How to Manage Summer Heat on Your Market Farm: Tips for Farmers and Crops
By Jonathan Dysinger and John Dysinger
Updated on
Show Transcript
0:00Hi guys, it's the middle of July and here in the south it can be really really hot and so we're going to talk
0:06about tips for keeping your c crops happy in the summertime and keeping the the farmers and the farm hands happy. So
0:15what do you guys do for managing this intense heat?
0:19Well, it's nice to have a creek or pond nearby to keep the farmers happy.
0:24Yeah. Um, but I I think one of the simplest things to do, although it may not be simple depending on your labor force, but is to adjust your schedule.
0:36You know, it's it's 8:00 in the morning and we've been filming for a couple hours already. So,
0:45you know, our farm schedule in the summer is 6:00 to 8:00 in the morning and then a break for breakfast and then
0:54going till noon and then taking a break in the heat of the afternoon, coming back at at 4 or 5
1:05to 8, you know. So, just really taking advantage of the cool of the morning and evening. Um, that's
1:13that's critical in my mind. I love to wear 100% cotton. You know, I find if
1:21I'm wearing polyester, I tend to overheat much easier.
1:27So, that's my personal opinion. I think drinking cold water, you know, you want
1:33to avoid extremes with this, but it just seems to me if I can have some ice in the water that it kind of cools me from the inside out,
1:43which I find helpful. Um, widebrimmed hat,
1:50pace yourself. I to me I think this is key. You can't work as fast and hard in the heat as you can when it's cooler.
2:00So, you just have to, you know, it's kind of the slow and steady wins the race. You remember that?
2:08You heard that a few times growing up.
2:10I still don't feel like I've fully uh embraced that motto, but Well, there's probably some truth to it.
2:19You know, you just plot along. But um if you're pacing yourself, you can keep going much longer than those who push hard and then are totally wiped out.
2:31Yeah. And heat stroke is a real thing. I mean, we we know a farmer who died died from heat stroke.
2:38Yeah. Um it's serious.
2:41So it's it's nothing to to play around with for sure. So with the entirety of
2:47your workforce, either family or uh employees that are living here on the farm or very close to the farm, you're
2:55able to take off that 4 hours in the middle of the day. But if you had and we often go to the pond,
3:00yeah, just just take it easy in the heat of the day, it's great. And then in the evening, you're harvesting for deliveries the next day or whatever. And and yeah, it's a it's a great schedule.
3:09Um, so I guess maybe if people aren't really in a position to take advantage of that, they should consider it.
3:16Yeah. Yeah. You know, I could see if employees are driving in or whatever, it could be complicated, but it works for
3:25us here. Yeah. Um, wetting your hat I also find is helpful. just, you know,
3:32especially if it's like a cotton floppy brim hat or something, just getting it wet and then it's cooling your head and as it evaporates.
3:42So, those are just a few tips for the people. As far as the plants, shade
3:48cloth, I think, is in the south is pretty critical. Mhm.
3:54Um, we use 30% shade. Um, staying on top of your irrigation is huge. You know,
4:02you the plants have to stay hydrated.
4:06So, really being on top of your irrigation game. And then,
4:12you know, focus on crops that thrive in the heat.
4:16Mhm. You know, the the one major um exception to that that we try to do is
4:23lettuce year round. And that takes some work in the heat of the summer. It can be done.
4:30But for the most part, you know, your okra, your tomatoes, your peppers, they your sweet potatoes,
4:39they thrive in the heat. Corn, sweet corn. Um yeah. So really just, you know, when it's hot, grow stuff that likes it hot.
4:51Yeah. Yeah. I mean, makes sense. I don't.
4:55So, do you put 30% shade over all of your tunnels pretty much regardless of what you're growing? Do you ever And do you ever do a 50% shade if you're doing cooler weather?
5:04Well, we do we do use 50% shade on our lettuce for the first couple weeks,
5:11covering it with 50% shade.
5:14But what we found when we put 50% shade on our tunnels,
5:20uh, stuff just was a little bit too leggy and the lettuce wouldn't form good solid heads. That was our experience.
5:29They were just kind of loose and floppy.
