
Author
Caleb Schlegel
Third-Generation Grower
Third-generation greenhouse grower with nearly twenty years across sales, production, and growing.
Caleb is a third-generation greenhouse grower at Schlegel. The family business has been part of his life since childhood, and he has worked nearly every role in it for almost twenty years.
From sales and production to hands-on growing, Caleb has a complete understanding of what it takes to bring a quality plant from seed to garden center bench. That depth informs every decision Schlegel makes — from the varieties they choose to the way each crop is timed and trialed.
He's also the one quietly building this site, the Planter Designer, and the rest of the digital tools you see at hoosierboy.com.
Growing Tips by Caleb
95 guides
Seasonal Tips
Should I Leave the Leaves?

Plant Selection
Four New Spillers We're Trying Next Spring

Industry News
The Breeder Behind Some of the Plants That Changed Our Industry

Plant Selection
Not All Salvias Are the Same

Behind the Scenes
Something New Is Coming to Garden Centers Next Spring

Plant Spotlights
Meet Jamesbrittenia: One of Our New Annuals for 2027

Plant Spotlights
These Don't Look Like Normal Pansies

Troubleshooting
What's Growing Out of My Echinacea?

Plant Selection
Don't Eat Me! Why Ornamental Kale and Cabbage Belong in Your Fall Garden

Behind the Scenes
Why Your Mums Might Be Late This Year: Understanding Heat Delay

Plant Selection
Daisy Mums vs. Decorative Mums: Why Don't We See More Daisies?

Seasonal Tips
Don't Change Seasons All at Once: The Easiest Way to Ease a Garden Into Fall

Troubleshooting
Why Are There So Many Spiders in My Garden Right Now?

Seasonal Tips
Can I Still Plant This? A Late-August and September Guide

Indiana Growing
Want to Visit a Trial Garden? There's One at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.

Plant Selection
Mums Aren't the Only Flower for Fall: Meet the Aster

Industry News
A Company You've Probably Never Heard of Is Shutting Down. Garden Centers Know It Well.

Indiana Growing
Are the Mums We Grow Actually Perennials?

Seasonal Tips
It's Okay to Move On From Your Spring Flowers

Plant Selection
An Appreciation of Echinacea: The Nearly Perfect Perennial

Plant Selection
Choosing the Right Zinnia for Your Cut Flower Garden

Troubleshooting
Why Isn't My Vegetable Producing Fruit?

Troubleshooting
Japanese Beetles Explained: Why They Love Some Plants and Ignore Others

Plant Selection
A New Favorite from Cultivate: Meet Jamesbrittenia

Indiana Growing
How Do Mums Know It's Time to Bloom?

Container Care
Has Your Container Run Out of Fertilizer? Time to Recharge with Osmocote.

Plant Selection
Coming Soon: Meet Helianthus SunCatcher

Plant Selection
Could This Be the Beginning of a More Deer-Resistant Begonia? Meet Wookie.

Plant Selection
Succulents Continue to Evolve: Garden Solutions Steals the Show

Plant Selection
The Future of Petunias: Danziger's New Amazonas Series

Plant Selection
Heuchera Gets a Bold New Look: Meet Fyre Wing

Plant Care
July Is Angelonia Season

Perennials
What's Blooming in Indiana Right Now?

Perennials
Not All Rudbeckias Are Created Equal

Plant Care
Going Away for Fourth of July? How to Prepare Your Plants Before a Long Weekend

Plant Care
Why Are My Petunias or Calibrachoas Turning Yellow?

Plant Care
Can You Save a Plant That Got Too Dry?

Plant Care
When Should You Cut Back a Hanging Basket?

Plant Care
Choose Plants That Match Your Lifestyle

Plant Care
The 80/20 Rule of Gardening

Plant Care
The Best Fertilizer Plan Is the One You'll Actually Use

Plant Care
The Biggest Time-Saving Tips I Know

Plant Care
Why Deer Love Hostas, Begonias, and Other Garden Favorites

Plant Care
The Most Deer-Resistant Plants I Grow

Plant Care
What Does “Deer Resistant” Actually Mean?

