UW-Madison, Division of Extension Rock County

06/08/2026

Come learn with us this week at one of these free in-person events with our horticulture educator:

🪏 From Scraps to Soil: Composting Basics
June 10, 2:00 p.m.
Find out the do’s, the don’ts, and what happens to compost over winter so you can successfully recycle your lawn, garden and food scraps.
Location: Lake Geneva Public Library, 918 W Main St, Lake Geneva
(No registration required)

🦌Gardening with Nosey Neighbors (The Furry and Antlered Kind) June 11, 1:00 p.m.
Keep the peace with your wild neighbors, and enjoy a space that grows in step with nature.
Location: Janesville Senior Center, 69 South Water Street, Janesville
Please call to register: 608-755-3050

06/04/2026

🌱 This Week in the Garden: Your Questions Answered, Week of June 1

May was one of the driest months on record. Let’s hope June brings us some much needed rain.

❓ Question:
Are we in a drought and what can I do for my plants and gardens?

🌿 Answer:
The U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) is a map released every Thursday, showing where drought is and how bad it is across the U.S. and its territories. The map uses six classifications: normal conditions, abnormally dry (D0), showing areas that may be going into or are coming out of drought, and four levels of drought: moderate (D1), severe (D2), extreme (D3) and exceptional (D4).

Here, in southern Wisconsin, we are currently experiencing moderate drought conditions.

With more extreme heat and drought happening in Wisconsin, it’s important to understand how these conditions affect your plants and what you can do to help them. Applying organic sources of mulch around your plants can help conserve soil moisture and maintain soil temperatures. Use good watering practices to make efficient use of your water and keep your plants thriving, like watering in the morning when it is cooler and water deeply at a slower rate so the water absorbs and doesn’t run off. Many lawns are going dormant right now and that’s okay. You don’t need to keep mowing.

Check out our article linked below for more information and advice about what to do to help your plants through drought conditions, plus lists of plants that are adapted to extreme heat and drought.

🔗 Learn more:
https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?WI

https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/gardening-in-extreme-heat-and-drought/

❓ Question:
How can I remove poison ivy?

🌿 Answer:
I’ve received a few calls this past week about poison ivy, which is a perennial woody plant that can be a low shrub or a climbing vine. Even though it’s a native plant and common in Wisconsin, it can cause big problems because of the urushiol oil it produces that causes severe itching and inflammation when you come in contact with it.

Please, use extreme caution when trying to manage this plant at your site. Make sure that you correctly identified the plant, wear appropriate clothing, wash your clothes separately from the rest of the laundry, and use a management method for your specific site conditions. Smaller plants can be carefully pulled, bagged and disposed of. Depending on the area, careful and targeted use of chemical herbicides may be useful.

❗❗❗Whenever you are using any chemical pesticide, make sure you read and follow the entire label. You are legally required and responsible to use the product according to the label.

🔗 Learn more:
https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/poison-ivy/

💬 Have a question of your own?
Reach out—we may feature it in an upcoming post!
You can reach Julie, your local horticulture educator by calling 262-741-4958, Text 262-374-4191, email [email protected] or use our online form: go.wisc.edu/PlantQ

📷Drought Monitor Map, 6/4/2026

05/28/2026

🌱 This Week in the Garden: Your Questions Answered, Week of May 25

The birds are singing, the sun is shining, and we are back to the glorious spring weather Wisconsin has to offer. What’s been happening in your yard and gardens lately?

❓ Question:
Small caterpillars or worms have completely devoured all of the leaves on one of my bushes (see photo below). What can I do to stop them and should the bush be removed?

🌿 Answer:
Those are the larvae of viburnum leaf beetles (VLB for short). VLB larvae typically appear in early to mid May and can cause significant damage to viburnum shrubs. Then the larvae will move down into the soil to pupate before they emerge as adults in late June - early July. Any treatment methods are targeted towards the larvae and adults.
If your viburnum was a healthy plant, it’s possible that it could recover and isn't totally dead yet. However, if it's been suffering through multiple years of VLB infestation and/or other stressors, then it could be declining and it might be best to replace it.

What are your options?
Keep the shrub, see if it recovers, and treat VLB eggs and larvae as indicated by our fact sheet linked below. If you do keep the shrub, I wouldn't recommend digging up the soil (to try to find the pupae) around it as that can cause more stress or harm to the plant.
Replace the shrub with another viburnum but check out our fact sheet for varieties that are less susceptible to VLB damage.
Replace the shrub with something totally different.

🔗 Learn more:
https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/viburnum-leaf-beetle/

❓ Question:
What else can I do to support pollinators in my yard?

🌿 Answer:
Pollinators need three core habitat features: Food, Shelter, and Protection - especially from chemical insecticides. A healthy pollinator habitat provides a mix of flowering plant species that bloom at different times throughout the growing season. Therefore, planting native species that support insect pollinators is always a good thing to do! They also need safe places to nest, overwinter and find refuge. This can include stems and branches, leaf litter, bare ground, dead wood, brush piles, and rock piles. Did you know that most of our native bees are solitary bees (meaning they live alone) and 70% of them nest underground? And they need protection from habitat disturbances and chemical pesticides (especially insecticides) which can be directly and indirectly harmful to our insect pollinators. A new study suggests that reduced chemical use is MORE important for conservation efforts than just planting more flowers. Read more about this study in the link below.