5:33And uh, so yeah, we have not had good experience with 50%.
5:40you know, maybe for just like baby greens it would be fine. Yeah.
5:47But and and when you're irrigating, do you try to irrigate in the mornings and the evenings and not in the heat of the day where you're going to get a lot of
5:54evaporation or do you not really I mean we don't we don't really water
6:02water metering is not a concern here. So yeah, I guess that's the bottom line. We we have a great supply of water, so
6:11we're not concerned about conserving water necessarily. Um yeah, if if that was an issue,
6:19especially out west where it's so dry and there's so much evaporation, you would probably want to avoid that.
6:28But um yeah,
6:31great. Okay. Well, I think those are some good tips and there's something to be said for the fact that you do definitely get used to being out in the
6:39heat. Um, if you're if you're used to air conditioning, it will be a shock.
6:45Uh, but once you get used to it, it's it's not all that bad. Yeah, you like the heat.
6:51Plug away. I I my my favorite season is the summer. I don't like the cold, so
6:58you just get used to it. them. All righty. Well, I hope some of these tips were helpful for you and uh will be a
7:06positive impact on your growing this summer. And until next time, happy growing.
The best strategy for farming in extreme summer heat is to adjust your schedule — work early morning and evening, take a long break during the hottest hours — and focus on crops that thrive in heat. For crop protection, 30% shade cloth over tunnels is the standard for most summer production, and staying on top of irrigation is non-negotiable. Heat stroke is a real and serious risk; pace yourself, stay hydrated with cold water, and know that slow and steady gets more done than pushing hard and burning out.
It's the middle of July in middle Tennessee, and it's brutally hot. If you're farming in the South — or anywhere that summer temperatures regularly push into the 90s and beyond — managing heat isn't just about comfort. It's about safety, crop quality, and keeping your operation running through the most physically demanding months of the year.
My dad, John Dysinger, has been farming through Tennessee summers for 27 years at Bountiful Blessings Farm. In a recent video, we talked through how he keeps both the people and the plants on his farm healthy when the heat is at its worst.
How Do You Keep Farmers Safe and Productive in Summer Heat?
This is the people side of the equation, and it matters more than most new farmers realize. Heat stroke is a real and serious risk — my dad knows a farmer who died from it. This isn't something to push through or tough out.
Adjust Your Work Schedule
The single most impactful thing you can do is restructure your day around the heat.
At Bountiful Blessings Farm, the summer schedule is: 6:00 AM to noon, then a long break during the heat of the afternoon, then back out from 4:00 or 5:00 PM until 8:00 PM. They're already filming videos at 8:00 AM after having worked for a couple of hours. The mornings and evenings are for productive field work. The middle of the day is for rest, meals, and lighter indoor tasks.
My dad acknowledges this schedule works partly because his workforce — family and on-farm employees — lives on or near the farm. If your team is driving in from town, a split schedule gets more complicated. But if you can make it work, it's worth considering seriously. The four-hour midday break isn't wasted time — it's what makes the morning and evening hours sustainable.
Pace Yourself
You cannot work as fast in 95-degree heat as you can in 70-degree weather. Period. My dad's motto — one I heard countless times growing up — is "slow and steady wins the race."
If you pace yourself, you can keep going for hours. If you push hard in the heat, you burn out fast and lose the rest of the day. The tortoise really does beat the hare when it's July in Tennessee.
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Practical Heat Tips
Drink cold water with ice. My dad finds that cold water cools him from the inside out more effectively than room-temperature water. Stay ahead of your hydration — don't wait until you're thirsty.
Wear 100% cotton. This is my dad's strong personal preference. He finds that polyester traps heat and causes him to overheat much faster. Cotton breathes and wicks differently in the heat.
Wide-brimmed hat, preferably cotton. A floppy cotton hat that you can soak with water provides evaporative cooling as it dries. Wetting your hat periodically is a simple trick that makes a noticeable difference.
Acclimate gradually. If you've been spending most of your time in air conditioning and then go out to work a full day in summer heat, it will be a shock. But your body does adjust. Once you're acclimated to working in the heat, it's genuinely not that bad. My dad's favorite season is summer — he'd rather be hot than cold.
