When to Overseed a Lawn in Indiana
For most of Indiana, the safe window to overseed a cool-season lawn runs from late August through mid-September, with the exact cutoff set by working…
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.
What Eats Spinach in Indiana, and When
Two insects from Purdue Extension Entomology’s documented list actually feed on spinach in Indiana: the cabbage looper and the seedcorn maggot.
What Eats Onion in Indiana, and When
Purdue Extension Entomology documents ten insect pests across Indiana’s vegetable gardens, but only one of them has any real business in an onion patch.
What Eats Corn in Indiana, and When
Purdue Extension Entomology documents ten garden pests active in Indiana, and only three of them have any real business in a cornfield.
What Eats Pumpkin in Indiana, and When
Purdue Extension Entomology documents ten pest species active in Indiana’s vegetable gardens, but only six of them ever touch a pumpkin plant.
What Eats Potato in Indiana, and When
Colorado potato beetle is the insect that actually feeds on potato in Indiana, and its arrival tracks the state’s frost-free window rather than a fixed…
What Eats Parsnip in Indiana, and When
Two of Purdue Extension Entomology’s documented vegetable pests for Indiana actually feed on parsnip: the seedcorn maggot, which attacks the seed and…
What Eats Carrot in Indiana, and When
Purdue Extension Entomology documents only one vegetable garden pest in its statewide records that actually targets carrot: the seedcorn maggot, a small…
What Eats Beet in Indiana, and When
Purdue Extension Entomology documents ten insect pests active on Indiana vegetable crops, but only two of them are actual beet feeders: the seedcorn…
First and Last Frost Dates in Indiana
Indianapolis data from NOAA’s 1991-2020 Climate Normals puts the last spring frost between April 9 and April 21, and the first fall frost between October…