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What’s Bugging Your Garden? Colorado Potato Beetles
Colorado potato beetles have become all too common in many home gardens and also in community gardens where potatoes are commonly grown. If left untreated, they can defoliate potato plants, drastically cutting yields of the delicious tubers that so many of us love to eat.
Understanding Thatch in Turf
Many homeowners have a misconception that thatch in turfgrass is undesirable and should be eliminated; however, when thatch is not excessive it is actually beneficial to the turf.
Late-Season Lawn Care in South Dakota
Good late-season management will enhance lawn quality for the remainder of this year and set up the lawn to come out of the spring with improved density, color and fewer weed issues next year.
White Grub Damage to Lawns
White grubs are root-infesting larvae that are the immature stages of scarab beetles. Grub-infested turfgrass may turn brown and die from drought stress due to the inability to take up water from loss of roots.
Lady Beetles of South Dakota
Lady beetles are one of the most familiar groups of beneficial insects. Farmers and gardeners appreciate them for devouring insect pests. Both adult lady beetles and caterpillar-like juveniles eat pests.
Woodpeckers Attacking Bur Oaks
Woodpeckers have been seen across the region chipping away at the bark of young bur oak. The woodpeckers can shred most of the bark from young trees, enough that the trees are killed by this injury.
Dandelion Season
The yellow flowers of spring are coming. Spring dandelion treatments are not as effective as fall, but they can be used to stop the yellow flowers from producing viable seed.
Woody Weeds: Eastern Red Cedar
While eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) is native to South Dakota, and has many positive qualities, it has become a problem species over large areas of the Great Plains.
Plant Problems in Cool, Wet Soil
Wet, cool soils are prime conditions for many plant diseases to thrive. Lear more about some of the most-common cool, wet weather problems.
Beetles in Your Garden: Friends and Foes
Two types of beetles are increasingly common on vegetable garden this time of the year. Interestingly enough, one is a predator that helps out gardeners getting rid of pestiferous insects while the other is a pest busily munching on the foliage.