Mike, I had two 50 ft. lengths of drip hoses wound in, out and around the plants with mulch covering them - all throughout the garden in the veggie garden. The mulch was piled on 8 inches thick or thicker under and around them. I put covers over the tomatoes in late July through August. I have good well water, so no chlorine that can damage plants. Notwithstanding all that I did, when temps reached 110-120, everything just turned brown, and then blister beetles ate what was left. I had tall, dark green, beautiful corn plants with 2-3 huge ears on each plant, but upon checking them, they had few developed kernels. Total loss. I planted more than one hundred tomatoes (seven varieties), corn, beans, cantaloupe, watermelon, bell peppers, three types of hot peppers, Red bells, zucchini, and onions. Normally I get enough to can, freeze, eat fresh and sell at the Farmer's Market & Health Food stores and still have enough to donate to the Food Bank. Not last year. The only tomatoes I got were a handful from the plants I grew in large pots, but only a few. They were sure good though. Cherokee Purples were especially yummy and the Lemon Boys. I think I got about 20 tomatoes altogether. I got more than everyone else around here. Their plants kicked it in June and July. I did get some okra from the plants in the smaller, lower garden and a few pitifully small Early Girl tomatoes, and a pretty good harvest of Jalapenos in September when it cooled down a bit, but that was all. I put so much work into it and expense. But it was just too hot. It was like standing inside a furnace ever day. I lost several small trees, one large weeping willow and several Eponymous shrubs. And what the heat didn't kill, the voles did, chewing the roots off several of my roses. What a horrible year! Sorry to go on about it...

Now, in July 2021, my 7 ft. tall loquat that fruited for the first time last year (thrilling!) has suddenly dying leaves that show no culprit. Before I get into all that... I found this thread and realize that I had never thought about "tree worms", as bluesky7 above wrote about. (Google "worm in tree trunk" images if you have a strong stomach. For me, while snakes are at the high end of my nobility scale, giant worms are at the bottom!) Question: Are worms (or a single worm - ugh!) a reasonable possibility in my loquat tree planted in sunny, sandy (fast-draining), hot soil?

Oh no! I visited your post last night and thought about the Sri Lanka Beetle that has caused significant leaf damage on some of my ornamentals, but I don't have a Loquat or a HKO. Our county extension agent recommended Sevin but said to change pesticides on your next attack because Sri Lanka Beetles quickly grow immune to whatever you spray on them. I called a lawn service to spray because there was no way I could get to the tops of Tibouchinas or Powder Puff. A week later, I'm spotting those critters down low, like on african iris. This year I've squished hundreds of them. Oh, and they're mating now. Thanks for posting the link, Oldflorida. Good luck with your Orchid Tree and Loquat. You stated before that you have a pesticide free yard: that is really great, so I know this has to be heart wrenching for you. Good luck.

I planted a seedling from my mom's tree (from So. Cali) in N.Tx, about 4 years ago. This year we actually got flowers and fruit! The fruit are smaller than the one's on my mom's tree, and a little more tart. I do have to mention that I rarely ever water this tree. It has been pretty much neglected it's whole life. I'm guessing that if I do spend some time watering and fertilizing, I'll have larger fruit. The tart flavor can also be attributed to me not waiting till the fruit is fully ripe, but then I do like the tartness of it. My neighbor accross the street got another of my mom's seedlings at the same time. They babied the tree with home made compost and it is beautiful and lush, but only had about 6 fruits on it. Mine is kinda scraggly but loaded with tasty goodness! "about the size of a small lemon or lime " I would consider those GIANT!! Lol!