More Desert Beauty

After the last post, I decided to start a new series about the beauty of the desert. It will probably revolve around the beauty I find around our house. We'll see how far it gets. All the posts will be labeled "desert beauty".

I was out admiring my tomatoes again this afternoon and I found a couple more beauties.


This is a beauty to be. When the flowers open, I'll try to get another shot. It can be tough though, because desert beauty doesn't last very long. The yellow beauty was shriveled up the next day and fully closed today.

Desert Beauty

I love living in New Mexico. The weather is awesome. There aren't a million people getting in my way on my drive to work. And I don't have a lawn. 2 acres and not of a blade of Fescue or Kentucky Blue. People spend tons of time and money trying to grow grass around here. Why? I cut grass my whole life. What a pain in the ass. I'm surely not going to work to grow grass, so I can turn around and spend my weekend cutting grass. Screw that. Besides it's not like I have some HOA nazis forcing me to grow grass.
Despite what the east coasters think, it's not brown here. It's just a different shade of green. Here are some pics of the yard around here.


It's all natural. If you're not a tomato plant, you better take care of yourself. I will not provide aide and comfort to freeloaders.
While I was out comforting my tomato plants this evening, I caught a flash of bright yellow out of the corner of my eye. It was this beauty.

While I'm Waiting...

While I'm waiting for that first bite of tomatoey goodness, I've started planning for next year. I've learned a lot this first year. One of the most interesting things, I've learned it that there are more than 1000 varieties of tomato. And they are not all red. Who knew? In addition to red ones, there are black ones, green ones, yellow/orange ones, pink ones and striped ones. And there are giant ones that regularly produce fruit in the 2-3 pound range.

I've started gathering recommendations on GardenWeb. There are lots of opinions, but after reading many posts some trends start to surface. Here's my list so far. In each category, I have listed the varieties in order of preference (most desired first).

Giant tomatoes are the thing of dreams. Can you really grow a 7 pound tomato? If you want to give it a try, you have to start with a variety that has the genetics to make it possible. 4 pound Big Zacs are not uncommon. Here's what I'm considering.

1. Big Zac
2. Omar's Lebanese (introduced by Dr. Carolyn Male)
3. Porterhouse
   

Red tomatoes (these are mostly beefsteak) don't have to be run of the mill. These get high marks for both poundage and flavor. I'm growing Big Boy this season. If it does well, it may move up the list.

1. Neves Azorean Red (introduced by Dr. Carolyn Male)
2. Earl's Faux (Red Brandywine)
3. Jetstar (hybrid - recommended by Dr. Carolyn Male)
4. Supersonic (hybrid - recommended by Dr. Carolyn Male)
5. Big Boy (hybrid)
6. Mortgage Lifter
7. Big Beef (hybrid)
8. Beef Master (hybrid)
9. Brandy Boy (hybrid)

Now things get interesting. Black tomatoes. Some are a bit more purple than black. Either way they look very interesting sliced a plate. I'm in for at least two of these varieties.

1. Carbon (larger than Nyagous)
2. Nyagous (more poundage than Carbon)
3. Cherokee Purple
4. Black Krim

Pink tomatoes are like reds except the skin is clear, so the color comes from the meat of the tomato.

1. Arkansas Traveler

How do you know when a green tomato is ripe? It doesn't change color. Some of them develop stripes of a different shade when they are ripe. Others just have to be squeezed.

1. Aunt Ruby's German Green

Yellow/Orange tomatoes are supposed to have a sweeter, less acidic, fruity flavor.

1. Kellogg's Breakfast
2. Aunt Gertie's Gold
3. Pineapple

And every tomato addict needs at least one early variety to feed the hunger until the mid-season varieties come through.

1. Big New Dwarf
2. Early Girl
   

Here's my problem - I can't just buy a few seeds of each. Seeds come in 20-30 count packets for $2.50 to $3.00 per packet. Or I could buy plants from a place like The Tasteful Garden, but they are way more expensive and I'm not excited about the prospect of plants shipped through the mail. Seeds last a few years, so I can just start a few of each and keep the rest for the next year. And I could send a few of each to my Dad. He might enjoy a few gardening experiments.

If nothing else, I have plenty of time to decide which varieties and how to get the seeds.

Still Waiting...

The same Early Girl mentioned here now has more than 6 fruits. The other Early Girl has a few flower clusters, but no fruit. Along with the 2 Big Boys, it is dropping blossoms. We had a few cold nights last week, which might be contributing. It was very warm over the weekend and will continue to be warm this week. Hopefully, that will help. The 4 Celebrity's have a few blossom clusters each, but no fruit yet.

No sign of the Ruby Queen yet. It's only been in the ground 12 days, so it may still come up. There are no signs of critters digging in the bed, so I believe the seeds are still there.

Pioneer DEH-5000UB Car Stereo Install

(Original Install: 5 Apr 2008)
It has been a few years since I have done an aftermarket radio install, so I was a little concerned. The Crutchfield installation instructions for Pam's 2005 Honda CRV are spot on. It was not nearly as difficult as I had expected. The pictures made it clear how to properly remove the faceplate. There is a warning regarding the airbag sensor coming on after installation, but I didn't have any problems.

Disclaimer: Pam and I are not part of the iPod generation. I still use a 2nd gen Nano and my wife still uses a 1st gen Nano. Neither of us plan to upgrade until we must. We buy and listen to these shiny discs called CDs.