Plant Care
What Actually Works for Deer Control? An Honest Tier List

Plant Care
Why Deer Often Leave Fuzzy and Aromatic Plants Alone

Plant Spotlights
What Pollinators You’ll See in Indiana This June

Plant Care
Plants Are Like People: Why Water Alone Isn’t Enough

Plant Care
Why Plants Get Stressed (And What They Do About It)

Behind the Scenes
What We’re Growing Now (And What’s Coming Next)

Plant Spotlights
Why Monarch Magic Ageratum Is My Plant of the Year

Seasonal Tips
What Is an Omega Block (And Why Indiana Gardeners Should Love It)?

Behind the Scenes
What Is Happening at the Greenhouse Right Now?

Industry News
What the Dümmen Orange and Syngenta Flowers Partnership Means

Seasonal Tips
Why SunPatiens Thrive in Beds (And Can Be Dramatic in Containers)

Seasonal Tips
How to Fertilize SunPatiens (Without Overdoing It)

Seasonal Tips
SunPatiens in Shade? Why They Might Be Even Better There

Seasonal Tips
Caleb's Top Bedding Annual Picks (Shade Beds)

Seasonal Tips
Caleb's Top Bedding Annual Picks (Full Sun Beds)

Plant Care
Why Are Some Plants Fuzzy? (And When That's a Good — or Bad — Thing)

Plant Care
Why We Sleeve Plants (and Why You Should Remove It Quickly)

Plant Spotlights
Caladiums: The Stained Glass of the Shade Garden

Seasonal Tips
Why Frost Damages Plants (The Science Explained Simply)

Seasonal Tips
What Is Frost (And What It Actually Means for Your Plants)

Plant Spotlights
Shamrock™ Lantana: The Master Grower’s Guide to the Perfect Filler

Seasonal Tips
Do "Mosquito Repellent Plants" Actually Work? (Not Really — Here's What Does)

Seasonal Tips
Mosquito Dunks: The Simple Trick That Actually Works

Seasonal Tips
The Farmer's Almanac: Should You Trust It in Indiana?

Seasonal Tips
A Warm Week Doesn't Mean Spring Has Arrived

Plant Spotlights
Calliope® Geranium Growing Guide — Bold Color Built to Perform

Plant Spotlights
Night Sky Petunias: How a Mutation Became One of the Most Unique Plants in the Industry

Troubleshooting
How to Control Aphids on Black-Eyed Susans (Rudbeckia)

Plant Care
Petunia Growing Tips

Plant Care
Annuals You Don’t Have to Deadhead

Seasonal Tips
What to Do With Annuals at End of Season

Container Care
Why Some Pots Thrive (and Others Struggle)

Plant Care
Foliage Spiller Accents

Container Care
How to Build a Hanging Basket That Lasts All Summer

Seasonal Tips
Plan Your Garden the Right Way

Plant Care
How to Deadhead Geraniums

Plant Care
Calibrachoa Growing Tips

Seasonal Tips
When to Plant Annuals (Frost Timing Guide)

Plant Care
How to Water Annuals the Right Way

Seasonal Tips
How to Time Mums for Perfect Fall Color

Plant Care
Deadheading Annuals: What to Do (and What Actually Needs It)

Plant Care
Why Some Plants Fail (And It’s Not You)

Plant Care
Why Your Plants Might Be Damaged (And It’s Not the Sun)

Soil & Planting
Mulching Basics: How and Why to Mulch Your Indiana Garden

Plant Care
Best Time of Day to Water Plants

Soil & Planting
How to Test Your Garden Soil

Plant Care
Geranium Growing Tips

Soil & Planting
How to Choose the Best Potting Soil

Plant Care
How to Avoid Plant Diseases Before They Start

Plant Care