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Green beans growing a garden.

Green Beans: How to Grow It

Snap beans, also called “green beans” or “string beans” (although most modern varieties do not have strings) are harvested when the pods contain immature seeds, and the pods are still succulent.

Two dandelions side by side. The left has a bee foraging on it. The right has a hover fly foraging on it..

Why Those Dandelions in Your Yard Aren’t So Bad

While research has shown that pollinators, specifically honey bees, can’t survive on dandelion pollen alone, this doesn’t mean that the dandelions aren’t still important for pollinators.

A white and gray, mold-like growth on an ear of sweet corn.

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.

a close up of buckthorn berries

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.

small black sap beetles on sweet corn

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.

A lush, landscaped garden with a walkway and a variety of herbaceous plants.

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.

Left: Red larvae with black spots and black head on green leaf. Right: Orange beetles with white elytra with many black lines on each side.

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.

Left: Yellow beetle with black spots present on a green leaf. Right: Red beetle with black spots.

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.

Orange beetle with black stripes and a red head on a green leaf.

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.

ALT TEXT: Left: Brown moth with light markings on the wings. Right: Green caterpillar with a white line on the side of its body on a green leaf.

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.