Growing Fruits and Vegetables in Containers

If you lack adequate space for a full-fledged garden but still would still like to enjoy a few fresh fruits and vegetables this summer, container gardening may be the answer for you. Flowers are not the only plants that do well in containers. In fact, most fruits and vegetables have varieties which will do well in containers. Strawberries are the most common container fruit while tomatoes are the most common container vegetable. Lettuce, green onions, radishes, cucumbers, and peas are also popular choices.

An increasing number of varieties are developed each year that are adapted for limited space areas; everything from grafted dwarf fruit trees to bush-type cucumbers. In seed catalog descriptions, many companies specify use in containers for small-size fruits and vegetables.

Just about any container can be used to grow fruits and vegetables; from whiskey barrels and bushel baskets to clay pots and hanging baskets. The key to success is to make sure the container provides adequate drainage. Water should not be allowed to stand in the bottom of the container. To provide proper drainage, the container should have holes in the bottom to allow the water to run out. The type of soil used can also have an effect on drainage. Garden soil alone should not be used in containers because it will soon become compacted and water will not drain through it properly. Sterilized compost mixed with peat moss and vermiculite works well, as does potting soil mix. You can even use the potting soil bag as the container. Lay the bag flat and slit holes in the bottom for drainage, then turn the bag over and cut openings in the top for the plants. This technique is known as “bag-culture” or “pillow packs”.

The containers should be placed in full sun and should be protected from strong winds. A water source should be close by or the containers should be easy to move so they can be watered regularly, especially during dry spells. You may also need to use portable containers if they are to be used as porch or patio decorations or if they need to be moved to a protected area during the winter. If you have a fruit tree growing in a container, be sure to move it to a protected location in the winter. If left out, the roots will freeze and the tree will die.

Fruits and vegetables grown in containers are still susceptible to the same insects, weeds, and diseases as those grown in garden beds, so it is important to take proper measures to control them. Using a sterilized soil mixture can help avoid soil borne insects and diseases. Removing dead leaves, flowers, and over-ripe fruit will also help control these pests. Inspect the plants regularly for insects and pick them off as you notice them. If the infestation becomes large, it may be necessary to use a pesticide to control them, making sure the chemical is labeled for use on all the plants in the container.  

Weeds are not as much of a problem in container gardens but they can quickly take over if not properly controlled. The best way to control weeds in the container is to make sure the soil in the container does not have weed seeds in it. Potting soil or peat moss generally will not have weed problems but if your soil mixture contains compost or garden soil, these materials should be taken from areas that are not weed infested. If you do find weeds growing in your containers, carefully pull them while they are small. Larger weeds should be cut out so as not to damage the surrounding desirable plants. Herbicide use is not practical for container gardens.

Additional information on container gardening can be found in Purdue Extension publication HO-200, available here.

Prospective Plantings Outlook 2012

The USDA Prospective Plantings and Grain Stocks Report is an annual report providing a first look at US farmers' planting intentions for the current crop year.  Soon after the 2012 report was issued this morning, Dr. Chris Hurt and Dr. Corinne Alexander of the Purdue Agricultural Economics Department presented a Prospective Plantings Outlook discussion webinar to help farmers, agribusinesses, and others involved in the grain industry make sense of the USDA report and its potential effects on grain markets.  If you missed the live presentation and would like to hear their analysis, a recorded version of the webinar is available here.  A high-speed internet connection is recommended for viewing.   

Farmers Being Targeted by Phony USDA Requests

Farmers around the nation, including some in Indiana, have recently been targets of a scam in which they are being contacted via mail or in-person visits by someone who claims to be a USDA official and requests personal and financial information.  More information on what to look out for and how to tell between phony and authentic USDA contacts, see the recent article from Hoosier Ag Today. 

Old Books and Bugs

That rite of the post-winter season - spring break - has come and gone. Again! This year we visited Arizona. We didn't attend a spring training baseball game but did do some other things.

