A summertime of hot , juiceless weather has disappoint household vegetable and fruit growers in the South , who despite shower care on their plants , are n’t seeing the fruits of their labor .
“ I am get piles of calls , ” sound out Jerri Lephiew , Ouachita County extension agent for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture . “ Everyone ’s garden is crash . hoi polloi are n’t seeing fruit setting on their plants . ”
Home gardener are lamenting the lack oftomatoes , beans , squashand Abelmoschus esculentus . Lack of fruit circle can have many cause . High nighttime temperatures are a major problem . Several cities in Arkansas see disk highs this month , with some metropolis hitting 107 degrees F and not dip below the mid 80s .
The heat causes the plant life ’s flowers to overleap . No flowers means no fruit .
“ If nighttime temperatures do n’t shine below 75 academic degree F during flowering to former yield maturation , tomatoes just wo n’t set yield , ” says Sherri Sanders , White County extension agent for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture .
“ As it cools and we have three or four nice evenings , we should be seeing Lycopersicon esculentum set some fruit , ” say Craig Andersen , extension vegetable specializer for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture .
The in high spirits temperatures can also touch ripen .
“ temperature in excess of 110 degrees F inhibit the ripening chemistry of the tomato in a similar manner to which cold temperatures damage fruit ripen , ” Andersen say . “ However , there is always the alternative and that ’s fried unripe tomatoes . ”
The same goes for green beans and mash .
“ Beans wo n’t lay out pods when there are in high spirits temperature , specially high nighttime temperature , ” he says . “ Squash is probably being affected by body of water and heat stress . When it chill down a little bit , the fruit will come back . ”
Andersen say the situation with the okra is more puzzling , though , because okra plant ordinarily hold stir up well . He accredit the trouble in the southern part of Arkansas to fire pismire , which have been eat the okra flowers .
“ There have been other problems recently , like bulla mallet coming out of alfalfa and soybeans and blend in into the garden and eat the flowers and untested leafage , ” he says . “ This has not been a with child time of year for horticulture . ”
Where blossoms have appease on board , pollination problem can also chip in to a lack of fruit . According to Jon Zawislak , university extension apiculturist for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture , there may not be anypollinatorsin some areas .
“ Tomatoes require big bee , ” Zawislak says . “ Because of the way Lycopersicon esculentum pollen sticks , the plant life requires buzz pollenation , which call forbumblebees . Honey beesare too small to cross-pollinate tomato plant effectively . ”
In bombination pollination , the bee vibrates the pollen loose .
Dan Chapman , director of the University of Arkansas ’ Fruit Research Station in Clarksville , Ark. , says the rut has also pretend blackberries and dish .
“ In blackberry , it ’s not the distaff efflorescence , but the male efflorescence that ca n’t take the heat , and you have to have both to get yield , ” he says . “ Our peach crop is down , the fruit size of it is down and all the growers have had problems with size and quantity , too . It ’s just a pathetic year . ”
