95+ and garden looks bad...

[Brown Thumbs]

We had a nice rain and some cooler temps (high 80's) about 3 weeks ago. The vegetables perked up and looked nice. Now the heat has set in with temps hitting 95-97 degrees. Yellow squash and zucchini plants look horrible and don't seem to be putting on many female flowers. My jalapeno and bell peppers look good during the early morning, but by lunch time they're wilted down looking absolutely pitiful. We've only had one bell pepper off of three plants, and no new blooms on any of them. Tomatoes are turning orange/red too soon and no new blooms setting. The only plant that looks good in this heat is my eggplant, but it has yet to make a bloom! Everything is watered 2-3 times per week and I've put some grass clippings around the base of the plants. Just so hot and dry here; does any garden vegetable like this heat? Should I pull up the squash and zucchini or just see what happens?

[luvthesnapper]

Most peppers will grow. They still get tired when it's in the mid/upper 90's though. At the end of a 95 degree day, my peppers will look less perky. If it's not a watering day, I'll still put a gallon of rainwater in my pump sprayer, and give them a little shower.

Maybe get some shade cloth? We were just talking about this the other day.

[gumbo2176]

We had a nice rain and some cooler temps (high 80's) about 3 weeks ago. The vegetables perked up and looked nice. Now the heat has set in with temps hitting 95-97 degrees. Yellow squash and zucchini plants look horrible and don't seem to be putting on many female flowers. My jalapeno and bell peppers look good during the early morning, but by lunch time they're wilted down looking absolutely pitiful. We've only had one bell pepper off of three plants, and no new blooms on any of them. Tomatoes are turning orange/red too soon and no new blooms setting. The only plant that looks good in this heat is my eggplant, but it has yet to make a bloom! Everything is watered 2-3 times per week and I've put some grass clippings around the base of the plants. Just so hot and dry here; does any garden vegetable like this heat? Should I pull up the squash and zucchini or just see what happens?

If you like Okra, plant it soon. It loves heat and is drought tolerant and if your weather is anything like New Orleans weather, it will last well into September. I have 1 row of it and they are about 4 ft. tall now and I'm getting several pods a day. In another month or so, I'll be picking 40-50 pods a day from these plants. The only other things doing OK are the peppers, eggplant and Japanese Yard Long pole beans.

My cukes have faded to the point of needing pulling and my tomato plants are all gone from the garden with the exception of a couple Cherry and Plum tomato plants that are struggling to survive.

[Brown Thumbs]

We love okra, but the deer seem to love it more. Tried a row last year, but they picked it clean and was nothing but stalks left. Haven't seen any deer tracks this year in the garden, but squirrels are everywhere. I think they may have bitten into a few squash earlier this year. My dog isn't doing a good job protecting the garden

You'd think summer squash would like the summer, but guess not. It's just been a bad year for us. We didn't have any bees pollinating the squash and zucchini early on and now we do have a couple, but it's so hot nothings making.

[RickRS]

I'm thinking besides okra, sweet potatoes, southern field peas (blackeyes, chowder peas), and maybe eggplant are heat tolerant. Also peanuts.

Southern heat, where night-time temperatures stay in the mid-70, are tough on lots of vegetables.

Having lived most of my life in the deep South and coastal South, I always snort when Glen Campbell's Southern Nights appears on the radio. "Those cool southern nights..", most of the time we're praying for a break in the heat, night time included

[mscratch]

We in S.E. Mo. have been issued a new heat standing from severe to extreme drought conditions now. The eggplants and peppers are about the only things that are handling it half well.

[Brown Thumbs]

Thanks for the suggestions. Should I pull up the squash or just keep watering? They look ok at first light, but by 10am start to wilt bad. No fruits coming on, I see male flowers only for some reason.

Will the heat stop bell peppers from producing? My Jalapeno are ok.

[greenstubbs]

Thanks for the suggestions. Should I pull up the squash or just keep watering? They look ok at first light, but by 10am start to wilt bad. No fruits coming on, I see male flowers only for some reason.

Will the heat stop bell peppers from producing? My Jalapeno are ok.

NO, Not yet! How many hours of sun does it get a day? How cloudy are your days through the week? I'm guessing it's humid where you are?
If the squash perks up at night when it cools down, it's basically suffering from heat & sun. I just take a old sheet and 4 poles and clamps and pitch a shade canopy about a foot or so above the plant and it perks up within the hour. Water as needed during this time while they are shaded. Depending on conditions I'll leave them up for a few days to a couple weeks. Hope it's in a area where the neighbors don't go anal if you do something like. Here near Napa Ca. are summers are hot and dry, think near desert conditions. I also have had to shade me melons, cucks, and chard when it gets real severe. You learn as you go and sometimes plants will tell you want they want or need. Good luck.

"It's all the Grand Experiment"!