We toured a copper mine at Bisbee. We stayed overnight at the Shady Dell. Our accommodation was a restored 1950s vintage travel trailer, complete with '50s music on the radio. We walked a bit in the Saguaro National Park, west of Tucson. We stopped at Patagonia Lake State Park, an area frequented by Geronimo some years back. <Read More>

Weekly Outlook - March USDA Reports and Beyond

Corn and soybean prices continue to be influenced by a wide range of fundamental factors. Currently, those factors include prospects for the rate of economic growth and commodity demand in China, prospects for the size of the current South American crop, and prospects for the 2012 growing season in the Northern Hemisphere.

The USDA’s March 30 Grain Stocks and Prospective Plantings reports will also provide important fundamental information for both markets. Anticipating the level of March 1 stocks has become increasingly difficult over the past year or more. For corn, the difficulty lies in the erratic levels of implied quarterly feed and residual use since the spring of 2010. Stocks reports since then have provided a number of surprises. In the newsletter of March 5 some estimates of corn consumption during the December-February quarter this year and implications for March 1 stocks were outlined. A case can be made for stock levels in a wide range, but inventories within a few million bushels of 6.35 billion bushels would be consistent with the USDA’s projection of feed and residual use for the year.  <Read More>

Weekly Outlook - Corn Yield Prospects

With 2011-12 marketing year-ending stocks of U.S. corn expected to be near pipeline levels, the size of the 2012 crop has substantial price implications. Acreage intentions will be revealed in the USDA’s March 30 Prospective Plantings report, but much of the current discussion centers on prospects for the U.S. average corn yield.

Widely differing views of yield prospects for 2012 have emerged. A number of factors may contribute to the diverse views, but four have received a lot of attention. These include (1) the timing of planting, (2) the magnitude and potential change in the trend yield, (3) expected summer weather conditions, and (4) the location and magnitude of acreage changes. A brief discussion of these factors follows, with more detailed analysis to be provided in upcoming posts at farmdocdaily.  <Read More>

Does It Make Sense to Plant So Early?

Reports are starting to come in of fields planted by mid-March in central and southern Illinois. Though there have been some fields planted this soon in the past, this is the earliest we have ever had good planting conditions across so much of the state, and it's certain that we have never before had this many corn acres planted so early.

With the warm weather continuing, we expect the crop planted now to get off to a fast start. It takes about 115 growing degree days (GDD) to get corn plants to emerge after planting. Highs of about 80 degrees and lows in the 50s mean that we are getting 15 to 18 GDD per day, so we might see emergence within about a week if it stays this warm. Some fields planted very early have already emerged.  <Read More>

April Yard and Garden Calendar

HOME (Indoor plants and activities)

Start seeds of warm-season plants, including tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, marigolds, zinnias and petunias, indoors for transplanting later to the garden.

Harden off transplants started earlier in spring before planting outdoors - gradually expose the young plants to outdoor conditions of wind, brighter sunlight and lower moisture.

YARD (Lawns, woody ornamentals and fruits)

Plant a tree in celebration of National Arbor Day, April 27. Bare-root stock should be planted before new top growth begins. Balled- and-burlapped and containerized stock can still be planted later in spring.

Fertilize woody plants before new growth begins. Two pounds of actual nitrogen per 1,000 square feet should be sufficient.

GARDEN (Flowers, vegetables and small fruits)

Plant seeds of cool-season crops directly in the garden, as soon as soil dries enough to be worked. When squeezed, soil should crumble instead of forming a ball. Cool-season crops that can be direct-seeded include peas, lettuce, spinach, carrots, beets, turnips, parsnips and Swiss chard.

Plant transplants of cool-season crops, such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi and onions.  <Read More>

Insects: Could They Be What's for Dinner?

Back in biblical times John the Baptist was a participant. Long before European settlers showed up in the so-called New World, so were Native Americans. Ditto the ancient people living in the Orient. We're talking about entomophagy - eating insects.

