A heat dome can turn a productive garden into a race against the clock, especially when vegetables sit through several days of intense heat. Harvesting certain crops early before extreme temperatures arrive can protect flavor, texture, and the hard work that went into growing them.
Summer gardens often look unstoppable right before the weather takes a dramatic turn. Tomatoes hang heavy, cucumbers multiply overnight, and zucchini seems determined to become a backyard baseball bat. A little early harvesting can keep those garden treasures from becoming disappointing kitchen experiments.
