cuetlaxochitl)

Christmas trees and poinsettias are the two plants that symbolize the Christmas season, but why do these plants hold that place that? And where did the association with Christmas originate?

Growth and Quality of Four Zinnia Cultivars Grown in Eastern South Dakota

The purpose of this study was to assess the production and quality of four zinnia cultivars grown in eastern South Dakota to support local specialty cut flower growers in their operations.

Left: Blade of sweetgrass. Right: Patch of white sagebrush.

Sweetgrass and White Sagebrush: Native Plants with Medicinal Uses

Many native prairie plants have been used medicinally for generations by the Indigenous peoples of the Northern Great Plains. Sweetgrass and white sagebrush are hardy perennials that have a variety of uses and deep historical significance.