What to plant this week in Indianapolis, IN
Indianapolis gardeners are in the thick of late summer abundance, with frost still weeks away and harvests like Beefsteak tomatoes, cucumbers, and beans ready to pull from your backyard plots. While the city's heat index often spikes above 90°F this week, it is actually one of the few windows where you can successfully sow warm-weather crops like Okra, Malabar Spinach, and Bush Beans indoors or outdoors without worrying about a freeze.
The next 7 days
Indianapolis, INGrowing in Indianapolis right now
- Take advantage of Indianapolis' unique clay-heavy soil by adding generous amounts of compost before planting any new summer squash or zucchini to ensure proper drainage and root penetration.
- With the average last frost date around April 21, your garden is well past the danger zone; focus now on mulching heavily to retain moisture during the city's characteristic hot, dry spells between July and August.
- Monitor water levels closely as the lack of local precipitation often turns our urban yards into dust bowls; drip irrigation or deep soaking every other day is better than frequent shallow watering for crops like Sweet Corn and Sunflowers.
Sow this week
17 crops- Basil
- Borage
- Bush Bean
- Cleome (Spider Flower)
- Cucumber
- French Marigold
- Malabar Spinach
- Nasturtium
- Okra
- Pole Bean
- Scarlet Runner Bean
- Summer Savory
- Thai Basil
- Vinca (Madagascar Periwinkle)
- Yellow Summer Squash
- Zinnia
- Zucchini
Transplant this week
Nothing is due to go out this week.
Harvest soon
58 crops- Anaheim (New Mexico) Pepper
- Banana Pepper
- Basil
- Beefsteak Tomato
- Beet
- Bell Pepper
- Borage
- Brussels Sprouts
- Bush Bean
- Cantaloupe
- Carrot
- Cayenne Pepper
- Cleome (Spider Flower)
- Cosmos
- Cowpea (Black-Eyed Pea)
- Cucumber
- Dahlia
- Edamame
- Eggplant
- Fennel
- Flour Corn
- French Marigold
- Garden Geranium (Zonal)
- Garden Verbena
- Garlic
- Honeydew Melon
- Jalapeño
- Lantana
- Lima Bean
- Malabar Spinach
- Marconi Pepper
- Nasturtium
- Okra
- Ornamental Sweet Potato Vine
- Parsley
- Parsnip
- Petunia
- Poblano Pepper
- Pole Bean
- Potato
- Roma Tomato
- Rutabaga
- Scallion (Bunching Onion)
- Scarlet Runner Bean
- Serrano Pepper
- Shiso (Japanese Basil)
- Snapdragon
- Summer Savory
- Sunflower
- Sweet Corn
- Thai Basil
- Tomatillo
- Tomato
- Vinca (Madagascar Periwinkle)
- Watermelon
- Yellow Summer Squash
- Zinnia
- Zucchini
Seasonal tips
- Succession sow bush beans and pole beans every two weeks for a continuous harvest throughout the summer.
- Mulch around young tomato and pepper plants to retain soil moisture as temperatures rise above 80°F.
- Thin carrot and beet seedlings now to prevent overcrowding and ensure sturdy root development.
Pest & disease watch
- Watch closely for Squash Vine Borers on your Yellow Summer Squash and Zucchini, as the high humidity in Indianapolis creates ideal breeding grounds for these larvae.
- Aphids often explode in populations on Pole Beans and Scarlet Runner Beans during our hot weather; check leaf undersides daily and use a strong water spray or insecticidal soap if numbers climb.
- Late-season slugs can still be active near the creek bottoms and wetter parts of Marion County, targeting your remaining Celery-like Malabar Spinach and Parsnip roots.
Watering this week
Water deeply in the early morning to encourage deep root growth and reduce evaporation losses during this hot season.
Harvest sweet corn when the kernels are milky and firm, not yet hard or fully browned, for peak sweetness.
Indianapolis gardening questions
3Can I still start seeds for next year's garden now in Indianapolis?
Absolutely; while outdoor beds are packed with harvest-ready crops like Cantaloupe and Watermelon, you can sow cool-season starters indoors right now to be ready for the April 21 frost-free date.
My Tomato plants look droopy despite heavy watering—what is wrong?
This is likely Blossom End Rot, a common issue in Indianapolis' alkaline clay soils caused by calcium deficiency rather than lack of water.
What should I do with my Okra and Malabar Spinach that aren't ready yet?
Since we have no frost expected before October 24, you can simply leave these heat-lovers in the ground to produce a second crop if the weather remains dry.
Other cities in zone 6b
12See the full zone 6b guide → · Plan your Indianapolis garden in SproutGuide →