Trying to figure out the life cycle of vegetables

[Doelman]

I've been gardening for a few years now and about this time of year, every year, many of my plants die. Is this normal? I'm in central Alabama.

All squash plants are dead (zucs, yellow, acorn).
All cucumber plants are dead (died over a month ago).
Basil plants are yellowing and don't look to survive much longer.
Watermelon plants have some dead vines but continue to send out new ones, I have 4 plants and all the fruit have rotted before ripening.
Tomato plants are dead, due to early blight I think (happens every year no matter what I do, I've grown tomatoes in a new bed every year).

What is alive:
Peppers are thriving and producing more than I can eat
Cantaloupe is thriving and producing
Bush beans are alive and still producing

Thanks!

 

[Tjohn]

Most vegetables, once they have produced their seed carriers( the part we eat),will die off. They also have cycles related to heat and daylight. Nothing lasts forever......

 

[La Garden]

Could try my path and go to containers. I quickly found it was the only way to keep a garden going in this oppressive weather. I use less water. Have it set up so only about 5 hours direct sunlight. Small one gallon pots are not doing to well, but the larger ones are doing great. Have a good number of zuc & butternut sets,
I got a late start in this so most things are just coming into bloom.

 

[DirtMechanic]

I've been gardening for a few years now and about this time of year, every year, many of my plants die. Is this normal? I'm in central Alabama.

All squash plants are dead (zucs, yellow, acorn).
All cucumber plants are dead (died over a month ago).
Basil plants are yellowing and don't look to survive much longer.
Watermelon plants have some dead vines but continue to send out new ones, I have 4 plants and all the fruit have rotted before ripening.
Tomato plants are dead, due to early blight I think (happens every year no matter what I do, I've grown tomatoes in a new bed every year).

What is alive:
Peppers are thriving and producing more than I can eat
Cantaloupe is thriving and producing
Bush beans are alive and still producing

Thanks!

Mine are gone as well and I live near Calera. Tomato is down to the last fruits, cucumber is gone as well as all the squash. Like you, the peppers keep peppering along, as well as my eggplants. Realistically the time we cannot grow vegetables is Mid June, July, Mid August. Its just to hot for new plants, and buggy, and given any moisture at all the fungal and other pathogens develop such a high rpm of reproduction you have to spray every day which is not really feasible, but the pressure really ramps up with the heat energy. The cooler week we just had was my key to fire up my fall garden, but the sun wanes so much by winter solstice that the growth is harder to come by so I roll with it and do greens and such.

 

[TomatoTango]

Intense heat, wildfire smoke, and climate change are all impacting crop life cycles in major ways now. My garden started acting like it was fall by mid August this year so I said F it and planted my fall/winter garden. Gardeners need to adapt to more unpredictable weather systems now.