Join Julie Hill, your local Horticulture Educator, to learn more about how you can support pollinators in your yard at “Planting for a Buzz: A Guide to Pollinator Friendly Gardening” on Wednesday, June 3rd at 1PM at Barrett Memorial Library in Williams Bay.

🔗 Learn more:
https://grow.cals.wisc.edu/priority-themes/food-systems-priority-theme/what-a-wild-bee-wants

https://www.williamsbay.lib.wi.us/site/events/

💬 Have a question of your own?
Reach out—we may feature it in an upcoming post!
You can reach Julie, your local horticulture educator by calling 262-741-4958, Text 262-374-4191, email [email protected] or use our online form: go.wisc.edu/PlantQ

📷Viburnum leaf beetle larvae

05/26/2026

For farmers working in silurian bedrock areas of Wisconsin, SnapPlus Version 3 includes specific features worth understanding. Extension's June 2 training webinar walks through those features and what they mean for nutrient management plans in those areas.

Free session, 11am–12:30pm, with one-on-one office hour time available.

Register:go.wisc.edu/841xe6

05/14/2026

🌱 This Week in the Garden: Your Questions Answered, Week of May 11

With the promise of warmer weather in our near future (and hopefully no more frost warnings), let’s get outside and dig in! Lots of information to share this week....

❓ Question:
I’m having a problem with perennial weeds in my yard. No matter how many times I pull or cut them, they keep coming back!

🌿 Answer:
Ugh! Thistle, creeping bellflower and other perennial weeds can be really challenging to get a handle on because of their underground structures that can store a large amount of energy. They can also reproduce from those perennial parts and seed. They can have extensive root systems that are hard to pull or dig all the way out. But you can get things under control with some persistence and an integrated approach of removal, thick layers of mulch, and where appropriate, careful and targeted herbicide use. See the video below for more recommendations!

NOTE: Herbicides (chemical plant killers) are not the “go to” option. They should only be used for judicious spot treatments and in ways that minimize risk to pollinators and other negative environmental impacts. You are legally required to follow the product label. Please contact us with questions.

🔗 Learn more:
https://youtu.be/pZqJDpbTDqY?si=22tuLBEY-RCMNmK6
https://renzweedscience.cals.wisc.edu/

❓ Question:
I’m noticing that my tree’s roots are growing at the surface of my lawn. What should I do?

🌿 Answer:
Some tree species are more prone to doing this, but it can happen with almost any tree. It’s important to remember that the majority of the tree roots are within the top 8” of soil. As the tree grows, roots can be more visible at the surface as they get bigger, or if there is erosion of the surface soil, or if the soil is compacted and doesn’t drain well.

Do NOT prune these roots as that can cause serious damage to your tree. Instead, you can apply a shallow, 1 – 2 inch layer of good-quality soil mix and then replant the grass. However, it won’t be long before tree roots will reappear again. Even better, replant the affected surface area with a taller ground-cover type plant and other flowering plants that will not need mowing, being careful to avoid injury to the major tree roots at planting.

🔗 Learn more:
https://www.purdue.edu/hla/sites/yardandgarden/when-tree-roots-surface/

💬 Have a question of your own?
Reach out—we may feature it in an upcoming post!
You can reach Julie, your local horticulture educator by calling 262-741-4958, Text 262-374-4191, email [email protected] or use our online form: go.wisc.edu/PlantQ

Ask a Gardening Question Sponsored by the UW-Madison Division of Extension Horticulture Program Looking for expert advice on a lawn, landscape or gardening issue? Fill out the form below and attach photos showing your garden concern. A Wisconsin Extension Master Gardener or Extension staff will resp...

05/13/2026

Upcoming Program! Registration Required.

Gardening for Hummingbirds
Monday, May 18, 6:00 p.m.
Milton Public Library-Wisconsin

Join us to unravel the secrets of attracting the “jewels of the garden.” From territorial displays to fierce competition, we will dive into the hummingbird’s world to learn how your garden or yard can meet their needs. We will explore the challenges facing hummingbirds in our region and learn how to make your yard hummingbird friendly with flowers, perches, insects, and water. We will also get hands-on by creating a hummingbird perch for your yard.

For Adults.

Registration required: https://www.als.lib.wi.us/MPL/ #/events/JNN2CPbSDj/instances/DM5PfTiHrU/

05/12/2026

A spring food safety check is a great way to keep your kitchen organized and reduce waste. Store foods properly, label leftovers, and keep similar items grouped so nothing gets lost or forgotten. Need guidance? Visit go.wisc.edu/answerline or call 1-866-540-4636.

05/05/2026

Ensure your food storage containers are in good condition. No cracks, stains, or loose lids. Safe storage helps keep food fresh. More info: go.wisc.edu/answerline or 1-866-540-4636.

05/05/2026

The SnapPlus nutrient management tool has a new look! If you are, or are working with a farmer navigating this tool, consider joining Extension's May 12 SnapPlus training webinar that covers nutrient systems and the template builder, with one-on-one office hours available afterward. Free to attend.
Register:go.wisc.edu/841xe6