May Home, Yard, and Garden Calendar

HOME (Indoor plants and activities)

Many indoor plants can be moved to shady locations outdoors but only after danger of frost is past. Plants will dry out more often outdoors, so keep a close eye on soil moisture. Sinking the pots in soil will help slow down moisture loss.

YARD (Lawns, woody ornamentals and fruits)

Prune early spring-flowering trees and shrubs after flowers fade.

Plant balled-and-burlapped or container nursery stock, and water thoroughly.

GARDEN (Vegetables, small fruits and flowers)

Plant frost-tender plants after danger of frost is past for your area. This includes warm-season vegetables, such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and vine crops, as well as most annual flowers and tender perennials, such as cannas, gladiolus, dahlias, tuberous begonias and caladiums.

Pinch chrysanthemums and annual flower plants to keep them compact and well branched. <Read More>

Crop Outlook is Favorable, but Mother Nature Rules

Chris Hurt, Purdue Extension Agricultural Economics Specialist

Mother Nature always gets the last word when it comes to determining crop yields across Indiana. Last year she was unkind as a wet spring caused planting delays and then heat and dryness in mid-summer caused yield losses. Yields for both corn and soybeans were nearly 10 percent below normal.

Farmers are anxious for the new growing season in 2012 and the weather is giving them an early start. A warm and relatively dry winter means the planting season has started early increasing prospects for a return to favorable yields. 

While crop production was down in 2011, prices were at record highs. This meant that revenues for Indiana's major crops of corn, soybeans, and wheat reached a record high level of about $8.3 billion. 

A return to more normal crop production in 2012 could also bring lower prices, especially for corn. Increased production at lower prices means that total revenues would not change very much from the $8.3 billion from the 2011 crop.

However, what will change this year are higher production costs. Purdue University estimates suggest that costs of producing these crops will increase by 15 to 20 percent in 2012 compared to last year. Higher costs are led by fertilizer, fuel, and cash rents. These elevated costs mean the net returns or profits from Indiana cropland are expected to drop from the record levels achieved in the past two years. 

While a decline in returns is never welcomed, the decline is coming from record high levels. This means that crop incomes are expected to decline in 2012, but will still be strong relative to average incomes over the past decade. 

While prospects are favorable this spring, Mother Nature and market prices will ultimately determine the financial success of Indiana's 2012 crops.

Weekly Outlook - Expectations for the 2012-13 Corn Marketing Year

December 2012 corn futures reached a high of $6.735 on August, 31, 2011, declined to a low of $5.23 on March 30, 2012, and are currently trading near $5.40. The steady decline in prices over the past few months reflects, in part, expectations for a large 2012 U.S. corn crop and some re-building of inventories during the year ahead.

Prospects for a large increase in corn acreage support expectations for more abundant stocks next year, but opinions about the magnitude of the build-up vary considerably. Since the end of the 2012-13 marketing year is 16 months away, uncertainty will abound for several more months. <Read More> 

Assessing Freeze Damage on Fruit

Commercial and home fruit growers across the state have been assessing potential damage to their crops after last week's overnight freezing temperatures.  While a freeze/frost event this time of year is certainly not unusual, what was unusual is how far ahead of schedule fruit crops are this year compared to normal. 

To help growers better assess damage to common tree and small fruits, Purdue Extension Specialists Bruce Bordelon, Peter Hirst, and Jon Obermeyer have produced a series of videos addressing last week's freeze and the effects on apples, peaches, grapes, strawberries, and blackberries. 

The videos are available on the Purdue Extension Entomology YouTube channel.  Links to each specific video are below:

Assessing Spring Freeze Damage to Apples
Assessing Spring Freeze Damage to Peaches
Assessing Spring Freeze Damage to Grapes
Assessing Spring Freeze Damage to Strawberries
Assessing Spring Freeze Damage to Blackberries

Weekly Outlook - Has the 2011 Corn Crop Been Rationed?

Corn prices declined substantially over the past week. May and December 2012 futures have declined by $.26 and $.22, respectively, following the release of the USDA’s WASDE report on April 10.

