| A. Since squash
plants have both male and female flowers, it could be that they
aren’t getting pollinated. Causes: use of insecticides that
destroy pollinators, our recent heavy rain as the plants flowered,
or if you planted late, you may only have male flowers right now.
The females will come. Also, during rainy periods we tend to get
Choanaphora Rot. Pick off affected fruit, and as we hit the dry
spells, avoid overhead watering.
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|  Firebush
(Hamelia patens)
Firebush is a super tough perennial for central Texas.
Few plants can match it for heat tolerance and pest resistance.
Orange/red/yellow tubular blossoms appear in clusters in early summer
through fall attracting hummingbirds and butterflies. The green
foliage takes on a reddish tinge with the arrival of cooler weather
in the fall. Plants are typically 3 to 4 feet tall and wide. Firebush
prefers full sun but will also tolerate part shade. It is well suited
to almost any soil, even highly alkaline, heavy clays, as long as
they are well drained. It is well suited to large containers, but
will require more frequent watering when container grown. Firebush
has no serious insect or disease problems when grown outdoors in
full sun locations.
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