5 Vegetables That Can Survive Extreme Heat: A Guide to Gardening in Hot Climates

I am going to cover 5 vegetables that can grow in extreme heat of over 40 degrees Celsius, which is over 104 degrees Fahrenheit. If you live in an area where it gets really hot, you can always depend on these five vegetables to grow in your garden and be your companion. Let's get started.

1. Eggplants

   Eggplants prefer temperatures between 80 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, which is about 26 to 32 degrees Celsius. However, eggplants also do really well in temperatures over 40 degrees Celsius, which is over 104 degrees Fahrenheit. For more heat tolerance, grow Mediterranean-type round eggplants in hot weather over 104 degrees Fahrenheit and 40 degrees Celsius. Make sure you water your plants really well and keep the soil moist at all times.

2. Hot Peppers

   Peppers like temperatures between 75 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, which is 24 degrees Celsius to 32 degrees Celsius. While certain peppers will not grow in extreme heat and might drop the flowers, hot peppers like jalapenos, serranos, and habaneros will do really well in extreme heat over 104 degrees Fahrenheit or 40 degrees Celsius. Sweet peppers such as bell peppers are not heat tolerant at all and will not do well over 95 degrees Fahrenheit or 35 degrees Celsius. Bell peppers prefer shade towards sunburns in the extreme heat of summer.

3. Okra

   Okra loves growing in summer and does really well in extreme heat. While okra will start to produce well in temperatures about 80 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, which is about 26 to 32 degrees Celsius, when the temperature crosses over 100 degree Fahrenheit and as long as you keep watering okra crop plants will do extremely well and start to produce a lot of okra.

4. Sweet Potatoes

   While sweet potatoes prefer temperatures between 70 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit, which is 20 to 35 degrees Celsius, sweet potatoes will also do extremely well in high heat over 104 degrees Fahrenheit or 40 degrees Celsius. Always start your sweet potatoes from sweet potato slips.

5. Squash, Gourds, and Pumpkins

   This includes zucchini, yellow squash, bitter gourd, and sugar pie pumpkins. Squashes such as zucchini and yellow squash will do really well in extreme heat over 104 degrees Fahrenheit. If you want to maximize your production in summer, always grow squashes, gourds, and pumpkins. Squash is super easy to grow and is a fail-safe crop you can grow in your garden.

When growing a vegetable garden in hot climates, one tip I can give you to control pests organically is to grow sunflowers along with your vegetable garden. Sunflowers attract aphids and other insects that will harm your vegetable garden, so they act as a cash crop to catch all the bad insects. Sunflowers also do really well in extreme heat over 104 degrees Fahrenheit and 40 degrees Celsius.

I really hope you enjoyed this and that you grow these five vegetables during the heat of summer. With proper care and attention, these vegetables can thrive in extreme heat and provide a bountiful harvest for your kitchen. Happy gardening!