Scientific name: Ambrosia trifida Giant ragweed is a weed member of the sunflower family (Asteraceae) and native to the United States. It is extremely competitive and difficult to control in broadleaf crops. It emerges as early as March and continues to germinate through spring and early summer. Controlling giant ragweed during summer is not only…Read more about Giant Ragweed[Read More]
Vegetable Crops - General
Purdue Extension is participating in the Great Lakes Vegetable Producer’s Network, a live weekly roundtable discussion during the growing-season for commercial vegetable producers in the Great Lakes and Midwest region. Join us! We broadcast live via Zoom at 12:30 ET/11:30 CT every Wednesday from the first week of May to the first week of September. If…Read more about Great Lakes Vegetable Producers Network[Read More]
Spring is here and with it comes the emergence of weeds- especially problematic perennials like Canada thistle (Figure 1). Below is some information about Canada thistle and methods to manage it. Keep in mind two things: 1) many of these strategies will work for other perennial weeds, and 2) management of perennial weeds often requires…Read more about Canada thistle[Read More]
The Climate Prediction Center’s outlook for May is dominated by uncertainty regarding both temperature and precipitation (Figure 1). The computer models could not settle on a consistent pattern for either above- or below-normal temperatures for the month and precipitation outlooks are only slightly confident that there will be above-normal precipitation in southern Indiana. Shorter-term outlooks…Read more about Uncertain Climate Outlook for May[Read More]
Two types of injury on young warm-season vegetable plants are caused by low temperatures: frost/freezing injury and chilling injury. Frost/freezing injury occurs when temperatures drop below 32°F. Ice formation in plant tissue cuts cell membranes. When the tissue thaws, the damage results in fluids leaking from the cell, causing water soaked damage. Frost/freezing injury is…Read more about Protect Early Planted Warm-Season Vegetables from Low Temperatures[Read More]
Staying true to global climate trends these days, March 2020 finished warmer and wetter than the 1981-2010 climate normal period. Snowfall across the state was below normal and localized flooding was a common feature. There were 3-to-5 more days than average in March where rainfall was observed. This has led to saturated soils throughout the…Read more about Was March any Indicator of the Next Few Months?[Read More]
If it hasn’t happened already, vegetable growers will soon drop seeds into transplant trays in preparation for the 2020 season. Or, in a few weeks, vegetable growers may drop seed into the ground. In either case, it is possible that one of several fungi that survive in the soil may attack the seed or seedling…Read more about Damping-off of Vegetables[Read More]
As Indiana growers start the 2020 season, it is important to remember to clean and sanitize equipment and tools. In this article, I would like to discuss the importance of and how to sanitize. Bacteria and fungi that cause plant disease may survive on some types of equipment. Examples include: stakes, transplant trays, shovels, greenhouse…Read more about Clean and Sanitize[Read More]
In a normal year, vegetable growers may drop samples by the SW Purdue Ag Center in Vincennes Indiana for problem identification. However, this is far from a normal year. Due to concerns about the coronavirus, SWPAC is closed to walk-in visitors. We do not know how long this situation may last. We have devised an…Read more about Vegetable Samples for the SW Purdue Ag Center[Read More]