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Rush, NY

This past week we had 2 days in the low 90's, and some heat stress was expected. There are some things about heat stress that don't make sense to me. After having 2 weeks of mid 50's to mid 60's for daily highs, we had 72 degrees. Most of my plants had 1 leaf with some heat stress that day. Why? I still have 2 plants where the seeds were started in the cold frame that have not been watered like my other plants. When it was in the low 90's, neither plant suffered any heat stress. Why? Several years ago I had 2 plants out in the middle of nowhere (over water domes) that never got any water or much care. These plants never had any heat stressed leaves when my well watered plants did. Why? I would appreciate any info that plant experts can provide.

6/19/2001 11:35:14 AM

Buffalo, NY

Maybe the hardening or they are hardier since watered less and more accustomed to the outdoors? For example, tomatoes that grow lush indoors under lights must me gradually hardened off over time before they can take the outside abuse, not just heat stress, but wind, temp extremes, etc. Cauliflower for example should be withheld water the day/day before planting to harden off. Some veggies have different hardening needs. My tomatoes that are "volunteers" from dropped or thrown away fruits next to the compost pile seem to grow the toughest with the least problems (and the least watered) even though they are annuals that should never have resprouted the next year. Read an article somewhere on the net where a lady started all her plants in the fall & winter--she put seeds out in soil or soilless mix in covered pie-tins, etc, BEFORE all the winter snow to find them thawed, watered & germinated in the spring... guess this toughens them as if they were naturalized/meant to grow there.

6/19/2001 8:16:25 PM

Saegertown Pa.

It could be your not watering deep enough. if the water doesnt go deep your roots wont go deep enough to get water when its hot out.the roots will stay close to the top of the ground. when I water Ill water four 4 to 6 hous and I havent had any heat stess and its bin in the uppr 80 and 90.

6/20/2001 8:41:00 AM

Walnut Creek, CA

I have been having the same problems, high 90's and 100- 103 !! Especially bad on the new emerging tips, I am starting to think it is reflective heat that is giving me all the problems. I have been misting and it is helping in two ways, 1: cooler micro-climate and it also slows the reflective heat bouncing off of the dry ground surrounding the new tips. I will submit a picture of what my heat stressed leaves look like 7-2-01. I was trying to shade the tips early on, and it did help, but now the plant is much to large.

7/2/2001 2:10:05 AM