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A growing season to remember…or forget
Don Kinzler says heat, drought and weeds hurt yields, while mulch, deep watering and spring pest control can help gardeners adapt.
- Don Kinzler, a horticulturist with North Dakota State University Extension for Cass County, says the hot, dry 2026 growing season challenged gardeners across the region. The difficult conditions tested yards and gardens throughout the year.
- Heat-Loving vegetables slowed ripening when temperatures reached about 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Summer heat also produced an abundance of male, non-fruiting Flowers on garden vine crops, limiting fruit production despite Mulch applications.
- Lawns went dormant during the hot, dry summer, allowing weeds to proliferate unchecked. Purslane thrived in sunbaked Soil while heat-stressed turf struggled, though even this weed eventually shriveled and died in some gardens.
- Gardeners should water deeply once a week, even during a drought, to conserve Soil moisture and moderate temperature. Keeping Soil continually wet can kill Newly planted trees, so avoiding overreaction to dry conditions remains critical.
- Mark calendars to apply crabgrass preventer next spring when Soil temperature approaches 50 degrees Fahrenheit. This difficult season provides mental ammunition for Gardeners to refine strategies and make future growing seasons more resilient.
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Total News Sources20
Leaning Left0Leaning Right9Center9Last UpdatedBias Distribution50% Center, 50% Right
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources are Center, 50% of the sources lean Right
50% Right
C 50%
R 50%
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