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South Dakota Plants to Know: Purple prairie clover

The purple prairie clover (Dalea purpurea) is in bloom right now at the Prairie Butterfly Garden and each clump is abuzz with bumble bees, honey bees, and other pollinators. Not only is this native perennial highly attractive to pollinators, but it is also drought tolerant and deer resistant making it a hardy choice for your garden.

Green corn plant with abnormal tassel growth.

Crazy Top Disease Developing in Corn

Crazy top disease was observed in a few fields in the Southeast counties in the state. This disease develops in corn that is flooded or under full water saturation when corn has not reached the four-to-five leaf stage.

Gray tear drop shaped bugs feeding on a yellow squash.

Squash Bugs Are Active and Ready to Kill Your Plants

Squash bugs are a headache for gardeners almost every year in South Dakota. As their name implies, squash bugs feed on squash along with many other cucurbits. Injury caused by extensive feeding appears as wilting and may result in the death of infested plants.

Tan-gray Goss’s bacterial blight lesions were observed in scouted corn fields.

Goss’s Bacterial Wilt and Blight Developing

While out scouting corn fields (the week of August 11, 2020) Goss’s bacterial wilt and blight was found starting to develop in a number of fields.

: Golden colored wheat field with much taller, golden colored, volunteer rye within.

Volunteer Winter Rye Could Be a Source of Ergot in Your Wheat

A few wheat fields scouted this summer were found with volunteer rye infested with ergot. Volunteer rye, in addition to being a weed, can be a source of ergot, which is a concern for winter wheat producers.

Small white cylindrical mites on a wheat leaf.

Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus is Prevented Before Planting Winter Wheat

Wheat streak mosaic disease (WSMD) is one of the important diseases in winter wheat and can lead to severe yield losses.

yellow-orange butternut squash on the vine in the garden

Time To Harvest Those Winter Squash

One of the wonderful things about having a vegetable garden is having access to fresh produce all season long. Now that the growing season is closing down, you likely still have some vegetables left to harvest, particularly the winter squash. The great thing about squash is that they usually store well so they can provide food for several months during the fall and winter.