I'm prone to food prejudices and am very particular about texture - have never got over the sliminess of okra in gumbo (which I do not eat for that reason) so can't bring myself to like fried okra (or Thai summer rolls with that cold, sticky-slimy rice paper.) Took me years get over the feel of cooked mushrooms, no matter how good they tasted.

Stilly, you have had, and continue to have, a blistering spring and summer. I didn't know that tomatoes will not self-pollinate when the temps get and stay real high, even at night. Although diseases usually begin to take significant toll by late July or early August, my tomatoes have tended to continue to bear (though declining) right up until 1st frost. Thinking about it, though, I realize there are usually pauses during those times in late summer when night temps stay really high.

I watered everything really, really deeply Thursday night, and watered again before I left Friday morning, and everything looked good when I got home tonight, in spite of the high temps. You may remember that I got a late start on planting this year. Even accounting for that, my tomatoes, basil, cukes and zukes look remarkably healthy. The only thing I have done other than fertilize regularly is hit the tomatoes with a hard spray early on to knock off flea beetls. I am realizing it is because this is a "virgin" crop. New raised beds with new topsoil hauled in that is not harboring pests or diseases from the crops of prior years.

Regarding cutworms - I routinely cut collars from waxed paper cups (i.e. Dixie cups) for susceptible plants, and either sow within the collar or slip the rootball of the transplant through the collar before planting.