Dear Valued Vegetable Crops Hotline Readers, Welcome to this issue of the 2026 Vegetable Crops Hotline newsletter! Our mission remains steadfast: to deliver crucial updates on pest management, production practices, food safety, and marketing opportunities that directly impact your farming operations. Growers and Purdue Extension Educators, your input and expertise make this newsletter a truly…Read more about From The Editor’s Desk[Read More]
Purdue Extension is hosting two field days this July that together cover a wide range of fruit and vegetable production topics – one tailored to small-scale and urban growers, and one designed for commercial producers looking to engage directly with the latest research from Purdue. Purdue Fruit and Vegetable Field Day – July 16, 2026…Read more about Mark Your Calendar: Two Purdue Field Days This Summer for Fruit and Vegetable Growers[Read More]
Author’s note: This article is adapted from a previous article published in Vegetable Crops Hotline, Issue 598, by Dr. Dan Egel Many growers have already finished transplanting watermelons and cantaloupes, while others completed planting a few weeks ago and may be preparing to begin fungicide applications. In many areas of Indiana, rainfall has been relatively…Read more about Optimizing Spray Applications Using MELCAST[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]
Temperatures across Indiana averaged 2°F below normal during the past 30 days (April 28–May 27) (Figure 1). Warmer-than-normal conditions earlier in April accelerated the start of the growing season, though cooler weather lately slowed Modified Growing Degree Day (MGDD) accumulation. Since April 1, MGDD totals have ranged from about 150 units in northern Indiana to…Read more about Dryness Returns to Northern Indiana as Southern Conditions Improve[Read More]
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