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fruiting mulberry tree branch

Mulberry Trees

Every year about this time I received a few samples of mulberry trees. This is a very common tree in South Dakota, not so much from being planted by people but from birds.

bunches of fresh garden greens ready to eat

Container Gardens and CSAs

Just about all of us have room to grow a few vegetables, as long as you have some space where they can get good sun exposure for at least six hours a day. You don’t even have to have a garden!

Pink and light-yellow lilies blooming in a garden.

Growing Lilies in the Home Garden

Lilies have long been a perennial staple of many gardens. They are prized for their large, showy, and often-fragrant flowers.

plastic container with lid removed. several earwigs are floating in the oil inside.

Earwigs in the Garden: Less-Toxic Control Alternative

Since earwigs provide some ecological service as natural enemies, I hesitate to recommend a pesticide application to control it. As an alternative least-toxic solution, bait trapping the earwigs should work to reduce the insect’s population to the non-threatening levels.

two cucumbers. the one on the top is larger and has begun yellowing. the bottom is smaller and is a crisp green color.

Harvesting Cucumbers

Cucumbers fresh from the garden are a summer treat! Harvesting them frequently not only helps keep the plant producing new fruit, but it also helps ensure that you are picking them at their optimal flavor and tenderness.

Green soybean plant with epidermis peeled back revealing numerous orange larvae

Soybean Gall Midge: What We Know So Far

In 2018, South Dakota soybean farmers were faced with a new soybean insect pest. What started with dying field borders ultimately ended with yield losses throughout many fields on the Eastern side of the state. We determined that the pest in question was the soybean gall midge.

group of young women meditating during a yoga session

Stress Management With Mindfulness

Finding ways to decrease your stress level in a healthy way is important for managing stress in the long-term. This can be done with mindfulness and a variety of tools.

a thicket of tall, green to brown grass planted in a garden

Native Plants: Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) is a native, warm season prairie grass that has slowly found its way into the popular ornamental grass market.

shrub with bright yellow leaves

Nugget Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Nugget’)

‘Nugget’ is a South Dakota State University release of this popular shrub. This particular cultivar has lovely golden yellow foliage in the spring which fades to a darker green later in the season.

plant with thick, green leaves and clusters of pink, cup-shaped flowers.

Pig Squeak: Bergenia cordifolia ‘Winterglut’ (Winterglow)

Bergenia is a great plant for many different types of sites in the garden performing well in shady locations to full sun, if extra moisture is provided. It looks great as a single specimen plant or planted in groups of five or more.