Have you had a problem with your vegetables not fruiting? Are they blooming but no fruit? That means there is little or nothing to harvest!
What causes your plants to look healthy, but not produce? It’s the heat! Once temperatures are at or above 90 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit in the daytime combined with high nighttime temperatures of 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit, fruit set slows down and in some cases may even stop completely. High night temperatures cause pollen to have poor viability and even be sterile. Without pollen plants cannot set fruit, so flowers will just bloom and eventually fall off.
Another cause is water stress during the hottest part of the day. When daytime temperatures reach up into the 90s, many plants have trouble moving enough water into their leaves to keep them from drooping, even when there is enough water in the soil. When plants can’t keep their leaves full of water, they also don’t have the water to spare for producing fruits such as tomatoes, peppers or beans.
Fortunately, one day of these extreme temperatures is not enough to cause a stop in production. Instead, it’s the accumulation of five to seven days or more in a row that causes problems when it comes to production. There is little gardeners can do to prevent low production during heat waves except to keep plants healthy. When the temperatures cool down a little, production will start back up.
For more information or if you have specific questions about plants in the landscape, garden or trees contact Shannon Newton, Area Horticulture Extension Agent, by email at Shannon_Newton@ncsu.edu or by phone at 910-875-3461 at the Hoke County Center or 910-277-2422 at the Scotland County Center of North Carolina Cooperative Extension.
North Carolina State University and North Carolina A&T State University commit themselves to positive action to secure equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status or disability. In addition, the two Universities welcome all persons without regard to sexual orientation. North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating.
Shannon R. Newton is the area agent for agriculture-horticulture in Hoke and Scotland counties with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension.