Indiana Yard and Garden – Purdue Consumer Horticulture A Purdue Extension Service for Home Gardeners

Category: Seasonal Information

Hot Weather Tough on Plants and Gardeners

Sultry summer weather is not only tough on gardeners but on our plants as well. In addition to garden and landscape plants gasping for water, some vegetable crops have trouble producing when under stress.   Tomatoes, peppers, melons, squash, pumpkins, cucumbers and beans often drop their blossoms without setting fruit when day temperatures are above 90 F. There’s not much you can do but wait for cooler temperatures to prevail. As more favorable conditions return,…Read more about Hot Weather Tough on Plants and Gardeners[Read More]

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Hydrangea Popular, Yet Confusing

Try to have a discussion about hydrangea among your gardening friends, and you’re likely to start a rather lively debate. What type to grow, when to prune, why doesn’t it flower and how can I change the flower color from pink to blue are among the most frequently asked hydrangea questions. There are many different species of hydrangea, not to mention cultivars of those species. So, these questions are a bit difficult to answer, unless…Read more about Hydrangea Popular, Yet Confusing[Read More]

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Not too Late to Plant Your Halloween Pumpkin

It may seem a bit late to be planting Halloween jack-o’ lanterns, but there’s still time to plant if you get growing quickly. The key will be to choose a cultivar with a relatively low number of days to maturity when planted from seed. There are early-, mid- and late-season cultivars of pumpkin, ranging from about 85-120 days to maturity. You’ll want to look for those in the “early-season” (around 90 days) category. While it…Read more about Not too Late to Plant Your Halloween Pumpkin[Read More]

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Give Asparagus and Rhubarb a Break

Asparagus and rhubarb may be the earliest garden crops to be harvested, but may also be the first crops to stop harvesting as well. Because of their perennial nature, asparagus and rhubarb must be given a chance to rebuild food reserves so that a bumper crop can be produced again next year.   A good rule of thumb is to stop harvesting asparagus about the middle of June, allowing the spears to produce large, fern-like…Read more about Give Asparagus and Rhubarb a Break[Read More]

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After the Flood: Garden and Landscape Plants

Recent torrential rains have brought about flooded conditions in many gardens and landscapes. As flood waters recede and folks get about the business of putting homes and lives back together, questions arise as to the safety of produce from flooded gardens, as well as potential damage to landscape plants.  For those who have actually had a chance to put in early cool-season crops, the issue of food safety from the garden is best handled with…Read more about After the Flood: Garden and Landscape Plants[Read More]

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Sunflowers for Summer Fun

Sunflowers have long been included in the typical Midwestern garden, but modern hybrids have greatly expanded the palette of choices for today’s garden. Whether you want short, medium or tall; yellow, burgundy, bronze or brown; seed for the birds; or just pretty look at, there’s a sunflower for you. Gardeners will find two different types of sunflowers available from garden centers and mail-order catalogs: Those that are grown for their edible seeds, and those that…Read more about Sunflowers for Summer Fun[Read More]

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Treated Lumber in the Garden

Gardening in raised beds can be just the answer for would-be gardeners who would love to grow their own vegetables and flowers but lack the space or physical ability for a traditional garden. However, recent controversy regarding chemical wood preservation treatments has left many gardeners wondering about the safety of treated lumber. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced that lumber treated with chromated copper arsenate (CCA) will be phased out for use in consumer/residential…Read more about Treated Lumber in the Garden[Read More]

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Annual Versus Perennial Flowers

Comparing annual and perennial flowers is a little like comparing apples and oranges. Each type of flower has its own characteristics and advantages. Annual flowers are those that complete their lifecycle in just one growing season. In other words, you plant a seed (or a seedling plant), it grows foliage, then flowers, seeds and then the plant dies, all in the same year. Annual flowers tend to bloom from spring until autumn frost. Although they…Read more about Annual Versus Perennial Flowers[Read More]

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Fire Up for Hot Peppers

Chilly days call for warming up with a steaming bowl of hot chili. And we can thank the peppers known botanically as Capsicum for that warm sensation. Although they are native to Central and South America, Capsicums traveled around the world before they were introduced to North American culture. Explorers brought Capsicums to Europe in the 1500s. The Spanish named it “pimiento” after the black pepper called “pimienta,” which is the unrelated Piper nigrum. As…Read more about Fire Up for Hot Peppers[Read More]

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Pruning Evergreens

Evergreens require a bit different manner of pruning than other landscape plants. Although a plant is not likely to die from improper pruning, it is important to note that most evergreens cannot replace lost growth the way that deciduous plants can. So while other landscape plants might be able to outgrow an errant pruning job, evergreens can suffer permanent disfigurement. Individual plants should be assessed for pruning needs. Evergreens that have been sheared into formal…Read more about Pruning Evergreens[Read More]

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Page last modified: March 22, 2017

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