Found 1700 Articles

When we surveyed Indiana high tunnel producers eight years ago, about two-thirds of the operations grew cool season crops for harvest from November to March. Although spring field planting season is just underway, it is not too early to plan for markets and organize a production schedule for fall. This article summarizes common crops and…Read more about Planning for Fall and Winter Production in High Tunnels[Read More]


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 planning for fall and winter production in high tunnels, spotlight articles on flea beetles and Palmer amaranth, a new Spartan® label, and suggestions for vegetable disease management. We also examine the…Read more about From the Editor’s Desk[Read More]


It was timely that in last week’s issue, we chose to spotlight cucumber beetles because they are on the move and hungry. Friday afternoon, I received an email from a grower reporting that his squash transplants were getting hammered (Figure 1). This weekend, I decided to take a look in my own garden, where I…Read more about Cucumber Beetles Are Out In Full Force[Read More]


A new episode of the Strawberry Chat podcast is available. In this episode, we talked with Dr. Marvin Pritts from Cornell University. We discussed the new edition of the Strawberry Production Guide for the Northeast, Midwest, and Eastern Canada. Dr. Marvin introduced us to the plasticulture day-neutral strawberry product system he has been researching recently….Read more about Discussion with Dr. Marvin Pritts about Strawberry Production in the Northeast[Read More]


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]


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]


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