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Vegetable

All Vegetable Content

Small black beetles feeding on a green leaf.

Flea Beetles in the Garden

Flea beetles have been out in full force so far this year. This group of herbivorous beetles can be a pest of many different garden plants, including tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash, lettuce and others.

Numerous grayish-brown bugs gathering on a green stem.

False Chinch Bugs Back Again

False chinch bugs are active yet again in South Dakota. Although they are normally only a nuisance pest, their populations can become magnified during cool, wet springs.

A young native american man handing a customer a canvas bag.

Native American Gardens

Learn more about Native American community garden projects throughout South Dakota and access helpful resources with information on starting up Native American community garden projects.

A pair of hands transplanting a tomato seedling in a black, plastic pot.

Growing Your Own Food

Are you thinking about growing your own fresh vegetables this year, maybe for the first time? In addition to the satisfaction of providing fresh, nutritious and delicious produce for yourself and family or friends, many find working with plants and soil to be a great antidote for the worries and frustrations of the day.

Black beetles with orange or yellow spots feeding on a ripe tomato.

Insects are Invading My Produce!

Ripe fruit that has been injured as well as ground fall fruits often attract undesirable insects into an area.

Woody looking zucchini plant.

What’s Killing My Zucchini and Squash Plants?

For many of us, this time of year is tough for our zucchini, squash and pumpkin plants. A close inspection of wilting plants may reveal a sawdust-like substance around the soil surface or on the base of the stem. When pushed, the plants typically break and reveal clear evidence of insect feeding through the stem.

green plant leaf with white, powdery growth throughout

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.

A green squash vine with a large, yellow flower blooming from it.

Saving Seed of Pumpkins, Squash, Cucumbers, Melons and Gourds

If gardeners wish to save seed from cucurbits (squash, pumpkins, gourds, cucumbers, and melons), special precautions need to be observed, as these plants are insect-pollinated.

Black and grey bugs of different sizes feeding on a yellow squash.

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.

Three common potato issues. From left: Potato scab, knobbing and cracking, and hollow heart.

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.