The National Garden Bureau has declared 2015 to be the Year of the Sweet Pepper! Sweet bell peppers are cultivars of Capsicum annuum. Sweet peppers are called sweet because they lack the gene that produces capsaicin—the chemical that gives hot peppers their heat. Pepper plants are easy to grow, and are quite compact making them a good fit for limited-space gardens and containers. Peppers are warm-season crops and should be planted out in the garden […]

It’s not often that a new vegetable comes along, so I’m really looking forward to trying the new Kalettes this year. Developed in Great Britain, where they are called Flower Sprouts, this new vegetable is a hybrid cross between Brussel sprouts and kale. The result is beautiful. They resemble miniature, ornamental kale rosettes with purple highlights on dark green, leafy buds growing in the leaf axils along the stem – just like Brussel sprouts. Kalettes […]

While some spring flowering trees and shrubs performed admirably this season, some species had few or no blooms at all. In addition, some plants were so late to leaf out they had many of us concerned that they had died overwinter. Some shrubs such as forsythia flowered only on the lower branches, where snow cover provided good insulation. While it is still possible that these plants may continue to show effects of the harsh winter, […]

  Growing your own garden transplants from seed may take some extra work, but it does have its advantages. You’ll have a much wider choice of species and cultivars since most garden centers have limited space and tend to carry primarily the plants that sell quickly. Rather than having to buy a dozen of one type of tomato when you only need one or two, you can grow just the amount of each plant you […]

Much of northern and central Indiana – and even patchy, low-lying areas of southern Indiana – experienced frost early this week, causing concern among backyard gardeners. On Monday morning (May 13), the recorded low air temperatures at Purdue Agricultural Centers were 33 degrees F at the northwest Indiana center; 36 degrees at the northeast, north central, and south central centers; 38 degrees at the southeast center; and 42 degrees at the southwest center. Low spots […]

Some vegetables are best started from seed directly in the garden, while others are best planted as young plants (transplants). Fast-growing, cool season crops such as lettuce, radish and spinach are really best suited to direct seeding into the garden. Some that have really fine seed, or particularly long taproots such as carrots, do not transition well as transplants and perform best if seeded in place. Sweet corn and beans are also usually direct seeded […]

As most gardeners have marveled, we’re having one of the earliest “spring” seasons this year, with woody plants and herbaceous perennials three to six weeks ahead of “normal.” And then, perhaps inevitably, “normal” spring frost and freeze visited. Being so much further along in their development, plants are quite vulnerable to damage. Home fruit-growers have reason to be concerned: At 28 F, you can expect a 10-percent loss of flowers/young developing fruit. However, at 25 […]