The sweet peppers never bloomed, the corn doesn't have perfect rows of kernels and the carrots are getting hairy.

It's not faulty seeds; it's the fault of our weird summer. With the strange weather we've experienced this year - extreme highs and early lows - the carrots look as if they're growing beards.

These problems also can result from carry-over drift of weedkiller fumes from the yard or even from too much commercial fertilizer. Next year, plan on making several successive plantings a couple of weeks apart. Not only will that whip the weather problem but you'll probably see a better, longer harvest of proper-sized carrots.

Carrots that split as if someone had whacked them with a cleaver are the result of a final burst of growth, usually after one of our heavy rains. This unwelcome phenomenon can take place in just a couple of days.

Corn ears with missing teeth aren't the fault of lousy pollination by your neighborhood bees. The pollen from the tassels floats from plant to plant on breezes to attach to the silk at the end of the ear. Each of those silks leads to a potential kernel.

If your corn is "gap-prone," consider your method of planting. Good, airborne pollination is enhanced by rows about 2 1/2 feet apart and several rows thick to form a block instead of a couple of long stretches. When tassels are ripe and there's no wind, just walk through your corn patch and the disturbance will release an abundance of pollen to float down to the silks.

Hot weather can stop your tomato plants from setting fruit, as can a lack of breezes. In the latter case, gently shake the bushes during a quiet afternoon and watch the pollen drift around. A commercial product called Blossom Set can help.

If you don't have peppers, you may have planted too early. Next year, wait until the soils warm up before planting them. The tender blossoms can easily succumb to temperatures that dip under 50 degrees.

Dale Langford is an area lawn and garden specialist.