As I've noted earlier, the high temperatures around here have made my tomato crop this year a near-total failure. We've been running 5-8 degrees F higher than normal since May. Around here, tomatoes are a race. You plant early to try to get them to mature before the heat sets in, wherin the flowers don't fertilize. Then you're DONE. Maturity and peak fertilization usually happens here in May and June. Flowers aplenty. Few tomatoes. It's been getting worse for the last few years here, and I may just be done with tomatoes. You can call it climate change, or you can call it bad luck. Looks to me like the handwriting is on the wall.

it's often a race for tomatoes to set fruit here too. Plant too early and you risk them getting frost killed. Plant too late and it sometimes gets too hot for them to set well after they start blooming in late may to early June. Cherry tomatoes don't really care and set right through the heat.

I've noticed a complete lack of Japanese Beetles this year as well as a lower population of asparagus beetles. Squash bugs are a major pest every year and this year is no different. I've about had my fill of summer squash so I may just nuke the little beasties. They likely won't do well in the current heat wave anyway.

Re Japanese Beetles, apparently, geraniums contain a substance that temporarily paralyzes them, making them more susceptible to predators! I'm thinking of installing window boxes of geraniums around the chicken coop so that the the chickens can benefit! Another annual plant that kills JB's is Four O'Clock, Marvel of Peru.

I grow marigolds all around my veggie garden and they don't keep the pollinators away :).

Linda

I'm not sure if it's really change or a streak. I've only been living here for a decade. But it has been dryer for sure- the ponds have visably lost a couple inches over the last decade. And our first couple years here the sump pump used to go off on the regular, and now it rarely does when it rains good and hard- which happens less than it used to. There were parts of the property that didn't get "driving dry" till now that are dry in the middle to end of June, and a spot out back that a neighbor buried his jeep every spring in the mud and couldn't dig out till the mid-August that now starts firming up by the end of July. 2012 was a really dry year, then we got "normal" wet through '16. It's been on the dry trend since '17.

Bug populations are off. I know I get few garden pests like hornworms, squash bugs, and bean beetles. I worked on how to help keep them out, or eaten. Brachnoid wasps are less than usual, not sure if it's because they are off, or because there is less bugs for them to use. The little leaf eaters of greens and brassicas and the miners are out almost usual. Butterflies and moths are down. Big bumbles and carpenter bees are down a little, small bumbles are down a lot. I don't think I've seen masons yet this year. Some honeybees and sweat bees. Some of the wasps and daubers are around, but I haven't seen any bigger paper nests being built yet. Lots of tiny gold bees, almost normal amounts of fireflies, dragonflies, and damsels. Surprisingly low ticks considering it was a mouse winter, and skeeters are down a bit. It's getting to be spider season around here, so will see how much webs show up.

Also, spring peepers have been dwindling, summer croakers are less, and for sure less bats have been out this year.

I think it should also be mentioned that over the last couple years there has been an uptick in new gardeners and gardens all over, and that can help contribute to the spread of pests to areas where they usually aren't.

We've been at this house for 5 years. The first year having record rains, then into 3-4 years of record drought! We thought everything was on a drip system and didn't think anything about watering! We got great big peaches that fed all the neighbors and the squirrels! Last year we noticed the peaches were small and tough! Started watering, but too late! It died! I was able to put the cherry tree on drip and saved it, but lousy crop this year!

I have 3 4x8 raised beds.Iwas very careful to make a "bowl" to plant each plant in to save water. I also "dry farm" backing off my watering after plants are established eventually to once a week unless we have a huge heat event.

Yeah I think climate change is affecting my gardening for sure. Seems like ever since 2015 ( a flood year) things just haven't been right since.

Okie HU