Injury to cool-season turfgrasses may be severe during mid-summer to early fall when plants are stressed from high temperatures and insufficient moisture.  For example, high levels of stress at this time of year often increase susceptibility to injury from certain insect pests, such as white grubs. 

Due to the dry conditions during the fall and winter of 2011-2012, some evergreen trees in South Dakota have suffered winter desiccation damage. South Dakota State University Extension Forester John Ball offers an explanation about what happened, and some season-long suggestions on how to reduce the risk of similar damage next winter.

Caring for spring bulbs, such as tulips and daffodils, does not end when the blooms fade. It is important to maintain healthy green foliage as long as possible in order to build healthy bulbs to fuel next year’s colorful blooms.

The USDA has released a new version of its Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) for 2012.  A hardiness zone map provides information that can be used to determine which plants can withstand cold temperatures in a specific geographic area.  The web-based map was developed for gardeners and researchers by USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and Oregon State University’s PRISM Climate Group.

As more of the country focuses on fresh vegetables, with even First Lady Michelle Obama promoting an expanded White House kitchen vegetable garden, many gardeners are more interested in growing healthy veggies in their own back yards. Though it may still be a bit early to plant some vegetables outside due to the danger of frost, it’s a good time to finalize this year’s vegetable garden plans.

In spite of the unseasonably warm temperatures that have marked the early spring throughout South Dakota, gardeners should exercise caution while jumping into spring lawn and garden chores, according to David Graper, Professor of Horticulture and Director of McCrory Gardens, South Dakota State University.  And keep those sheets and blankets handy for covering frost-sensitive plants.

Spring is here and it is a good time to test your soil. Sampling can be done any time, but you should test your soil as early as possible prior to transplanting to give yourself ample time to amend the soil for pH, Phosphorus and Potassium if needed.

Spring is early this year and so are some of the plants peeking out of the ground. The unusually warm weather has spring flowering bulbs such as squill, daffodils, crocus and tulips coming up and blooming several weeks ahead of their usual bloom time.