Vegetable gardeners in the New Orleans area have not had an easy time this year. Unusually high temperatures beginning in early June along with very dry weather have led to disappointing results for many gardeners.

Although I have heard some good reports, overall production in home gardens has likely been less than in past years.

Don't despair. Despite the intense heat of July and August, there are delicious, heat-tolerant vegetables you can plant now to keep your garden productive through the late summer.

Popular vegetables such as tomatoes, beans, cucumbers and squash generally need warm but mild daytime temperatures in the 70s and 80s to produce well. April through May is a particularly critical period for vegetables to set an abundant crop for harvest in May and June. The scorching heat that we experienced in early summer this year lowered the production of these vegetables by reducing the number of flowers that set fruit, and the drought placed stress on the plants that shortened their productive period.

In addition, populations of pests such as aphids, spider mites, leaf miners, beetles and caterpillars seemed especially plentiful and early this year. I had lots of reports of tomato bacterial wilt.

As you remove vegetables that have finished their productive season, a selection of vegetables that thrive in midsummer heat may be planted in the garden now. Most of these vegetables are near and dear to Southerners and form an important part of our regional cuisine.

Before you plant your next crops, be sure to prepare the garden bed carefully. For your own comfort, the best time to accomplish this is the relatively cooler early morning.

First, do a thorough job of removing any weeds. Physically pulling or digging them out is generally effective for all but the really tough weeds, such as Bermuda grass, torpedo grass and nutsedge or coco grass. For those, you can spray them with the systemic herbicide glyphosate to kill them before you plant the next crop.

Once the weeds have been controlled, turn the soil to a depth of about 8 inches and then incorporate a few inches of organic matter (such as compost) and a sprinkling of a general purpose fertilizer.

Here are some great choices for heat-tolerant vegetables to plant now:

Okra: Because okra is native to tropical Africa, it never gets too hot for it to thrive here. Direct seeded into the garden now, okra will come into production in early September and produce until the weather cools down in late October or early November. A common mistake gardeners make is growing the plants too close together. Once the okra seedlings are a few inches tall, they should be thinned to 12 inches between plants. Harvest okra pods frequently when they reach a length of about 3 inches for best quality, although some varieties stay tender if harvested larger.

Eggplant: Unlike tomatoes, their relatives, eggplants thrive in the heat of mid- to late summer. Purchase transplants to plant into the garden now. I have generally found the oriental types such as 'Ichiban' or 'Tycoon' with long, narrow fruit to be especially productive. Plant transplants 18 to 24 inches apart in well-prepared beds.

Legumes: Although it is too hot for reliable production from legumes such as snap beans and lima beans, Southern peas such as purple hulls, crowders, cream peas and black-eyed peas produce abundant crops during the summer. Direct seed in rows, and thin young seedlings to stand 4 to 6 inches apart. Most varieties produce short, somewhat bushy vines and do not require a trellis to grow on. Other legumes that could be planted now include yardlong beans, winged peas and edible soybeans.

Peppers: Although bell peppers produce poorly during high temperatures, hot peppers and sweet peppers such as banana, 'Gypsy' and pimento produce very well despite the heat. Plant transplants now spaced about 18 inches apart. Bell pepper transplants can be planted in August for production this fall when the weather cools down.

Tomato: Spring-planted tomatoes are about finished with their main crop. If the plants are in poor condition, they should be removed to make way for heat-tolerant crops. Cherry, heat-tolerant and paste types may still be producing well and could be left in place.

If you want to grow your own transplants for fall tomatoes, seeds should be planted in the next couple of weeks. Transplants for fall tomatoes will be available at area nurseries in late July and August and should be purchased and planted into the garden then. Good varieties for fall production include 'Hawaiian Hybrid,' 'Solar Set,' 'Heatwave,' 'Bingo' and 'Celebrity.'

More choices: Other heat-tolerant vegetables that may be planted now include cantaloupe, pumpkin, watermelon (these three are a bit of a challenge in the home garden), luffa, peanuts (easy to grow and a great crop for kids) and sweet potatoes (plant rooted cuttings or "slips" as soon as possible for harvest in November).

For a free copy of the LSU AgCenter's "Louisiana Vegetable Planting Guide," contact your parish Extension office, or find it online at www.lsuagcenter.com.

DAN GILL'S MAILBOX

It is too late to trim and shape azalea bushes?Chester Simms

It's not too late to prune most azaleas, but you should get it done in the next couple of weeks. Azaleas set their flower buds for next year's blooms in midsummer. Late pruning in fall, winter or spring will remove flower buds and diminish the display. There is an exception that should be pruned earlier than now. The popular Encore azaleas begin blooming in late summer and should have been pruned earlier. The best time to prune them is in late April/early May right after they finish their spring blooming period.

I am having a problem with various weeds in my lawn. I think I have identified Virginia buttonweed, lespedeza and some dollarweed. Can I apply a weed killer now?Jim Connors

Weeds are not uncommon in summer lawns. Usually, a vigorous, thick, healthy lawn minimizes weed problems by crowding out the weeds. But, weeds are a tenacious group of plants and even healthy lawns can be invaded. Unfortunately, many of the more commonly used lawn weed killers are more likely to discolor or damage the lawn grass when used during high temperatures (daytime highs above the mid-80s), and should not be sprayed over the lawn in summer. That's why herbicide treatments in April and May are so important to summer lawn weed control. Applications made at that time, when the weather is milder and when the summer weeds are younger, are more effective. One option for now is to spot treat individual weeds or patches of weeds with one of the typical lawn weed killers that contain several active ingredients, such as Weed B Gon, Weed Free Zone and others. The herbicide Image (imazaquin) can be used over the entire lawn during summer heat, and will control a variety of broadleaf weeds, sedges and grassy weeds. Dr. Ron Strahan, weed specialist with the LSU AgCenter, reports that Green Light Wipe-Out with penoxsulam has, in trials, been doing an excellent job controlling broadleaf weeds. This is a granular material applied over the entire lawn with a spreader. Although effective, it is slow-acting, and it will be a few weeks before you begin to see the weeds dying.

I would like to know why the flowers on my roses are not as attractive as they were earlier. These are Knock Out roses and the color should be a bright cherry red. But, they seem smaller than before and the color is faded. It seems the flowers fade to a pink color almost as soon as they open. I have fertilized, but it hasn't helped. Are my rose bushes sick? What should I do?Dot Alford

Daytime highs in the mid-90s and nighttime lows in the mid- to upper 70s actually lower the vigor of roses. Despite your best efforts at proper care, you will notice that the flowers your rose bushes produce in mid- to late summer are often smaller with less vivid colors. And, the flowers seem to fade almost as soon as they open. New growth does not appear as vigorous and strong as what was seen earlier this year. Many gardeners interpret the lower vigor and poor quality flowers to mean that the roses need more fertilizer. Because heat is the issue, however, roses actually need less fertilizer in late June, July and early August. So, be moderate in fertilization now, if you do any at all.