Welcome to the Vegetable Crops Hotline (VCH), Purdue Extension’s exclusive newsletter for people in the business of growing vegetables. In this issue, we feature some of the educational events offered during the spring and summer of 2024 and launch our Spotlight articles. This week, the Weed Spotlight is cast on Henbit, and the Insect Spotlight…Read more about From the Editor’s Desk[Read More]
Common names: Henbit, henbit dead nettle, henbit nettle, blind nettle, bee nettle, and giraffe head. Latin name: Lamium amplexicaule. “Lamium” is derived from the Latin for “throat,” referencing the flower tube’s elongated shape. “amplexicaule”, also derived from the Latin, means “embracing the stem,” describing the upper leaves of henbit that encircle the stem. Family: Lamiaceae…Read more about Weed Spotlight: Henbit[Read More]
The seedcorn maggot, Delia platura, is one of the first pests that will cause damage to vegetables in the spring in our region. This fly, which resembles a house fly but is smaller (Figure 1), begins to emerge from the overwintering pupal stage in the soil in early spring. Upon emergence, the flies quickly aggregate…Read more about Insect Spotlight: Seedcorn Maggot[Read More]
If you grow fruits and vegetables for sale, you should consider attending the Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training on Tuesday, March 19. It will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Elkhart County Community Center on the Elkhart County 4-H Fairgrounds, 17746 County Road 34, Goshen, Indiana. For growers across the state,…Read more about Food Safety for Produce Growers[Read More]
Farmers market managers and vendors can join Purdue Extension for the Farmers Market Certificate Program online. The cost is $75. Learn how to navigate food safety regulations, understand legal issues of markets, improve market stability, offer food assistance programs, manage conflict, and more. This program will meet in four (4) sessions on Thursdays from 6:30-8:30…Read more about Farmers Market Program for Vendors and Managers[Read More]
Over the past year, we conducted a comparative study on microclimate conditions within caterpillar tunnels and high tunnels at five farms in Indiana. This initiative was prompted by the growing interest in employing caterpillar tunnels for season-extension vegetable production among small and diversified farms. Caterpillar tunnels, typically lower in height than permanent high tunnels, stand…Read more about Comparison of Microenvironment between Caterpillar Tunnels and Permanent High Tunnels[Read More]
Strawberry growers are at the forefront of the battle against spring frost/freeze challenges. This task undoubtedly is getting more complicated with the current weather. We will have a few cold nights next week with forecasted temperatures around the middle 20s °F in Vincennes. Strawberry growers in Southern Indiana are considering whether to implement frost/freeze protection…Read more about Plasticulture Strawberry Crop Status in Southern Indiana[Read More]
Dear Strawberry Chat listeners, I apologize for not updating the Strawberry Chat Podcast since the beginning of the year. We will be continuing the program. The next episode will be recorded on March 22nd, 12:00-1:00 pm EST. Over the winter break, I received many good questions, primarily about plasticulture strawberry production. In the upcoming episode,…Read more about Strawberry Chat Plasticulture Production Q&A and Recent Research Update[Read More]
Purdue Extension presented its second Fruit and Vegetable Field Day post-pandemic at the Throckmorton Purdue Agriculture Center’s Meigs Horticulture Research Farm, located in Lafayette, on July 20th, 2023. Extension Specialists and Graduate Students presented specialty crop research to 90 attendees. Attendees had only good things to say about the event. ‘It was an interesting program,…Read more about 2024 Purdue Fruit and Vegetable Field Day – Registration Open[Read More]
The Indiana Nutrient Management Tool is a new Excel workbook that provides fertilizer and amendment recommendations for vegetables commonly grown in Indiana. Whether for a backyard garden or a market farm, the tool allows the user to create a plan for the amount of products needed to meet the nutrient goals, which can be based…Read more about Indiana Nutrient Management Tool[Read More]
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