Cool-season crops such as lettuce, potatoes, peas, cauliflower and onions actually prefer the cool, moist conditions of spring. With the extended mild winter, coupled with unseasonably warm conditions just at winter’s end, our cool-season crops may be in fast-forward mode! By March 13, soil temperatures under bare ground have already reached the upper 40s to mid 50s F in northern Indiana and in the 60s in southern Indiana. These temperatures are in the optimum range […]

No matter what kind of garden you tend, weeds are likely one of your more frustrating challenges. However, there are a number of practices you can incorporate in your bag of tricks to keep weeds under control. Cultural control includes any gardening practice that prevents the introduction of weeds to the garden or makes the environment less favorable for weed development and more favorable for desirable plants. Controlling weeds before they mature their seed will […]

Nothing tastes better than homegrown corn, but, because of its demand for space, sweet corn has traditionally belonged to the domain of large country gardens. Sweet corn plants usually produce only one ear per stalk, possibly two. And because a lot of corn pollen is needed to get a full ear, a large block of plants is usually required to ensure good yields. Poor pollination results in poorly filled ears. But, if you have a […]

Asparagus is one of the first vegetables to peer through the cool soil in spring, and what a welcome sight! The heavy snows this past winter provided excellent moisture and insulation for the plants, so the crop is off to a great start. Precisely how to harvest is the subject of some debate among asparagus gardeners. Some prefer to harvest only the very young spear tips. This ensures that only the tender portion of the […]

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 […]

Many gardeners have found it difficult to get their gardens tilled and planted this spring, due to what looked to be unending spring rains. Those who did get their gardens tilled, planted and fertilized earlier this spring might find themselves starting over. Seeds that have been sitting in cold, water-soaked ground may rot before they have a chance to get started. Heavy rains may have washed away seed; newly germinated seeds may also be at […]