Summer gardens are in full production, but extreme heat and changing weather patterns can create challenges for even the most experienced gardeners. In this episode of Hort Culture, Ray and Jessica discuss what they're seeing across Kentucky gardens as temperatures climb and crops begin producing. The conversation covers how prolonged heat affects common garden vegetables, including tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, green beans, berries, melons, and pumpkins. They explain common heat-related issues such as blossom drop, delayed ripening, leaf roll, blossom-end rot, sunscald, bitter cucumbers, uneven pollination, and reduced fruit set. The hosts also share practical strategies for helping gardens withstand summer stress through proper watering, mulching, thoughtful pruning, shade management, and variety selection. Along the way, they swap stories from their own gardens, including Jessica's children's "play garden," preserving the summer harvest, county fair gardening, and the excitement—and occasional frustrations—that come with growing your own food. They wrap up by looking ahead to fall gardening, discussing why July is the time to begin planning and planting cool-season crops like carrots, spinach, broccoli, kale, and other fall favorites. Whether you're managing a backyard vegetable patch or simply trying to keep your tomatoes happy through the hottest days of summer, this episode is packed with timely tips to help your garden continue producing despite the heat. Help your garden weather a heatwave Keep gardens thriving through the heat Heat Causes Problems With Garden Produce How to protect yourself and your plants during extreme heat Questions/Comments/Feedback/Suggestions for Topics: hortculturepodcast@gmail.com Check us out on Instagram!
