Garden & Yard Issues
All Garden & Yard Issues Content
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.
Squash Bugs in Zucchini
Squash bugs are now becoming a headache for gardeners across South Dakota. Most of the reports so far have been on zucchini plants, but squash bugs feed on pumpkins and other types of squash as well. Injury caused by extensive feeding appears as wilting and may result in the death of infested plants.
What’s Wrong With My Potato?
We are accustomed to perfect-looking potatoes from the grocery store, but sometimes our homegrown tubers don’t meet that same standard. Following are a couple of common problems home gardeners may contend with.
Black Vine Weevils Becoming Active
Black vine weevils are now showing up across the state. It is typical for the adult beetles to emerge in early summer and begin feeding on plant foliage. They primarily feed on lilacs and yews, both common landscape shrubs. Although the adults cause minimal damage, their larvae feed on the roots and can occasionally be a threat to ornamental plants, especially those grown in pots or containers.
Watch Out For Carpenter Ants
With the continued moisture and warmer temperatures, carpenter ants have become a more common appearance in South Dakota. Similar to termites, this insect can be a structural pest, causing damage to homes and other buildings. It is important to identify and treat carpenter ants early to prevent any potential damage.
False Chinch Bugs in the Garden
Swarms of false chinch bugs have started appearing in South Dakota this month. Although they are typically only a nuisance pest, their populations can become magnified during cool, wet springs (like this year). In high abundances, false chinch bugs can pose a threat to garden plants, especially Brassica plants such as broccoli, cauliflower, turnips, and cabbage.
What to Do With Unusable Home and Garden Pesticides
As a gardener or homeowner, you may be wondering what you can do with your leftover pesticide products (including herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides), or maybe you bought a new home and the garage or basement is full of mysterious containers with no labels. If products are stored in garages or other areas with a lot of temperature changes, these products may become entirely unusable. So what to do?
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.
What are those black bugs jumping on the snow?
One of the first critters you may notice in early spring or even late winter are snow fleas. These tiny arthropods can be an odd sight when they appear by the hundreds on top of snow drifts that are melting on warm, sunny days.
Are those woolly bear caterpillars I see crawling?
Anyone that spent the weekend outdoors may have observed flies, wasps, bees, and others flying around for the first time this year. One of these insects is a familiar one, the woolly bear caterpillar.