Question. Our tomato plants have a good crop of fruits and they are still flowering. Why aren’t more fruits forming?

Answer.You probably don’t appreciate the really hot summer temperatures and neither do tomato plants. The bushes can tolerate the upper 80′s and 90′s but they usually stop setting fruits. Only some cherry tomato varieties seem to be a bit heat resistant and form fruits during summer. When temperatures rise consistently above 85 degrees Fahrenheit, most plants may continue to flower but fail to produce fruits. Enjoy the crop that remains on the vines and plan for your next plantings which occur in mid-August. These then grow good bushes but don’t start setting fruit until early October.

Tomato plants do not produce fruit when the temperatures get above 85 degrees. (Dreamstime/TNS)

Q. A gift plant of a phalaenopsis orchid is still blooming and looking healthy. What care should I be providing and can it go outdoors?

A. Low light tolerant, thick-leaved and very colorful phalaenopsis, also known as moth orchids, make ideal gift plants. Even though they tolerate lower light levels they are best kept in bright light when indoors but out of direct late morning and afternoon sun.

It may be a challenge, but keep the growing medium moist. Many are marketed in containers without drainage and in a fibrous medium. It is best to water when the medium begins to feel dry to the touch. Add just a little water so as not to flood the root system.

When flowering is over a good location for phalaenopsis orchids is outdoors in the shade of a tree. Hang your orchid from a limb and water once or twice a week. Also, fertilize every other week with a water-soluble orchid or similar fertilizer during the warmer months. A slow-release granular fertilizer can be substituted for the feedings following label instructions.

Q. What many are calling a skunk vine is creeping up and over my shrubs. What is the best way to get it under control?

A. No doubt about it, you have a real stinker creeping through your yard. Destroying this invader should be a top priority. The plant roots down as it creeps across the ground sending up shoots that entwine the stems of your shrubs. There is nothing to spray over the shrubs so pulling it out is your first defense.

Remember, this plant does smell like a skunk so wear disposable gloves. After as much as possible is removed locate the source and cut it off at ground line. Be diligent and stay alert for new shoots and treat them with a brush killer as new growths form following label instructions. One thing is for sure, do not let the skunk vine flower. The seeds rapidly spread this vine to new areas.

Q. It’s now June and most of my vegetables are finished producing. What should I do next to prepare for a new garden?

A. Use the summer months to grow a few of the crops that like the hotter, wet weather or take the time off to revitalize the garden. When the crops are removed check for swollen roots which are a sign of nematode activity. Summer is the best time to bake out these pests using a soil solarization technique. This means tilling the soil, getting it moist and then covering it with clear plastic and sealing down the edges. In six to eight weeks the treatment can reduce the nematode population to a tolerable level.

If you are not giving the soil a special treatment, then have the acidity checked and adjust the pH if needed. Also, use this time to till in lots of organic matter and manure. Keep down the weeds until the next warm season plantings of tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash and cucumbers occur in mid-August.

Q. I have an African violet that appears to have formed several new plants attached to the parent. Can these be removed to grow more of the same?

A. Summer is a good time to divide many of your foliage plants forming offshoots including African violets. Remove the mother plant from its container and gently pry the new plants loose. Give each a small container with fresh potting soil. Keep moist and in bright light to expand your collection. A few weeks after making the divisions apply a liquid African violet fertilizer.

Q. I am growing yellow summer squash in a large container that produces lots of small fruits with soft ends that rot. How do I treat this problem?

A. Blame the bees and associated pollinators for not doing their part to help with this crop. Sometimes the bees are not there to move the pollen about and other pollinators may not be able to find the squash flowers. Make sure the plants are in full sun and in an open area accessible to insects. If the insects still do not come by to visit, you have to do their work. Move the pollen from the male flowers to the female flowers with a small artist’s paintbrush. This work is best performed during the morning hours.

Q. One of the residents in our neighborhood said the leaves of oaks make the soil acid and results in poor grass growth. He added lime and his turf is doing much better. Is this true?

A. Oak leaves can make the soil acid over time but plenty of soils tested from under these trees at local extension offices have been alkaline too. In other words, it’s probably best to have your soil tested. Your neighborhood’s soil may have needed the pH adjusted or maybe it was the magnesium in the lime that gave the turf a burst of color. It’s best not to add lime unless it’s needed and a soil test can help you determine what to do. Where magnesium might help, you can always add it with magnesium sulfate or Epson salts following label instructions should the soil acidity not need adjustment.

Tom MacCubbin is an urban horticulturist emeritus with the University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service. Write him: Orlando Sentinel, P.O. Box 2833, Orlando FL 32802. Email: TomMac1996@aol.com. Blog with Tom at OrlandoSentinel.com/tomdigs.