Yard and Garden News
The following yard and garden news items are from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.
- Gardeners are encouraged to compost leaves this fall to improve soil health. With plenty of leaves, grass clippings and garden debris available, residents can create compost piles that benefit the environment, recycle yard waste and nourish their gardens, according to Aaron Steil, consumer horticulture specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.
- Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, in collaboration with Iowa Total Care, a provider of Medicaid healthcare coverage in Iowa and a Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC) company, is launching a statewide initiative to support community gardens that donate fresh produce. The Iowa Donation Garden Network is designed to connect and empower garden organizers through expert-led education, shared resources and collaborative programming.
- The Iowa State University Commercial Horticulture program will hold the 2025 High Tunnel Short Course at the Iowa Arboretum in Madrid, Iowa, on Nov. 12 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 pm. Commercial growers, as well as those interested in high tunnel production for fruit and vegetable crops, are invited to learn, connect and explore the arboretum.
- The Iowa State University Plant and Insect Diagnostic Clinic has earned national accreditation from the National Plant Diagnostic Network, recognizing the clinic’s commitment to high-quality, reliable diagnostic services. Clinic diagnosticians invite Iowans to submit samples for diagnosis.
- Iowa Learning Farms, a conservation education and outreach program from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, has published the Protecting our Pollinators infographic series. Each document in the series provides accessible and fact-based information about pollinators as well as tangible actions that Iowans can take to support these important contributors to the local and global food web.
- For trees, fall is a critical time for care and preparation. According to horticulture specialists with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, this season offers an opportunity to help trees establish and prepare for the challenges of winter.
- After devastating floods destroyed Lyon County’s donation garden in 2024, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Master Gardeners and community volunteers rallied to restore it, reviving its mission to provide fresh produce for local food pantries. Now thriving again, the garden stands as a symbol of resilience and community spirit, even as statewide funding challenges threaten similar projects.
- Iowa State University Extension and Outreach experts advise that neglecting the garden now can promote more disease problems next spring.
- Iowa State University Extension and Outreach’s Urban Agriculture program invites farmers and community members to attend an Urban Agriculture Public Forum focused on municipal regulations on Friday, Sept. 26, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Waterloo Boat House.
- The 2026 Garden Calendar, “A Bounty of Bulbs,” is now available for purchase through the Iowa State University Extension Store. This year’s edition highlights the beauty and variety of bulbs.
- The Homegrown Lifestyle series, available through Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, offers three online courses designed to help small farm owners grow their own food, raise livestock and preserve their land.
- Taste the first fruits of Iowa State University's new apple crop at an upcoming open house on Sept. 13, from noon to 2 p.m., at the ISU Horticulture Research Station.
- As we enter the last days of summer and gardens begin their transition to autumn, one common garden bulb surprises us with its beautiful and unexpected blooms: the surprise lily, according to Aaron Steil, consumer horticulture specialist at Iowa State University.
- Garden Q&A Live offers Iowans the chance to connect directly with horticulture experts and receive personalized advice on all things gardening.