That one 95 degree day last week killed my whole community garden plot

I showed up to water and half my tomato plants were just wilted flat, even though I'd watered the night before. My neighbor lost her entire cucumber row. Has anyone else had a sudden heat spike wreck weeks of work like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

joel_hall1713d ago

lol "killed my whole community garden plot" is a bit dramatic don't you think? I mean if you watered the night before and it was only 95 degrees that's not even that hot. My tomatoes handle way worse than that no problem. Maybe your soil just wasn't draining right or something.

nora_park12d ago

I mean if you watered the night before" doesn't always save plants in a heatwave, Joel. I read a gardening article last month that said watering in the morning is better because the water has time to soak in and cool the roots before the sun hits. Watering at night can sit on the leaves and cause rot or fungus, plus the heat still bakes the ground the next day. So maybe it wasn't just the variety, but the timing of the water.

murray.drew13d agoMost Upvoted

Dramatic? Idk, man, 95 degrees can absolutely toast seedlings if they don't have deep roots yet. I lost a row of lettuce last summer when it hit 92 for just two days, and I'd watered them well the night before. Maybe your established tomatoes can take it, but young transplants or shallow-rooted stuff like radishes and greens will just shrivel up no matter how good your drainage is.