Recent weakness in old crop prices started with the USDA’s unchanged forecast of year-ending stocks of 801 million bushels. Following the smaller-than-expected estimate of March 1 stocks revealed on March 30, the market had anticipated that the April WASDE report would contain a larger forecast of feed and residual use and a smaller forecast of ending stocks. Additional price weakness has been attributed to weakness in the financial markets associated with a slowdown in the Chinese economy and concerns about the Spanish debt as well as prospects for increased corn acreage in China. New crop prices continue to reflect the larger-than-expected planting intentions revealed on March 30, an early start to the planting season, and the recent improvement in soil moisture conditions in a large part of the Corn Belt.  <Read More>

What's Growing in my Pond??!! - Part 2

In a previous post, I described various preventive measures for aquatic vegetation control. While these measures will help prevent weed growth, they are not the answer for eliminating weed infestations that are already present. If this is the case, there are various mechanical, biological, and chemical methods available to control aquatic weeds.

Mechanical control involves physically removing the plants. This can be done by hand or with special hand-held devices designed for cutting and pulling pond vegetation, available from aquatic/fisheries suppliers. Most aquatic plants are perennial and will re-sprout if the plant is not entirely removed, including growth below the ground. For larger bodies of water, motor-driven underwater vegetation harvesters are available. This equipment is a major investment and is not a feasible option for most individuals on privately owned lakes and ponds.

In severe cases of emergent plant growth, such as cattails, complete removal with a backhoe or other equipment may be necessary. 

Biological control refers to the use of organisms to control vegetation. Biological control of aquatic vegetation has received considerable publicity recently and research is currently being conducted to determine the ability of bacteria, fungi, and insects to control aquatic plant infestations. The research has shown some potential but it is too early to tell if this type of control will work on a widespread scale.

The most widely used biological control is grass carp. Grass carp consume some algae and most submersed plants but have the potential to completely remove all underwater vegetation in a body of water. Grass carp can provide good control of pond vegetation but they have a tendency to feed on beneficial native plants before the truly troublesome weeds, such as Eurasian watermilfoil or mat-forming algae. Also, their feeding rate slows after about five years, so more fish may need to be added. Grass carp are not effective controls for duckweed or watermeal.

Private landowners in Indiana do not need a permit to introduce grass carp into their ponds but there are restrictions. First, the fish must be purchased from a holder of an aquaculture permit and the permit holder must deliver and stock the fish. Next, the land surrounding the pond or lake must be totally in private ownership. Finally, precautions must be taken to ensure the fish do not escape the stocked area, such as erecting barriers at the spillways and outflows.   

Chemical control is the most common method of aquatic plant control. A variety of chemicals are available to control different types of vegetation. When used properly, chemical controls are safe and effective. However, many are only temporary solutions and require repeated applications to prevent the vegetation from returning. When using chemical controls, read and follow all label directions. The type of chemical required depends on the type of vegetation you want to control. Many chemicals also have waiting periods on the use of water treated with the herbicides. These mostly have to do with fishing, domestic use, livestock watering, and irrigation.  

The best time to apply aquatic herbicides is late spring. Do not wait until July or August. Late summer treatments can kill fish. By that time of year, vegetation is extensive and thick and the water is warm. Killing off vegetation under these conditions seriously depletes oxygen levels in the water and can result in fish kills. If you must treat in late summer, treat only a portion of the vegetation at a time.

Additional information on aquatic weed control, including specific herbicide recommendations, can be found in Purdue Extension Publication APM-3, Identifying and Managing Aquatic Vegetation.

What's Growing in my Pond??!! - Part 1

Blue-green algae bloom (Held)

In mid- to late-spring each year, I receive a few calls on controlling pond vegetation.  However, this year these calls have been coming in about a month early (just like everything else) and with seemingly greater frequency than recent years.  Just as grass and weeds in the lawn have been thriving this spring, so has pond vegetation.  And from what I have seen so far, "thriving" is an understatement. 

Blue-green algae bloom, closeup (Held)

Proper management of pond vegetation is crucial, especially in years like this when unimpeded early, rapid growth could spell trouble for pond ecosystems later this summer.  This post will deal specifically with preventive control methods, the first step in controlling pond vegetation.  In a later post, mechanical, biological, and chemical controls will be covered.     


American pondweed (APM-3)

While it may be tempting to achieve a sterile, swimming pool effect in a pond, this is not a desirable outcome. The goal of a good aquatic plant management plan is to achieve a balance between too much vegetation and too little vegetation. Some plants, particularly native species, are highly desirable and add interest and appeal to the pond. But how is this balance achieved? The best way to achieve balance is the careful use of one or more management methods, including preventive, mechanical, biological, habitat alteration, and chemical methods.

