Purdue Extension is hosting a series of cut flower production events and field tours this summer. Join the Purdue Extension Cut Flower Team to learn about cut flower production, view demonstration plantings, and connect with fellow growers and flower enthusiasts. Date/Time: July 15, 2026, 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm EDT Location: Southwest Purdue Agricultural…Read more about Cut Flower Production Field Tours[Read More]
Wenjing Guan
Vegetable Crops Hotline Editor & Clinical Engagement Associate Professor
Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
Area(s) of Interest: Commercial Vegetable and Melon Production
Wenjing Guan's website
Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
Area(s) of Interest: Commercial Vegetable and Melon Production
Wenjing Guan's website
In this article, we discuss another plant nutrient imbalance symptom commonly observed in melon production in southern Indiana: manganese toxicity. Manganese is an essential plant nutrient, but excessive amounts can cause toxic effects. In melons, manganese toxicity usually appears as chlorotic spots made up of many tiny pinhole-like lesions that gradually merge together (Figure 1)….Read more about Melon Nutrient Imbalance — Manganese Toxicity[Read More]
In the next two articles, we discuss two melon nutrient imbalance symptoms commonly observed in southern Indiana: potassium deficiency and manganese toxicity. We will describe the symptoms, field observations, potential factors contributing to their occurrences, and potential remedy approaches. Potassium Deficiency A typical symptom of potassium deficiency in melons is yellowing along the margins of…Read more about Melon Nutrient Imbalances — Potassium Deficiency[Read More]
Herbicide drift presents a significant challenge for specialty crop growers. Synthetic auxin-type herbicides, such as dicamba and 2,4-D, pose particular concern for tomatoes. Injury symptoms are typically easy to recognize and include distorted leaves, twisted stems, and malformed fruit. Severity of the damage depends on the herbicide dose and the plant’s growth stage at the…Read more about A Case Study of 2,4-D Drift on Tomatoes[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 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]
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]
Strawberry harvest has begun in southern Indiana, with growers reporting that the season started at least a week earlier than usual. We experienced a frost event in mid-March, along with a few light, scattered frosts afterward. Fortunately, with the use of row covers, crop damage has been minimal across the region. Overall, the spring was…Read more about Plasticulture Strawberry Update in Southern Indiana[Read More]