You may not be aware, however, of what the high temperatures do to your vegetable plants. High temperatures, both day and night, interfere with pollination and fruit set of many vegetables. Snap beans and lima beans tend to drop their flowers readily under these conditions. Squash has a tendency to produce a lot of male flowers and consequently few fruit. Tomatoes and bell peppers also set very few fruit during the hot months.
Hot peppers are less sensitive.
If you're planning to grow tomatoes in your fall garden, you should plant the tomato seeds by mid-June. It will take about four to five weeks for these seeds to produce transplants. Grow them in the open so they will be acclimated to the hot temperatures. Three of the newer varieties you might try are Bingo, Whirlaway and Solar Set. Another new variety is Heat Wave.