A heat wave can make a vegetable garden look like it has filed for early retirement. Leaves curl, blossoms disappear, fruit production slows, and perfectly healthy plants can suddenly look rather unimpressed with the whole gardening arrangement. The good news: heat stress does not automatically mean a crop has reached the end of its story.
Some vegetables simply hit pause when temperatures become extreme, then resume growth when conditions improve. Others may recover as plants but still lose flowers, fruit quality, or part of the harvest that the heat interrupted. Knowing the difference can keep gardeners from making a common mistake: trying to “fix” a stressed plant so aggressively that the rescue attempt creates a second problem.
