What heat stress can do to your new fruit trees and plants
Q: My peach, pluot and plum trees were blooming beautifully right before the heat wave this month (we reached 100 degrees for 2 or 3 days in a row). Now I notice that there's no fruit on any of the trees that were flowering. Our pear and apple trees bloomed after the heatwave, and they all have fruit. What happened?
Heat stress, especially in the form of a sudden, severe heat wave early in the season, can damage plants in several ways. New leaves are particularly susceptible to heat damage since they have not had time to develop a sufficient protective waxy cuticle layer, making them more likely to dehydrate. They also don't contain as much chlorophyll as mature leaves, which leaves them vulnerable to sunburn. The outermost, new leaves will dry out and turn brown, eventually falling off. This is stressful for the plant as a whole, since now it has to re-grow all of the lost leaves. When possible, leave the damaged foliage on the tree until the new leaves emerge, since they can protect the remaining interior leaves should another heat wave occur.
Extreme heat can also cause flowers to drop and young fruit to abort. This protects the plant from the further stress of producing fruit. Unfortunately, if this happens you will not get fruit for the season. The best way to help the tree recover is to protect it from water stress and give it fertilizer so it has enough nutrients to replace the lost leaves.
Trees that flower and fruit after the heat wave should be fine (as long as there's not another heat wave). Pome fruits such as pears and apples tend to flower after stone fruits (generally speaking) and should be fine.
Q: Could you reprint your directions for a good skunk spray neutralizer. My dog is stupid and I know it's only a matter of time before he tries to take on a skunk.
There are some ready-to-use commercial skunk smell neutralizers available that may be more effective than this homemade one. Ask your veterinarian if you think your dog is likely to detonate a skunk in the reasonably near future. The home remedy calls for 1 quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide, ¼ cup baking soda, and a teaspoon of liquid detergent (Dawn). Once the peroxide and baking soda are combined, the solution should be used right away and never stored in a closed container. This is safe to use on humans and pets. Avoid eye contact and rinse thoroughly after treatment. Dilute the solution with a large amount of water before pouring down the drain.
Los Angeles County
mglosangeleshelpline@ucdavis.edu; 626-586-1988; http://celosangeles.ucanr.edu/UC_Master_Gardener_Program/
Orange County
ucceocmghotline@ucanr.edu; http://mgorange.ucanr.edu/
Riverside County
anrmgriverside@ucanr.edu; 951-955-0170; https://ucanr.edu/sites/RiversideMG/
San Bernardino County
mgsanbern@ucanr.edu; 909-387-2182; http://mgsb.ucanr.edu
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This story was originally published April 24, 2026 at 7:38 AM.