Too Much Heat and Humidity For The Garden

greyfurball
greyfurball Posts: 591 ✭✭✭✭
edited October 2020 in Pest & Weed Problems/Solutions

Up until three weeks ago I was proud of my garden this year. Everything seemed to be going along quite well considering how hard our Spring was because of an early Spring and then two months of late winter following that. But I made it thru it with a lot of help from row covers.

But the last three weeks, high heat (usually near or above 100) and high humidity are just killing off my plants right and left. Then coupled with no rain for 3 weeks and the plants just can not tolerate this type of climate.

Now I know people put up with these temps all the time and they make it. But I think the problem is my variety of seed I use. I have my favorites and none of them are purchased for their "sun and heat-loving" qualities.

I actually broke down and wrapped my garden plants in my row covers again to see if that would blunt the sun's rays about two and a half weeks ago. It actually did seem to help many of the plants. But then when the temps dropped about 5-10 degrees (back to the 90's). I took the covers off again because I did not want to make the plants rely on them. After all, I'm just going into my hottest season of the year.

So yesterday I broke down and ordered some sun shade covers but at the rate this garden is dying back I don't know if the plants will make it until the covers get here.

I did find out something interesting though. Since this is not a normal occurrence for this area, not one single nursery within a 50 mile radius of me carries those sun shade covers for the garden. I know, I checked every single one of them.

Oh well, if it repeats again, I will be ready for next year because mulching, fabric cloth etc on the soil line isn't helping much either.

It's just kind of depressing though to see all my beautiful garden succumbing to all this heat and humidity... except for those tomato plants, they are loving it!

Comments

  • fivelawrences
    fivelawrences Posts: 33 ✭✭✭

    I'm so sorry! I hate watching my plants die when I'm doing all I can! Where did you order your covers from?

  • greyfurball
    greyfurball Posts: 591 ✭✭✭✭

    @fivelawrences I ended up ordering from Amazon.

    I tried my normal seed companies first but I can't afford no $150 to $250 just for sun shades. Not considering how many I would need. So I researched it first so I could make sure I was buying the right kind (fabric, weight and % of shade) and then picked a company which gave me a decent description for the use I need.

    I got two of them put up this morning and it's true. standing under those covers you can actually tell it is cooler.

    But for much of my garden it is too late. I've cut many plants back to only a few inches of height and hope they will grow back but the stupid part is... the frost will probably get them before harvest!

    Can't win for losing!