Blog

Designing a Pollinator Garden

I’m no presidential historian. Ask me to list them in order and I’ll stumble beyond the Bushes and likely forget half the names to occupy the office during the country’s first 150 years. So, it should be no surprise that I was slow to appreciate that Lincoln, who I knew served during the most divisive chapter in American history, was our Nation’s greatest architect of cohesion...

Cool-season grasses common in Iowa lawns, including Kentucky bluegrass, ryegrass and fescue, naturally turn brown and in summer enter dormancy when rainfall or irrigation is scarce. Although the foliage dies back, crowns and roots remain alive. Most healthy lawns can survive dormancy for four to six weeks without water and recover when moisture returns...

Alternatives to No Mow May

No Mow May has become a popular option for those seeking to support pollinators in their yards, but how effective is this practice? ISU’s Yard & Garden examined the pros and cons of No Mow May and found that there are many potential drawbacks to this practice...

I spent an afternoon earlier this May visiting a conservation wetland while planning a tour for an edge-of-field practice workshop.  It was my first visit to a wetland this year and what immediately caught my attention wasn’t one specific feature, but the sense of joy I felt being there...

Springtime in Iowa is a great season to plant a tree or three, but success depends upon following sound installation practices.  Tips and advice found in this article will help novice and experienced gardeners, and their trees, get off to a great start...

The Clay County Trailblazers 1689 took first place in the senior team division at the State Wildlife Habitat Education Program competition, held April 11 at the Iowa Lakeside Laboratory in Milford. Team members include Andrew Baker, Abigail Roush, David Roush and Hannah Roush...

There are several options for creating a lawn using turf-like alternatives to the traditional grasses grown in lawns. In Iowa, the most commonly grown turfgrasses are Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, tall fescue, and fine fescues.  These cool-season grasses require many inputs to keep them healthy and attractive.  Additionally, they typically go dormant for part of the summer, leaving the lawn brown in July and August unless regularly irrigated.  Several plants that look much like the turfgrasses we are familiar with but require fewer inputs are available.  Most of these turfgrass alternatives can be minimally mowed or, in some cases, not mowed at all...

The recent announcement of monarch overwintering numbers for the 2025-26 season shows a population increase for the second year in a row. This year, monarchs occupied 7.24 acres (2.93 hectares) at their overwintering sites in Mexico. These numbers, released by the World Wildlife Fund and Mexico’s National Commission of Protected Natural Areas, reflect a 64% increase from last year’s 4.42 acres (1.79 hectares).

The Forest-to-Farm effort is an interdisciplinary research-extension effort aimed at increasing denitrifying woodchip bioreactor adoption while simultaneously addressing a range of issues facing Iowa’s woodlands and forest products industry. Started in 2019 as a First Year Honors Mentor Program project (budget of $250), the effort has since expanded to ~$1.5 million through combined funding from the US Forest Service, USDA NIFA, NRCS, and the Iowa Nutrient Research Center – each award focusing on individual, yet interrelated, components of the bioreactor system and woodchip supply chain...

Conservation begins at home, and our gardens and landscapes offer some of the most immediate opportunities for the average gardener to support the environment. By working with local conditions, we create landscapes that thrive with fewer inputs and contribute (even if in a small way) to healthier ecosystems. These small actions add up, especially in the urban and suburban areas where many Iowans garden...

Private Well Stewardship Program Helps Iowans Safeguard Drinking Water - 2026

Owners of private wells can connect with local experts and access funding to test their wells by attending one of several workshops being held across the state in March and April. The Private Well Stewardship Program, offered by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, educates well owners about the responsibilities and risks of being a private well owner and connects them with additional resources to manage their wells.

Enhancing Windbreaks for Pollinators: The Webster Family Farm

Morel Season is Right Around the Corner! Are You Ready?

Preparations for morel hunting in Iowa include obtaining certification for wild-harvested mushrooms for those intending to sell their bounty. Some useful tips about finding morels for novice mushroom hunters, too. 

Iowans with an eye for fungi are invited to participate in upcoming Mushroom Cultivation Workshops in central and eastern Iowa this spring. Hosted by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, the workshops are open to anyone interested in learning how to grow mushrooms at home.

Pollinator declines are a global concern, and agriculture sits at the center of the challenge. As farms grow more efficient and landscapes become increasingly simplified, bees, butterflies, and other pollinators are losing the diverse habitats they depend on. One widely promoted solution is planting native vegetation, but an important question remains: Can pollinator habitat embedded within conventional farming systems truly help if pesticides remain in the surrounding landscape?

Iowa landowners may apply to participate in the 2026 Landowner Program: Balancing Profitability, Stewardship and Legacy, offered by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. The application window is open until April 10, and program events will take place in June and July...

A Sweet Science: The Basics of Making Maple Syrup

Are you a landowner who wants your tenant to implement more conservation practices, such as cover crops? Key communication strategies can ease the process. “Adopting a conservation practice is a behavior change, and change takes time,” said Catherine DeLong, a water quality program manager with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach...

Landowners interested in restoring oxbows on their property can consult guidance from a new publication from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. “Oxbow Restoration: A Guide for Landowners” is available for download at no cost from the ISU Extension Store and provides practical guidance on the benefits of oxbow restoration, the restoration process and timeline, costs and funding opportunities, as well as additional resources available to help landowners get started...