growing in rich, consistently moist soil with good airflow may handle the same heat wave much better than one that is already stressed.
What makes heat tricky to diagnose is that it produces symptoms that can easily be mistaken for a watering problem. UMN Extension research on limited fruit set and fruit abortion in cucurbits describes how hot conditions can cause flower drop and small-fruit abortion that looks nearly identical to drought stress or inconsistent irrigation.
Checking temperature patterns alongside soil moisture gives a much clearer picture than blaming one
There’s more to discover. Continue to the next page for the rest of this article.
