Welcome to the Vegetable Crops Hotline (VCH), Purdue Extension’s exclusive newsletter for people in the business of growing vegetables. This issue features articles on integrated insect management strategies, spotlight articles on cucumber beetles and dandelions, and research results from a sweet potato weed management study and a consumer study about salad mixes. We also take…Read more about From the Editor’s Desk[Read More]
Vegetable Crops - General
It’s gonna be… I mean… it’s already May! How can this be? Early spring flowers have already cycled through, I’m on record pace for mowing my yard, and field activity has been delayed due to a wet April. April began a bit cool, with several mornings of frost advisories and freeze warnings, which was not…Read more about April Ends Warm and Wet[Read More]
The Clearspring Produce Auction is located just 2 miles south of US 20 in Clearspring Township in the Heart of the LaGrange-Elkhart Amish Settlement. It is within easy driving distance of the towns of Shipshewana, Topeka, Emma, and LaGrange. Produce is sold 3 days a week throughout most of the growing season (Tuesday, Thursday, Friday),…Read more about Clearspring Produce Auction Price Update[Read More]
Common names: Dandelion, lions-tooth, blow-ball, cankerwort, Irish daisy, pee-a-bed, wet-a-bed Latin name: Taraxacum officinale Family: Asteraceae (Aster family, sunflower family) Life Cycle Dandelion is a perennial weed that reproduces by seed. Seeds germinate in spring and summer, and seedlings form a rosette (Figure 1). Dandelions begin flowering in their second year of growth, with concentrated…Read more about Weed Spotlight: Dandelion[Read More]
Americans are eating more greens, and salad mixes (i.e., spring mix, salad kits, packaged salad) are among the top drivers of this increased consumption. Salad mixes include different varieties of lettuce, spinach, cabbage, arugula, and other leafy greens. Salad mixes have gained popularity as a modern alternative to traditional vegetables, primarily due to their nutritional…Read more about The US Market for Salad Mixes[Read More]
Striped (Acalymma vitattum; StCB) and, to a lesser extent, spotted (Diabrotica undecimpunctata; SpCB) cucumber beetles are damaging pests on crops in the family Cucurbitaceae (e.g., cucumber, squash, pumpkin, watermelon). These pests not only inflict severe damage to various plant parts, including roots, leaves (Figure 1), flowers (Figure 2), and fruits (Figure 3), but transmit the…Read more about Insect Spotlight: Cucumber Beetles[Read More]
What is integrated management? Regardless of the size of a farm, crops grown, or growing practices, integrated pest management (IPM) is a framework that can be used by all growers. The idea of IPM is that you are taking measures at all stages of production and utilizing a variety of tools to minimize the damage…Read more about Integrated Insect Management Strategies for Vegetable Farms[Read More]
There is some very exciting news this week for Indiana with respect to the U.S. Drought Monitor. For the first time since April 25, 2023, the entire state is void of any Abnormally Dry (D0) or Drought (D1-D4) conditions. I would include the map, but … drumroll, please … there’s nothing to show! This is…Read more about Indiana is Entirely Free of Drought[Read More]
Welcome to the Vegetable Crops Hotline (VCH), Purdue Extension’s exclusive newsletter for people in the business of growing vegetables. This issue is packed with information. We are featuring several articles on weeds, including weed management in vegetable systems, how insects benefit from winter weeds, and a weed spotlight article on Common Chickweed. The insect spotlight…Read more about From The Editor’s Desk[Read More]
Grafted plant use is increasing rapidly but is still far below its estimated potential Grafting makes one plant out of two, the root system coming from the rootstock and the above-ground fruiting portion from the scion. Grafted planting stock is the norm in many areas of the world, and although it is less common in…Read more about Four Fast Facts about Vegetable Grafting in the U.S.[Read More]