Heat, not gardener, holding back tomato crop
Providing shade could help set fruit until temperatures drop below 90 degrees
Q: I don’t understand what’s wrong with my tomato plants. Unlike some of your readers my plants aren’t “pestered” by hornworms and are growing pretty well. They are blooming but I’m not getting many, if any, tomatoes to set! What am I doing wrong? G.J., Albuquerque
A. Please don’t take the lack of tomato set personally. It’s not you, it’s the heat. Tomatoes usually won’t set fruit, no matter how many blooms they are wearing, if the ambient air temperature goes much over 90 degrees. So you see it’s not anything you’re doing wrong, it’s the heat of summer we’re suffering with. Now there might be one thing that you could do that may assist your plants in setting fruit while we stay so warm. Aim to create a shade structure over the area where you have the tomatoes growing.
Just a wee bit of shade might keep the air cool enough to convince the tomatoes to set. You’ll need to be sure that any shade structure be tall enough that it doesn’t lie on or suffocate the plants. They’ll still want good air circulation in order to stay healthy. Other than that, I don’t know what else to suggest except keep your plants sufficiently watered and if need be fertilized so when the heat comes off the plants will be ready and able to set fruit galore for you. This time of year patience is your key word in the garden.
Q: In my neighborhood I’ve seen a home that has two shrubs that are so pretty. Both plants are about 3½-foot tall and wide, maybe a bit taller and have long slender green leaves. It’s the flowers that these two plants are “wearing” that are remarkable. Clusters of the whitest white I’ve ever seen on a plant and the other a brilliant true red color. Can you tell me from my description what these two plants/shrubs might be? F.C., Westside Albuquerque
A. Yes, from the description, especially of the leaf, I’m quite confident that the shrubs you’re fascinated by are Oleander. These plants live to flower in the heat of the year so they are in their element right now. The spearshaped leaves are a fair green color about 4- to 6-inches long, nothing spectacular but you’re right it’s the bloom that is so eye-catching. You can find Oleander in lots of different colors too. The white that has caught your eye, pale peach, corals and several in the red spectrum. They’ll grow pretty well here too until that is we have a wicked cold dry winter. Then Oleander could suffer lots of winter kill. But as long as the winter months stay fairly mild and you are a responsible plant tender — remember to water even during the winter months — you can grow Oleander here. I do have one major caution about the Oleander though. Every part of this creature is poisonous. So if you have inquisitive young children or a silly animal in your life then perhaps the Oleander isn’t for you. But if the kids and pets will listen when you say “No!” then go ahead and incorporate an Oleander into your world! They sure can add a lot of color into the landscaping during the heat of the year. Happy Diggin’ In!
Tracey Fitzgibbon is a certified nurseryman. Send your gardenrelated questions to Digging In, Albuquerque Journal, P.O. Drawer J, Albuquerque, NM 87103, or to features@abqjournal.com.