Welcome to a new year of the Vegetable Crops Hotline (VCH), Purdue Extension’s newsletter for people in the business of growing vegetables. As usual, we will have fifteen issues throughout the 2019 growing season. The first issue of the year is sent to all who subscribed to VCH via US-mail in 2018 as well as new subscribers for 2019. To…Read more about Welcome to a New Year of Vegetable Crops Hotline[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
Getting seedlings off to a good start begins with a good growing medium for transplants. Growing media for organic production must meet the guidelines set out by the National Organic Standards Board, including not containing any synthetic substances (unless they have been approved for that use) or any prohibited materials. A number of products meet…Read more about How Do Growing Media for Organic Production Compare?[Read More]
2019 Indiana Small Farm Conference Date: February 28 to March 2, 2019 Location: Hendricks County Fairgrounds in Danville, Indiana Registration ends 2/20/19. More information about the conference can be found at https://www.purdue.edu/dffs/smallfarms/ Michiana Greenhouse & High Tunnel Growers Meeting Date: March 5, 2019 9:00 am – 3:30 pm Location: Elkhart County 4-H fairgrounds. 17746 County Rd…Read more about Upcoming Events[Read More]
SWIM meeting * Parke Co. Veg. meeting * Illiana Veg Symposium * Indiana Hort Congress * Small Farm Conference Southwest Indiana Melon and Vegetable Growers’ Technical Meeting Date: November 15, 2018 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm (EST) Location: Southwest Purdue Ag Center (SWPAC), 4369 N. Purdue Road, Vincennes, IN The main focus of the Southwest Indiana Melon…Read more about Upcoming Events[Read More]
Two new versions of vegetable disease extension bulletins: Downy Mildew of Cucurbits and Fusarium Wilt of Watermelon are available. They can be downloaded at: Downy Mildew of Cucurbits: https://mdc.itap.purdue.edu/item.asp?itemID=23207 Fusarium Wilt of Watermelon: https://mdc.itap.purdue.edu/item.asp?itemID=23211
We are going to continue the study of evaluating grafted cucumbers for early season production in greenhouses and high tunnels by collaborating with farmers. You will find what we have learned through the process in the previous article. The same as last year, we are going to supply grafted and normal cucumber plants for free….Read more about Are You Interested in Participating in a Grafted Cucumber Study?[Read More]
Cucumbers are extremely sensitive to cold. Locally grown cucumbers are almost only available in the summer. While in Asia, without the use of fancy heated greenhouses, cucumbers can grow all winter. Growing grafted cucumbers with cold tolerant squash rootstock is one of the key factors making this possible. Since 2016, we started to evaluate opportunities…Read more about Growing Grafted Cucumbers for Early Season Production in Protected Cultural Systems — Lessons Learned from on-farm Trials[Read More]
This is the final issue of the Vegetable Crops Hotline (VCH) for 2018. Subscribers who receive a paper copy in the mail need to renew. A renewal form is included with this issue. We are providing up-to a three years’ subscription of VCH at a reduced price (1 year for $15, 2 years for $25, and 3…Read more about Time to Renew[Read More]
Farmer Rancher Program These grants are for farmers/ranchers to explore innovative sustainable agriculture solutions to production, marketing, labor, and other problems. There are three types of competitive grants: individual grants ($9,000 maximum), Team of Two grants for two farmers/ranchers from separate and distinct operations who are working together ($18,000 maximum), and Group grants for three…Read more about The 2019 North Central Region – Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Grant Opportunities[Read More]
With the start of pumpkin harvest, it is a good time to review important considerations for harvest and postharvest storage of pumpkins and winter squash (butternut, acorn and hubbard squash etc.). Pumpkin and winter squash should be harvested fully mature to reach their optimal quality and fulfill their potential for long shelf lives. Characters indicating…Read more about Harvest and Postharvest Storage of Pumpkins and Winter Squash[Read More]