Q. I am frustrated. In August, I bought some eggplant plants, which I planted in my garden with tomatoes. These plants have grown very healthy, but the flowers bear no fruits.

J.B., Hialeah

Your eggplants and tomatoes aren’t setting fruit because it’s still too hot. As soon as the nighttime temperatures start going down to 70 or below, these plants will set fruit. Avoid fertilizing your plants too much since too much nitrogen reduces flowering.

Some of the recommended eggplant varieties for Florida are: “Black Beauty,” “Dusky,” “Long,” and “Ichiban.” “Cloud Nine” is a white variety.

Small fruit-type tomatoes such as cherry- and grape-type are easier to grow and very productive. Some varieties to try are: “Sweet 100,” “Red Grape,” “Sun Gold,” “Sugar Snack” and “Sweet Baby Girl.”

Some heirloom tomatoes to try are: “Green Zebra,” “Cherokee Purple,” “Brandywine,” “Mortgage Lifter” and “Delicious.”

Insect Samples

Send undamaged (live or dead) insects in a crush-proof container such as a pill bottle or film canister with the top taped on. Mail them in a padded envelope or box with a brief note explaining where you found the insects.

Do not tape insects to paper or place them loose in envelopes. Insect fragments or crushed insect samples are almost impossible to identify.

Send them to the address of your county extension office, found in the blue pages in the phone book under county government.