Yes, according to Old Testament biblical accounts, John the Baptist wandered in the wilderness and chowed down on locusts and wild honey. I suppose one could argue that John didn't have much in the way of food choices available so he had to make do. Locusts, called grasshoppers here in the U.S., would have been plentiful. These insects were so common and numerous as to constitute one of the biblical plagues inflicted on the Egyptians of the time.  <Read More>

Cool Season Planting is Hot

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 for germination of most cool-season crops and are nearly a month ahead of last year's.  <Read More>

Weird Weather and Pest Predictions

One of the most common questions that has come up in response to this season's winter weather (or lack thereof) is what effect it will have on pest problems this spring or summer, particularly insect populations.  Below are excerpts of responses given by two Extension experts. 

Larry Caplan, Extension Horticulture Educator in Vanderburgh County addressed this question in a recent newspaper column:

I was asked the other day what effect this strange weather will have on our pest problems this year. That is always a very tough topic for me. I don’t like to make predictions, because there are so many variables that can affect future events, rendering my predictions worthless. Still, there are a few things that I expect will happen this season.

First of all, everything will start happening at least 3 weeks earlier than normal because of the long warm-up we’ve had. Crabgrass germination occurs at about the same time as the forsythia shrub blooms. Usually, we can hold off applying our pre-emergent herbicides until mid to late March; this year, though, some parts of the tri-state may already be too late to get the best preventative control.

Dormant oil is applied to fruit trees to prevent later problems with spider mites. The oil needs to be applied before the trees bud out, otherwise the young leaves will be burned by the chemical. It’s already too late in some places. Likewise, the traditional orchard sprays to control disease and insect attacks should begin as the buds open. Normally, gardeners don’t expect to begin this until late March or early April, but I’ve already seen apple and cherry trees in bloom. Be sure to stop spraying while the flowers are open, so that you don’t hurt any bees that may be out.

The repeated storms of the last few weeks have dumped a lot of moisture on the tri-state. With moist conditions and standing water, we can expect increases in biting midges, mosquitoes, and crane flies. This is what we’ve seen for the last couple of years, which have all been pretty wet.

Warm, moist weather is ideal for fire blight, a bacterial disease that attacks apples, crabapples, and pears. The bacteria usually enters the tree through the flowers, but it can also enter twigs damaged by hail storms. Spraying the antibiotic Streptomycin during bloom and after a hail storm may offer some protection.

If warm weather continues, we may see an earlier emergence of Japanese beetles, eastern tent caterpillars, and other pests, but I don’t believe we’ll see increased numbers. Very few of these insects are killed by severe winters, so I don’t think their survival rate will change much.

And from Dr. Rick Foster, Purdue Extension Entomology Specialist, some points focusing specifically on insect populations:

While some insects, such as flea beetles, are directly impacted by cold winter weather and experience greater survival and higher populations as a result of mild winters such as the one we just experienced, many insect species are very well adapted to winter weather and will survive just fine no matter how cold it is.

Most insects have an amazing ability to reproduce in large numbers and, if spring and summer weather is conducive, will be able to develop to serious population levels no matter how many survived the winter.

Finally, some of our pests overwinter indoors and others overwinter in the South, so our winter weather has little effect on their populations.

The bottom line is that for a few insects, we can definitely expect higher populations, but for many others, we just can’t predict.

As you can see, there is no one answer to this seemingly simple question.  While winter weather conditions have little effect on most insect populations, it is the earlier-than-normal emergence of these insects, as well as weeds and diseases, that will be the most likely effect of our mild winter.  And, as Mr. Caplan adds, this is Indiana, so it could snow this weekend and change everything!

Continued Focus on Corn Consumption and Stocks

May 2012 corn futures have traded in a range of about $1.00 per bushel since last fall. Since late January, the trading range has been about $.40 per bushel and the current price is near the top of that range. The narrowing of the trading range for old-crop corn prices may point to a breakout from the long standing sideways trend. The central question for the direction of old-crop prices is whether consumption has slowed enough to ensure a minimum level of year ending stocks.  <Read More>

In the Grow - Q & A

Rosie Lerner, Purdue Extension Consumer Horticulture Specialist

Q. It may be just a coincidence, but this year we have not had any mice. We live in the country and are always infested with house mice and a few deer mice every year. This year I have not caught a one. I wonder if it is because we had a bumper crop of chipmunks last summer. Are chipmunks predators of mice, or do they out compete mice for food?

