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What's Bugging Your Garden? Smut on Sweet Corn
Smut is a fungal disease that can attack the leaves, stalks, tassels, silks and cobs. While many fungal diseases cause spots on the leaves or stems, smut is much more flamboyant.
Woody Weeds: Common Buckthorn
When considering weed control in tree plantings, the focus is generally placed on the control of herbaceous vegetation (grasses and forbs), particularly during the establishment phase. This focus is appropriate since control of herbaceous weeds is generally critical to establish a successful planting. As these plantings mature, providing perching sites for birds, another weed problem develops – the establishment of competing woody vegetation. These woody weeds are often left unchecked for many years because they look “natural” in a windbreak or other area of trees.
What’s Bugging Your Garden: Picnic Beetles
One of the most common garden insect questions I get asked is “what are those little black, spotted beetles that are in my sweet corn, tomatoes, raspberries and perhaps worst of all, in your beer! These little nuisances are called picnic or sap beetles. They are attracted to ripe or damaged fruit and vegetables.
Sustainable Landscape Design Using Herbaceous Plants
A thoughtful design utilizing herbaceous plants can make a site sustainable by providing habitat to animals, protecting water quality, increasing biodiversity, as well as adding social benefits like minimal maintenance and increased property value.
Colorado Potato Beetles Causing Defoliation on Potatoes
Last week we received calls about insects feeding on potato plants. The culprit was the Colorado potato beetle, which is a major pest of potatoes.
Argus Tortoise Beetle: No, It’s Not a Lady Beetle
Every summer, we receive reports of what looks like a large yellow lady beetle, except that they are defoliating certain plants. It isn’t a lady beetle, it’s the Argus tortoise beetle.
Blister Beetles Causing Problems in Gardens
Typically, we don’t see a lot of issues with blister beetle feeding in gardens. However, when they show up, blister beetles can rapidly defoliate plants.
Cabbage Loopers Are Eating My Veggies
Cabbage looper caterpillars have been spotted in South Dakota gardens. Like their name suggests, cabbage loopers primarily feed on cabbage as well as broccoli, cauliflower, kale, radish, turnip and other cruciferous crops.
What Is Feeding on My Lilac Bushes?
There have been multiple reports of mysterious defoliation occurring on lilac bushes.The defoliation is often described as notches showing up around the edges of the leaves, resembling the edge of a saw blade.
Indian Corn & Popcorn
Beautifully hued ears of dried ornamental corn appear this time of year in autumn decorations. In South Dakota, each fall the Corn Palace at Mitchell sports fresh murals from the naturally colored corn.