How Do You Keep Crops Healthy in Extreme Heat?
The plant side of heat management comes down to three things: shade, water, and crop selection.
Use Shade Cloth
Shade cloth is critical for summer growing in the South. At Bountiful Blessings Farm, my dad uses 30% shade cloth over his tunnels for most summer production. This blocks enough sunlight to reduce heat stress without starving plants of the light they need to grow well.
He has experimented with 50% shade cloth and found that it was too much for most crops. Plants grown under 50% shade tended to be leggy, and lettuce in particular wouldn't form good, solid heads — the heads came out loose and floppy. The one exception is using 50% shade over newly transplanted lettuce for the first couple of weeks to help it establish, then transitioning to 30% or removing the shade entirely.
For baby greens, 50% shade might work fine since you're harvesting before the plants need to form heads. But for most production crops, 30% is the sweet spot.
Stay on Top of Irrigation
This one is simple but non-negotiable: plants have to stay hydrated in the heat. Being behind on irrigation for even a day or two during a heat wave can set your crops back significantly or kill them outright.
At Bountiful Blessings Farm, they have an abundant water supply, so water conservation isn't a primary concern. If you're in a region where water is limited — particularly out West — you'd want to irrigate during early morning or evening hours to reduce evaporation losses. But regardless of your water situation, staying on top of your irrigation schedule during summer is the single most important thing you can do for your crops.
Grow What Thrives in Heat
This seems obvious, but it's worth stating: when it's hot, grow crops that like it hot.
Summer is the season for okra, tomatoes, peppers, sweet potatoes, and sweet corn. These crops thrive in the heat and are at their most productive when temperatures are high.
The main exception at Bountiful Blessings Farm is lettuce — they grow it year-round because the market demand never stops. Growing lettuce through the heat of summer takes extra work — shade cloth, careful irrigation, choosing heat-tolerant varieties — but it can be done. For most other cool-season crops, it's easier and more profitable to wait for fall.
The Takeaway
Summer heat management is about working with the heat, not fighting against it. Adjust your schedule to avoid the worst hours. Pace yourself so you can sustain productive work across the entire season. Keep your crops protected with 30% shade cloth and consistent irrigation. And focus your summer growing on the crops that love the heat.
Heat stroke is serious and real. Take it seriously, take your breaks, drink your cold water, and remember — slow and steady really does win the race.
Frequently Asked Questions
A split schedule works well: work from early morning (6:00 AM) through noon, take a long break during the hottest afternoon hours, then return for an evening session from 4:00 or 5:00 PM until 8:00 PM. This avoids the most dangerous heat while taking advantage of the productive cool hours at both ends of the day.
30% shade cloth is the standard for most summer production in the South. It reduces heat stress without limiting plant growth. 50% shade tends to produce leggy plants and poor head formation in lettuce. The exception is using 50% shade temporarily over new lettuce transplants for the first two weeks.
Yes, but it requires extra care — shade cloth over the beds, careful irrigation, and heat-tolerant varieties. At Bountiful Blessings Farm, lettuce is grown year-round to meet consistent market demand. For the first couple of weeks after transplanting in summer, 50% shade can help lettuce establish before switching to 30%.
Pace yourself — you cannot work at the same intensity in extreme heat as in cool weather. Drink cold water throughout the day, wear 100% cotton clothing and a wide-brimmed hat, wet your hat periodically for evaporative cooling, and take a substantial midday break. Heat stroke is a real and potentially fatal risk that should be taken seriously.
If water conservation is a concern (particularly in arid western climates), irrigate during early morning or evening to minimize evaporation. If water supply isn't limited, the most important thing is simply staying consistent — plants need to stay hydrated in the heat, and falling behind on irrigation for even a day or two can cause serious damage.
Okra, tomatoes, peppers, sweet potatoes, and sweet corn all thrive in high temperatures. Focus your summer production on these heat-loving crops. Cool-season crops like spinach, kale, and most brassicas should wait for fall planting, with lettuce being the main exception for farms that want year-round salad production.
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