Horticulture Research

All Horticulture Research Content

Extension expert and graduate students evaluating delphiniums on an outdoor table.

Transplant Timing and Protected Cultivation Strategies Enhance Delphinium Cut Flower Production

Delphinium (Delphinium spp.) is a cool-season perennial cut flower that holds strong market potential, but production on small farms for regional markets remains limited by yield and short harvest durations.

variety of flowers growing in a yard

Flowers & Ornamental Grasses

Everyone can enjoy the natural beauty of flowers and ornamental plants with some simple recommendations.

a person holding a ruler into a pile of wool.

Investigating the Use of Raw and Pelleted Wool as an Alternative Mulch for Vegetable Production

This publication reviews a recent research study investigating the effects of wool as an alternative mulching option for pepper production.

Tulips blooming near the entrance to McCrory Gardens.

McCrory Gardens Trial Report

Learn about annual and perennial flowers that are well-suited for South Dakota gardens based on eastern South Dakota research trials.

Horticulture research plot with rows of tarp-covered crops and living mulch between them.

Research Report: Warm-Season Living Mulch Impacts on Cucumber Yield and Disease Symptoms

A 2025 trial in Brookings, South Dakota aimed to detect the influences of various warm-season cover crop living mulches on pest pressure in tomatoes and cucumbers and the interactions between both grafted and nongrafted tomatoes and cucumbers and the living mulch.

A metal high tunnel enclosed in plastic is in a field

High Tunnels

A focus on high tunnel education benefits the growing population of specialty crop producers across South Dakota through updated education and expansion of high tunnel research. Extension programming continues to include extensive training on high tunnel assembly, management, and cropping innovations.

Rows of sweet corn growing among clover mulch in a research plot.

Organic Sweet Corn Production in Clover Living Mulch Systems: 2-Year Research Summary

Research in 2024 and 2025 in a USDA certified organic field at the SDSU Southeast Research Farm explored growing sweet corn in three types of clover grown as a living mulch.

rows of leafy vegetables growing in a raised bed

Vegetables

Whether you are a beginner or have a green thumb, our tips will help your garden flourish.

Organic cabbage and sweet corn plants at the SDSU Southeast Research Farm.

Producing Organic Cabbage and Sweet Corn with Cover Crop Integration and Reduced Tillage: Updates from the SDSU Southeast Research Farm

Research on clover cover crops grown in combination with four tillage and weed suppression methods was conducted at the SDSU Southeast Farm. Vegetable crops trialed included sweet corn and three varieties of cabbage.

black, clear and white tarps covering the middle and compost mounded around the edges with wooden pallets on top

South Dakota Vegetable Grower Experiences with Soil Tarping and Solarization during the 2024 Field Season

Research report on South Dakota vegetable grower experiences with soil tarping and solarization during the 2024 season