Recent dry weather raises concern about effectiveness of preemergent herbicides. Preemergent herbicides applied on the soil surface need to be moved into the soil where the target weed seeds are germinating (normally 1-2 inches deep) in order to be effective. The process normally requires 0.5 to 0.75 inch of water within a few days of herbicide application….Read more about Effectiveness of Preemergent Herbicides[Read More]
Vegetable Crops - General
Developing and mixing your nutrient solution is one of several very important steps in the production process. Mistakes are easily made when fertilizers are mixed. Not only does this have a cost implication, but also it can have severe consequences on production and therefore revenue. In the previous article Taking Care of Plant Nutrition in…Read more about Taking Care of Plant Nutrition in Your High Tunnel – Fertilizer and Nutrient Solution Mixing Tips[Read More]
Tomatoes growing in high tunnels are in the middle of or close to harvest. Developing and maturing fruit are under leaf canopies. On the top of the plants, many flowers are still blooming. These flowers will contribute to the second big harvest. Although tomatoes in June are most valuable, we certainly appreciate big, red and…Read more about Add Shade to High Tunnels[Read More]
Managing domestic animals in a direct market venue can be very challenging. While best practice is to exclude domestic animals from production and packing areas, produce may be exposed to domestic animals at the point of sale if selling at a produce auction or farmers market. When selling through a direct market venue, growers should…Read more about Service and Companion Animals at Direct-Market Venues[Read More]
Every grower will have to do some basic calculations when mixing a nutrient solution. Understanding some of the calculations will help you to apply the correct concentration of a nutrient or determine the concentrations of a combination of nutrients applied. In the previous article Taking Care of Plant Nutrition in Your High Tunnel-Water Hardness and…Read more about Taking Care of Plant Nutrition in Your High Tunnel – Water Soluble Fertilizer Calculations[Read More]
It is essential, especially in hydroponics to start with a laboratory analysis of your source water. It is also important to do follow-up analysis throughout the year. Water quality can change especially where the water source is a well or a pond. In the article Taking Care of Plant Nutrition in Your High Tunnel-Water Alkalinity (Issue…Read more about Taking Care of Plant Nutrition in Your High Tunnel – Water Hardness and the Removal of Unwanted Ions[Read More]
Samples in plug trays, as well as unrooted and rooted cuttings, and plants in pots require extra care when they are packaged for submittal to a diagnostic lab. Before you mail the next sample, please take a few minutes to review these suggestions for packaging and submitting samples. This will help preserve the integrity of…Read more about Tips for Submitting Greenhouse Samples to the Purdue Plant and Pest Diagnostic Lab (PPDL)[Read More]
In the past I have had many conversations with growers about plant nutrition in their high tunnels. A good plant nutrient management plan is an integral part of making a success of the crop you are growing. Plant nutrition is important to grow a strong and healthy seedling, the first step of a successful crop….Read more about Taking Care of Plant Nutrition in Your High Tunnel – Water Alkalinity[Read More]
Recent rain and cold conditions have brought detrimental effects to some of the early planted vegetables. In southwest Indiana, air temperatures have dropped into the 40s °F and soil temperatures have dropped into the 50s °F in early May. The low temperatures would have greatly inhibited absorption of water and mineral nutrients for many warm season vegetables. In one…Read more about Effects of the Recent Rain and Cold Conditions on Vegetable Production[Read More]
Recent heavy rains across much of the state have resulted in widespread ponding and flooding in fields. This creates multiple considerations for those growing produce for fresh consumption. Flooding and pooling create food safety challenges because of their potential to introduce contaminants (i.e. risk) into the production system. However, with proper management, many of these…Read more about Food Safety Considerations for Flooded Fields[Read More]