It’s easy to grow fresh, nutritious and tasty vegetables in your own yard, community garden plot, or even in containers on a deck or patio. The University of Wisconsin – Madison Division of Extension offers home vegetable gardeners a tremendous number of resources to learn how to grow vegetables, as well as how to prevent and control diseases and insects. Browsing our publications and fact sheets will help you be successful in achieving a bountiful harvest.
This free publication describes the importance of bees in pollinating major food crops, how to attract and support native pollinators, and how to construct, place, and maintain nests.
Making your own compost is an easy, practical, and satisfying way to make use of yard waste and table scraps. With this publication, designed for the home gardener, you’ll be composting like a pro in no time!
If you’re unable to find the information you need, please submit your gardening question here:
Karen Delahaut, UW-Madison Fresh Market Vegetable Program Revised: 5/28/2004 Item number: XHT1031 The diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella) is a lepidopteran insect and an important pest of cole crops in Wisconsin. All cole crops, including cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and rutabaga, are susceptible to attack by this insect. Appearance: The diamondback moth is a small, […]
Author: Russell Groves, UW-Madison Entomology Last Revised: 05/01/2020 X-number: XHT1107 Tomato hornworms (Manduca quinquemaculata) and tobacco hornworms (M. sexta) are large, blue-green caterpillars (larvae) with a spine (horn) on the posterior (rear) end. These insects do not typically cause significant damage in commercial vegetable fields. However, large numbers of larvae can occasionally occur in home gardens, leading to […]
Cold frames and hot beds, hoop houses, cloches, and floating row covers allow gardeners to grow plants earlier in spring and later in fall. Get ideas that will work for you in this factsheet.
Dodders are parasitic plants that can affect a variety of plants, including vegetables, herbaceous and woody plants, and even weeds. Learn what dodders look like and what to do if you find them in this factsheet.
What is a rain barrel? A rain barrel can be any large container designed to collect rain water. Typically, rain barrels are placed at the bottom of downspouts in order to collect rain as it runs off of a roof. For every inch of rain that falls on 1,000 square feet of roof, about 600 […]
Cicada killer wasps are common in the southern part of Wisconsin. These non-aggressive wasps feed on cicadas. Learn more in this factsheet.
Four-linied plant bug attacks a wide variety of herbaceous and woody plants. Learn to identify and manage this pest in this factsheet.
Karen Delahaut, UW-Madison, Fresh Market Vegetable Program Revised: 1/5/2005 Item number: XHT1044 Leafminers are insects that feed on the tissue between the upper and lower epidermal layers of leaves. Leafminers can be serious problem on vegetables that are harvested for their foliage (e.g., spinach or chard). Leafminers can be the larval stages of flies, moths, […]
Striped and spotted cucumber beetles are common pests of vine crops that can cause damage to roots, leaves, flowers and fruits, leading to reduced yield. Learn more in this factsheet.
Tobacco rattle is a common and potentially serious viral disease that affects a variety of herbaceous ornamentals as well as vegetables. Learn about symptoms and management in this factsheet.
Corky ringspot (aka spraing) is a viral disease of potato that can cause severe loss due to a reduction in tuber quality. It can also affect other vegetables, herbaceous ornamentals, and weeds. Learn more in this factsheet.
Karen Delahaut, UW-Madison Fresh Market Vegetable Program Revised: 8/19/2010 Item number: XHT1029 The cabbage looper (Trichoplusia ni) is a lepidopteran insect and an important pest of cole crops in Wisconsin. All cole crops, including cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and rutabaga, are susceptible to attack by this insect. In addition, cabbage loopers will also attack […]
