Managing Weather-Related Problems in the Vegetable Garden

Jul 30, 2025

By Aaron J. Steil

Not all problems in the vegetable garden are caused by insect pests or diseases. Hot temperatures and heavy or inconsistent rainfall can lead to deformed fruit and low yields. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach horticulture specialists discuss common weather-related issues in the vegetable garden and offer tips for managing them.

According to Aaron Steil, consumer horticulture extension specialist, high temperatures, particularly those above 90°F during the day or 75°F at night, can cause blossom drop in crops such as tomatoes, peppers and green beans. Flowers may fail to form or fall off before pollination, leading to reduced yields.

“Temperatures above 85°F can delay ripening in vegetables like tomatoes, peppers and eggplant, causing fruit to remain green longer. Cool-season crops like lettuce, spinach and peas often stop growing altogether,” said Steil. “While soil is typically cooler than the air temperature, if it exceeds 86°F, potato tubers stop forming. Heat also causes incomplete or poor pollination in vine crops like cucumbers and squash, resulting in misshapen produce.”

Flavor is also affected by hot weather. Cucumbers may taste bitter, and crops like melons and carrots may have reduced sweetness as sugars are used at a higher rate in the heat, Steil noted.

Source : iastate.edu

Video: Why Invest in Canada’s Seed Future? | On The Brink: Episode 3

Darcy Unger just invested millions to build a brand-new seed plant on his farm in Stonewall, Manitoba so when it’s time for his sons to take over, they have the tools they need to succeed.

Right now, 95% of the genetics they’ll be growing come from Canadian plant breeders.

That number matters.

When fusarium hit Western Canada in the late 90s, it was Canadian breeders who responded, because they understood Canadian conditions. That ability to react quickly to what’s happening on Canadian farms is exactly what’s at risk when breeding programs lose funding.

For farmers like Darcy, who have made generational investments based on the assumption that better genetics will keep coming, the stakes are direct and personal.

We’re on the brink of decisions that will shape our agricultural future for not only our generation, but also the ones to come.

What direction will we choose?

On The Brink is a year-long video series traveling across Canada to meet the researchers, breeders, farmers, seed companies, and policymakers shaping the future of Canadian plant breeding. Each week, a new story. Each story, a piece of the bigger picture.

Episode 3 is above. Follow Seed World Canada to catch every episode, and tell us: Do you think the next generation will have the tools they need to success when they takeover? How is the future going to look?