Resources for managing in heat waves

When Oregon experiences extremely high temperatures in summer, these resources can help your family, plants and animals weather the heat.

Home and garden tips

Prepare for a heat wave!

Being prepared when a heat wave strikes can make the experience a whole lot more bearable. Here's a list of tips for keeping yourself, your loved ones, your pets and your home cool when the temperature spikes.

Jeanne Brandt | Jun 2021 | Article

Tips for gardening in extreme heat

Keep hydrated. Carry a water bottle – and use it! You need water as much as your plants do.

Kym Pokorny | Jun 25, 2021 | News story

Heat wave in the garden: How to identify and prevent heat stress in plants

When a heatwave hits, plants may show the impact. Learn the signs of heat stress in plants and how to help them weather a heatwave with best practices for watering, mulching, shading, providing humidity and weeding.

Nicole Sanchez | Jun 2021 | Article Peer reviewed (Gray level)

How to help bees survive a heat wave

Extreme summer heat can pose a danger to bees. Although bees have ways to keep cool, many gardeners put out shallow trays of water and pebbles to help them. Does that help? Here's what the science says.

Andony Melathopoulos, Gail Langellotto | Jul 2021 | Article Peer reviewed (Gray level)

How to care for heat-damaged plants

Go ahead and cut off dead flowers on heat-burned plants, but try to resist the urge to remove partially dead leaves.

Kym Pokorny | Jul 9, 2021 | News story

Canned food safety during the heat wave?

Q: We had a chest of store-bought canned meat that we forgot about in our unconditioned/uninsulated metal roof shop during the recent 115º F weather. When I puncture a can to open it still breathes in, not out. No cans are swollen. Is it safe to eat?

A: View answer | View all featured questions

How to manage in a heatwave with wildfire smoke?

Q: I have been struggling with the 100°+ temperatures and poor air quality in the Willamette Valley this week. I am wondering how to be better prepared for next summer. Thank you for any tips!

A: View answer | View all featured questions

Crop and livestock care

Drought and Heat Needs Assessment

Learn what farmers and ranchers are already doing to contend with drought and heat and what types of support they need.

Dr. Berit Dinsdale, María Isabel Zamora Re, Lauren Chase | Project

Managing grapevines during a heat spike

Oregon grape growers face challenges as the frequency and severity of extreme heat events increase due to climate change. Here's how grape growers can protect their crops during a heat wave.

Cody Copp, Alexander Levin | May 2022 | Article Peer reviewed (Gray level)

Tips for livestock care in high temperatures

When a heat wave hits, don't forget that livestock need help to cope with the high temperatures too. Here are five things you can do to help livestock stay cool.

Jenifer Cruickshank | Jun 2021 | Article

OSU researcher provides insight for hemp resilience to extreme heat

By paying attention to the news and the water conditions of reservoirs in winter, growers can decide the best course of action for hemp season.

Gordon B. Jones | Feb 2022 | Impact story

Historic heatwave offers lessons for Christmas tree growers

Damage assessments after the historic heat wave of June 2021 in Oregon provided lessons for the state's Christmas tree growers. Those assessments showed how damage varied by type of tree and location of farms.

Judy Kowalski | Oct 2021 | Article

June 2021 heat impacts on trees explained

The June 2021 heat wave caused significant damage to trees in Oregon. Learn some key findings on causes, types of damage, physiological "thermotolerance" of trees, and possible forest management implications.

Glenn Ahrens | Jan 2022 | Article

Bees demonstrate they're nature's HVAC specialists

How do bees keep cool in a heat wave? Scorching temperatures in Oregon in June 2021 provided an opportunity to monitor some beehives to see how bees maintain a safe temperature inside their hives.

Mark Gorman | Aug 2021 | Article

Jul 2022

Stuffed peppers on a grill demo at farmer's market

Want to learn more about this topic? Explore more resources from OSU Extension: Health outreach, Gardening techniques, Climate change, Family emergency preparedness

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Now’s the time to plan for cover crops

Cover crops can add organic matter and aerate the soil, protect it from compaction caused by rain, suppress weeds and reduce erosion,

Kym Pokorny | Sep 9, 2022 | News story

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How can I consume more calcium?

I am interested in information about calcium supplements. Which do you recommend? I have heard that Tums can be a source of calcium.

Patty Case | Oct 2017 | Featured question

No room for vegetables? Pot up your plants

There are some dwarf and miniature varieties of vegetables, such as Thumbelina carrots or other baby vegetables that work particularly well in small confines.

Kym Pokorny | Mar 26, 2021 | News story

With the right care, asparagus beds will produce for decades

Asparagus is a hardy perennial and should be planted as soon as the soil can be properly prepared in the spring.

Kym Pokorny | Feb 12, 2021 | News story

Learn the terms on seed packets to make the right selection

Understanding terms associated with seeds will help you pinpoint which selections best serve specific gardens and practices.

Kym Pokorny | Jan 23, 2021 | News story

Feed birds in winter with berry-bearing plants

Birds eat berries in winter for food to give them the energy they need to survive the prolonged stress of cold and wet weather.

Kym Pokorny | Jan 16, 2021 | News story

Turn to gardening books for comfort and inspiration

Add a fire and a cup of tea and relax with one of these 11 books recommended by Oregon State University Extension Service horticulturists.

Kym Pokorny | Dec 18, 2020 | News story

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