The Purdue cut flower team is currently conducting cut flower demonstrations at three locations in Indiana. In this article, we provide updates and observations on cool-season flowers from three sites: open-field and high-tunnel plantings in Vincennes; an open-field site in Indianapolis; and an open-field site in West Lafayette, representing southern, central, and northern Indiana. The…Read more about Spring Planted Cool-Season Cut Flower Update — Dianthus and Centaurea[Read More]
Production Management
We have seen increasing interest in harvesting strawberry runner tips and producing plug plants on-farm for the next year’s planting. This practice is allowed for cultivars that don’t have a patent or the patent has expired. Several excellent Extension publications describe this process, including Strawberry Plug Plant Production published by Utah State University, and Propagating…Read more about Considerations of Growing Strawberry Plugs by Harvesting Runner Tips[Read More]
As the strawberry harvest winds down, growers are preparing for next year’s planting. A question among plasticulture strawberry growers is whether to establish a new strawberry patch using plug plants or bare-root plants. Plug plants are actively growing transplants produced from runner tips and typically sold in 50-cell trays filled with soilless growing media. In…Read more about Considerations of Using Plugs or Bare-Root Plants to Start a Plasticulture Strawberry Patch[Read More]
The Purdue cut flower team is currently conducting cut flower demonstrations at three locations in Indiana. In this article, we provide updates and observations on cool-season flowers from the three sites, including open-field and high-tunnel plantings in Vincennes, an open-field site in Indianapolis, and an open-field site in West Lafayette, representing southern, central, and northern…Read more about Spring Planted Cool-Season Cut Flower Update – Snapdragon, Stock, Ornamental Cabbage[Read More]
We have experienced several cool days over the past two weeks. One watermelon trial at Southwest Purdue Ag Center was planted on May 4, and during the two days following transplanting, recorded air temperatures dropped below 50°F. We evaluated plant survival 9 days after transplanting. In this trial, we had grafted and non-grafted seedless watermelons…Read more about Watermelon Plant Survival[Read More]
A cold snap is forecast for this weekend, although temperature predictions vary slightly across weather sources. At the same time, some early plantings of watermelon and cantaloupe are already in the field in southern Indiana, or seedlings have already arrived and are waiting to be planted. What steps can growers take to protect these young…Read more about Coming Cold Snap: When to Plant Watermelons and Considerations Under Suboptimal Temperature Conditions[Read More]
When growers are asked about the top challenges in plasticulture strawberry production, frost/freeze damage is almost always at the top of the list. Anyone living in Indiana understands how unpredictable spring weather can be. This year, in southern Indiana, we experienced warm periods with average daily temperatures exceeding 60°F in mid-February, followed by sharp drops…Read more about Spread out Flower Timing to Reduce Spring Frost/Freeze Risks in Plasticulture Strawberry Production[Read More]
This Tri-state high tunnel school webinar series is organized by Extension educators and specialists from three states: Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana. Different topics are designed for Beginner, Intermediate, and advanced high-tunnel growers. All sessions will be hosted via Zoom every Wednesday, 12:30-1:30 pm Eastern Time from February 25 to April 1, 2026. The webinars are…Read more about Tri-State High Tunnel School Webinar Series[Read More]
Vegetable Chat is a webinar series focusing on vegetable crop production. The series is designed primarily for commercial vegetable growers, though producers of all scales may find the information valuable. Each session will feature an expert presentation and Q&A discussion. Session #3 will focus on POTATO. We will hear from Chris Long, potato Extension specialist…Read more about Vegetable Chat: Potato Production in the Great Lakes Region[Read More]
The 2026 Northwest Indiana Vegetable Farmer Workshop will be held on February 2, 2026, 1:00 – 4:00 PM Central Time at the Porter County Public Library, 103 Jefferson Street, Valparaiso, IN. Save the date and register now! Register: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9vILKOLOj3T7nDw. PARP and CCH credits expected. Payments for PARP credits should be made in advance by mailing a…Read more about 2026 Northwest Indiana Vegetable Farmer Workshop[Read More]