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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Pollinating Tomatoes in High Tunnels
In field-grown tomatoes the air movement is sufficient to vibrate flowers and achieve pollination. This is not generally true in the high tunnel because there is not sufficient natural wind to vibrate the flowers. High tunnel tomato growers should therefore pollinate their crop by other means.
Care of Peace Lilies
Peace lilies, or Spathiphyllum, are popular houseplants because they are generally easy to grow, have pretty flowers and can tolerate lower light levels. But lots of people do have problems with them. I would say that most of these problems relate to improper watering and fertilizing.
Shot Hole Disease in Apricots
Shot hole disease of apricot trees can be identified through symptoms on leaves and fruit. Small holes will appear on leaves while brown lesions with a deep purple band will show up on fruit.