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I’ve grown plants in heatwaves before, but this year has been different. Back-to-back heatwaves feel far more intense than the shorter ones I’m used to. Records for heat and dryness were broken in August, and my veg patch has dealt with it in myriad ways.

You might think more sun equals more growth, but that isn’t necessarily the case. When under heat stress, plants close their stomata – the pores on the underside of their leaves – hindering the movement of water and exchange of gases needed for photosynthesis. This can result in a check on growth that I’ve seen in several of my plants, some of which dropped their flowers before they could start bearing fruit.

Stressed-out plants can be vulnerable to pest attacks, which might explain why so many leaf miners have found my chard this year. Even some established perennials have struggled in the heat. The golden raspberries, which are in their second season, had canes that were growing well then suddenly turned brown and died.

I also became reacquainted with the importance of gauging a plant’s wilting point when I planted out some lettuces that were desperate for more space on a 32C day – silly me! I did it when the patch was shaded by a willow tree, but when I checked on them at the end of the day, they had flopped over and started to wither. Regular glugs of targeted watering miraculously saved them from the brink – otherwise known as the “permanent wilting point” – and they’re doing well enough. But if another bout of hot weather comes, I expect they’ll bolt like the last round of lettuces did.

Plants can suffer from damage and discoloration when exposed to high levels of UV. The golden marjoram, self-seeded nasturtiums and newly planted-out beans all had leaves with signs of sun scald, despite being warmth-loving plants. Scalding can affect a plant’s growth, but if the damage is confined to a few leaves, which are removed, the plant can recover and grow normally.

I’ve long struggled with compaction in my very clay-heavy soil, and despite mulching regularly, the heat caused the ground to dry out more than usual, becoming less penetrable by my crop’s roots. I’m blaming the stunted growth of my courgettes on this sorry situation as the bed they’re in seems unusually solid. Now my water butts are empty, I’m working on accepting that some of my crops won’t be offering much of a harvest this year.

Yet some of my plants are actually doing really well. Special mention goes to the cucumbers in the greenhouse and the grapevine that grows by my back door. Most years, it gets mould or mildew before the grapes swell but I’m hopeful this year will see its first real harvest.