When to Sow Parsnips in Indiana
Yes, Indiana delivers real winter cold, an average minimum of 20.9°F in the coldest month, which means parsnips sown here won’t just mature, they’ll…
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.
Will Parsnips Sweeten in Indiana?
Yes. Indiana’s winters bring exactly the kind of sustained cold that turns a bland parsnip into a sweet one.
Growing Spinach in Indiana: When Will It Bolt?
Spinach in Indiana bolts once day length and warmth cross the plant’s tolerance, and both happen fast here.
Growing Pumpkins in Indiana: Will They Ripen in Time?
Indiana’s growing season is long enough for pumpkins, but only if the flowers open on schedule.
Growing Parsnips in Indiana: Will They Sweeten?
Indiana’s winters run cold enough, and its growing season stretches long enough, that parsnips sown directly in spring will not only reach full size but…
When to Sow Carrots in Indiana: Counting Back From the Last Frost
Indiana carrot growers don’t get one universal sowing date, since the state’s last-frost timing shifts from county to county and isn’t a single fixed…
Will Carrots Fork in Indiana Soil?
Indiana’s representative soil, the Miami series, is a loam to silt mix rather than heavy clay, and it drains moderately well, so the odds of a forked…
When to Sow Beets in Indiana
In central Indiana, direct-seed beets outdoors from about March 19 to April 7, two to three weeks ahead of the region’s last spring frost window of April…
Beet Soil in Indiana: What the Root Will Meet
Indiana’s default ground, the Miami series, gives a beet a fair start but not a perfect one: a loam-heavy mix that drains moderately well and sits near…
Why Peppers Fail to Set Fruit in Indiana
Peppers stall out in Indiana gardens for one of two reasons: a hot stretch that scorches the blossoms before they can pollinate, or a stretch of cool…