Many pond weeds or their seeds are carried into a body of water by wind, birds, fish introduction, boat trailers, fishing, etc. Prevention starts with reducing or eliminating the causes of the spread; i.e. discouraging geese from visiting your pond, washing plant fragments off boat trailers and boats before moving to a new site, and removing plant fragments when moving fish or fish bait from one site to another.

A newly introduced weed will become a problem only if water conditions are just right. Good growing conditions usually mean the body of water is shallow or has shallow areas with good light penetration, and has an available source of nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorous) either in the water or stored in the sediment. Often nutrients enter a pond from runoff or stream flow. In addition to monitoring and reducing or eliminating nutrient and sediment sources in the watershed, the following steps can be taken to help prevent weed growth.

First, do not fertilize the pond or lake. In the Midwest, most waters are sufficiently rich in food organisms to feed large fish without being fertilized. Next, maintain a good sod and grass cover around the pond or areas that drain into the water. This will help absorb nutrients that might flow into the water as well as help control erosion. It is also thought that taller vegetation around a pond reduces the chances of Canadian geese colonizing a water site. A third step is to not apply fertilizer within 20 feet of the bank.

Livestock should not be given access to the pond except in cases of extreme heat stress. If the pond is used for livestock water, it should be fenced and the animals should be used watered using a stock tank outside the pond. Animals can add turbidity and fertility to the water and tear down the banks. It is also important to make sure run-off from feedlots or other livestock pens does not run into the pond.

Finally, a settling or retention pond or wetland area can be established to receive and settle out nutrients before the flow reaches the main body of water.

Stay tuned for Part 2.........

In the Grow - Q & A

Q. My rhubarb plant has been blooming and I have been cutting them off, but recently heard that rhubarb leaves are poisonous. Are the flowers poisonous, too? Do I need to wear gloves? What causes them to bloom?

A. The flowers (and the leafy foliage) of rhubarb plant are toxic if ingested, but not generally considered a skin toxin. However, some do find the sap an irritant, so it's always a good idea to wear gloves when gardening.

It does appear that some rhubarb plants are more prone to flowering than others. Old-fashioned varieties, such as Victoria and MacDonald, are heavy seed-stalk producers. Canada Red and Valentine are less likely to bolt. Plant maturity is also a factor, with more mature plants being more likely to bolt than youngsters. Dividing the crowns every 4-5 years should help rejuvenate the planting. And, no doubt, weather also plays a role, as it does seem to be more problematic in some years.  <Read More>

Weekly Outlook - Pork Profit Outlook Gets Trimmed

The nation's pork producers are largely holding back on expansion even though the industry returned to profitability in the spring of 2011. However, higher feed prices in the past few months as a result of crop damage in South America has increased costs and reduced the profit outlook for 2012.

The breeding herd is only 0.6 percent larger than a year ago according to the latest USDA Hogs and Pigs report based on surveys conducted in early March. While sow numbers are basically stable, the market herd was reported to be two percent larger. The greater increase in market hogs versus the breeding herd is the result of continued increases in the number of pigs per litter. Producers also indicate they will modestly reduce the number of sows farrowing in coming months. Farrowing intentions are down about one percent for the spring quarter and down two percent for the summer quarter. If intentions materialize, pork supplies will only increase by about one percent in the fall of 2012 and early 2013.  <Read More>

New and Improved Home Fruit Production Guide

A valuable Purdue Extension Fruit Production resource has recently been updated and improved. 

ID-146, Managing Pests in Home Fruit Plantings, contains information on variety selection and pest management for a variety of tree and small fruits, including apples, peaches, pears, plums, cherries, grapes, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, gooseberries, currants and raspberries. Updates to the publication include revised chemical recommendations featuring new, safer products, organic pest management options, and the inclusion of currants and gooseberries.  

The publication is available online or at your local Purdue Extension Office.

Weekly Outlook - Winter Precipitation and Corn Yield

Due to the very warm temperatures in the winter of 2011-12, we recently examined the relationship between average winter temperatures and average temperatures the following summer and the relationship between average winter temperatures and corn yield. We showed that the correlation between average winter temperature and both average summer temperature and average state yield is small for Illinois and Iowa. Here we extend the analysis to the relationship between total state average precipitation during December, January, and February and the total precipitation in the following July and August. <Read More>