Protecting your vegetables from heat stress

SALT LAKE CITY — It’s amazing how much the heat impacts garden vegetables. Just about three decades ago, triple-digit temperatures only came around once or twice a year. Now that they come more regularly, those vegetables have to deal with severe heat stress.

What can you do to protect them and help them survive this hot summer?

The heat doesn’t wreak havoc in the gardens, but it is a more constant issue now. According to KSL Greenhouse Host Taun Beddes, the frequent high temperatures often give you your produce a little bit later. When you do get that produce, you will notice some problems here and there.

For example, tomatoes will often have blossom end rot or sunscald. Cucumbers and zucchinis will misshapen and taste different.

“In tomatoes, peppers, and even green beans, temperatures above 70 at night and above 90 during the day can cause the flowers to fall off the plants. It can inhibit pollination and slow down or stop fruit development,” Beddes said.

One tip that can greatly help your vegetables is using shade cloth. Beddes suggests using a grade that’s about 20% to 30%.

“What that shade cloth does is it cools it down anywhere from 10 to 20 degrees underneath,” he said. “Because there’s still plenty of sunlight, the plants will usually produce a couple of weeks sooner and with fewer damaged fruit.”

It doesn’t matter how close it is to the vegetables as long as they get the shade they need.

Related:

• Got leaf scorch on your trees? Here’s what you can do

• Keep your lawn healthy with these summer lawn care tips

• How to protect your tomatoes from heat damage

The KSL Greenhouse is on every Saturday from 8 a.m.-11 a.m. You can follow the show on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and on our website.