A. Chipmunks are not predators, but an established chipmunk territory could provide enough competition to discourage mice. According to the Indiana Wildlife Conflicts website, http://www.wildlifehotline.info, chipmunk diet is primarily nuts, berries and seeds, but they also eat mushrooms, insects and dead animals. Another possibility is that the mouse population is down in your area due to predator activity (owls, hawks, snakes, cats, skunks and raccoons, etc.). And perhaps the relatively mild winter hasn't driven mice to seek shelter inside your home as much as in previous years. Whatever the reason, enjoy their absence while you can!


Q. Is there such a thing as a male cactus that does not bloom ever? Three years ago I bought Christmas cactuses for my sister and myself. Mine has bloomed several times, but my sister's hasn't bloomed at all. Someone told us that she must have received a male plant; we would like to know if this is possible.

Holiday cactus

A. Lack of flowering is not a gender issue. Christmas (and other holiday) cactus plants have both male and female parts within the same flower. But even in plants that have separate male and female parts, both types would flower. It is the fruit that is born only by the female flowers. The male plants still flower but do not bear fruit.

So if your sister's plant never blooms, it is not because of gender; it's likely not getting the right environmental signals. See articles at http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/cactusFAQs.html and http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/christmas_cactus.html for further information.

Anticipating the March 1 Corn Stocks Estimate

It is widely anticipated that the 2012-13 corn marketing year will be a transition from the current environment of tight stocks and high prices to one of a large crop, increasing stocks, and lower prices. The futures market reflects that expectation as the March 2013 futures price is currently trading $0.80 to $0.85 below the March 2012 price.

While there is general agreement on the likely direction of production and stocks in the year ahead, there is considerable uncertainty about magnitudes. That uncertainty starts with the likely level of stocks at the end of the current marketing year. Some light will be shed on that issue, as well as the potential size of the 2012 crop, when the USDA releases the quarterly Grain Stocks and the annual Prospective Plantings reports on March 30.  <Read More>

Upcoming Events - Cooking Up a Food Business in the Home Kitchen

Do you have a great recipe or product you love to make? Do you wish you could turn that into a home-based business? As a result of a recently passed law by the Indiana General Assembly allowing certain foods to be produced in the home kitchen and sold at farmers’ markets and roadside stands, this is now an option. Purdue Extension of Spencer County is hosting a three-part webinar series, “Cooking up a Food Business in the Home Kitchen”, that will address the opportunities and limitations of a home-based food business as well as safe food handling and preparation practices for the home kitchen. 

The sessions will be held on consecutive Tuesday mornings from March 20 to April 3 at the Spencer County 4-H Fairgrounds in Chrisney from 9:00 – 10:30 AM. The cost of the program is $20 per person for the three-session series or $8 per person per individual session. Early bird registration deadline is March 16. After the deadline, registration cost is increased by $10 per person. In addition to live, on-site viewing, participants have the option of viewing live or recorded sessions from home via a high-speed internet connection. The registration cost and deadline remain the same for at-home viewing. 

Registration brochures are available by contacting Purdue Extension-Spencer County at (812) 649-6022 or nheld@purdue.edu. They are also available online.          

 

Will Consumers Come Back to Pork? Yes!

Per capita pork consumption in the U.S. has declined sharply in the past several years due primarily to strong pork export growth. Per capita pork consumption in the U.S. averaged 50.1 pounds in 2006 and 2007 when $2 per bushel corn was still the rule. That dropped to a low of 45.8 pounds by 2011, a nine percent decrease.

Surprisingly, as U.S. per capita consumption was dropping sharply, total U.S. pork production grew by eight percent from 2006/2007 to 2012. How could total pork production grow while domestic per capita consumption was falling sharply? The answer is that U.S. pork exports expanded and now U.S. consumers have new competition from foreign buyers for limited pork supplies. There is a saying, “China is going to eat your lunch,” and that statement has some limited truth. China was the 6th largest buyer of pork from the U.S. in 2006, representing five percent of U.S. exports, but moved to the third largest buyer by 2011 representing 15 percent of U.S. exports. <Read More>