Heating a Home in Indiana: What the Winter Actually Costs
Indiana winters hover near freezing for months at a stretch, and the coldest month averages a low of 20.9°F.
Gardening in Indiana
Everything we have worked out for Indiana: what to plant and when, which varieties finish in time, the pests that actually turn up here, and the jobs that pay off month by month. We also cover the rest of the property, from lawns and soil to home care and energy, because a garden rarely stops at the vegetable bed.
The numbers first, because everything else follows from them. Measured at the weather station in Indianapolis, the last spring freeze runs April 9 to April 21 and the first fall freeze runs October 21 to October 30, USDA zones 5b-7a, 3,822 growing degree days in the year.
Garlic does well: 21.8 weeks below 40 °F, comfortably past the six it needs to form a proper head.
Elsewhere on the property in Indiana: the pests that turn up here.
Figures from NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals. A state is not one climate: elevation, a large lake or the coast can move these dates by two weeks either way, so check your own county with the extension service before you spend money.
Asparagus beetle in Indiana: When It Shows Up and What Stops It
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Gardening in Indiana: What the Season Actually Allows
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Squash bug in Indiana: When It Shows Up and What Stops It
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Squash vine borer in Indiana: When It Shows Up and What Stops It
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Colorado potato beetle in Indiana: When It Shows Up and What Stops It
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Brown marmorated stink bug in Indiana: When It Shows Up and What Stops It
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Mexican bean beetle in Indiana: When It Shows Up and What Stops It
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Spotted cucumber beetle in Indiana: When It Shows Up and What Stops It
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Striped cucumber beetle in Indiana: When It Shows Up and What Stops It
Striped cucumber beetles start showing up in Indiana gardens as soon as soil temperatures climb into the mid-60s, usually between late April and mid-May…