The DEH-5000UB has three key features - USB/iPod control, AUX input and optional XM receiver (currently free after rebate).

1. AUX input - a basic 1/8" stereo mini headphone input. Works great. You have to turn the iPod volume all the way up. The AUX input on my F150 factory headunit is the same way. I think it's typical.
2. MP3 CDs - What can I say? Burn a bunch of files and/or folders to a CD-R, insert, play. The up/down buttons change the folder, left/right changes tracks or FF/REW (if held down). The Display button switches between a bunch of combinations of track info. Very complete. Not complicated. Works great.
3. USB with memory stick - Works great with a 4gig Kingston DataTraveler. With the USB stick, you just plug it in and it automatically switches the source to the USB input. The up/down buttons change the folder, left/right changes tracks or FF/REW (if held down). The Display button switches between a bunch of combinations of track info. Very complete. Not complicated. Works great. Like many CE devices that play from a USB stick, the tracks are played in the order that they are copied to the stick. If you want to sort them alphabetically (critical for audiobooks), get a small utility called DriveSort (http://www.anerty.net/software/file/DriveSort.php). When you change the source away from the USB stick or turn the car off, then return to the USB source it picks up right where you left off. This is great if you are listening to an audiobook. The root directory is directory #0 followed by the rest of the directories in the order they were added. DriveSort will sort the directories as well. The easiest way to use DriveSort is configure it to sort all directories and subdirectories. Then you just open the stick, click Sort, click Save and you are done. The List button shows a list of the current directory contents. Scroll through the list and pick a directory or song.
4. USB iPod control - works great with both 1st and 2nd generation Nanos. You can only control these particular iPods from the headunit. When the iPod is plugged in, the iPod gets charged just like when the iPod is docked on your computer. If you were listening to your iPod before plugging it in, it picks up were you left off. However when you disconnect the iPod, it goes back to the Main menu. The Now Playing menu option is available so you can get back to the track you were listening to, but it forgets where you were in the menu structure. Because of this, we will probably use the USB stick more than the iPod. For iPod playback, we will probably use the AUX input. I did some experimenting anyway and here are the results. If you are listening to your iPod and switch to the another source or turn off the car, disconnect the iPod and later reconnect the iPod, the HU will remember the last track and position. Pressing the List button gives you the top level iPod menu (Playlists, Artists, Albums, etc). Using the up/down buttons or turning the dial will scroll through the menu. Enter (or Center push) will select the menu item on the top line of the 2-line display. The left/right buttons change tracks or FF/Rew, just like the playing a mp3 CD or memory stick. If the iPod is plugged in and the ignition is turned off, the iPod disconnects and turns off in the usual amount of time. iPod battery drain shouldn't be a problem like some have reported with other headunits.
5. XM Receiver - The CRV already had a SkyFi2 installed, but all the extra wires and the mediocre FM modulation really prompted this headunit upgrade. The XM option for the DEH-5000UB is the Terk XM receiver(XMD1000)+Pioneer adapter(XMDPIO110). I read a lot of complaints about the unit on other websites, but I haven't had any trouble with this one yet. And besides, it's free after rebate. There is no way to directly access a channel (no number keys on the remote). Scrolling through all the channels to setup your presets is painful. There are 18 presets. The display options are also pretty limited. The display button switches between Artist/Track Name/Category. Only one shows at a time, because the top line of the two line display always says XM Tuner. The USB input has lots of combinations for display. I had already installed the XM antenna for the SkyFi2 and assumed it would work with the Terk receiver. The Terk receiver and antenna have a purple plastic clip that surrounds the real connector. The real connector looked just like one on the existing antenna, so I trimmed back the purple plastic on the receiver just enough and the existing antenna fit right in. No problems. The sensitivity of the receiver seems comparable to the SkyFi2, which I think is great. I haven't figured out a way to see the signal strength, but I manage to get a signal inside the garage with the door shut.
   

Cool Crutchfield Bonuses:

1. The factory headunit is double DIN. The (free from Crutchfield) installation package that came with the unit has a small cubby hole underneath the opening for the Pioneer that is perfect for coiling up USB and AUX extension cables. Drill a 3/4" hole in the back and feed them through.
2. The (free from Crutchfield) installation package that came with the unit allows for ISO (instead of DIN) mounting. This is a huge bonus for stability after installation.
   

Annoyances:

1. You have to pick between showing the clock and the info related to the current source.
2. The Terk XM receiver+adapter is really big. And the cables are bulky. The cables are just short enough that they won't reach under the seat. On the other hand, they are too long to bundle up and hide behind the dash.
   

Install Updates:

1. XM Update 1 (21Apr2008): It's been a few weeks since the initial install and I still haven't found a good place to put the XM receiver+adapter. I sent Crutchfield tech support an email requesting additional info about disassembly of the CRV dash. They responded quickly with the info.
2. XM Update 2 (27May2008): Still haven't tried to find a better install location for the XM unit. But the XM unit isn't working. A little investigation showed that the fuse holder for the XM unit behind the dash cracked and couldn't hold the fuse securely. Probably my fault. I think I had it in an odd position that put stress on it at the point where the two halves twist together. I'll have to pickup a new one at Radio Shack.
3. XM Update 3 (14Jun2008): Bought the new fuse holder at Radio Shack yesterday. Installed this morning. No problems. I taped everything real good and made sure the wiring harness is in a good place.
   

EarthTainer Lessons Learned - Part 1

I like the DIY EarthTainer. I like it a lot. It does a very good job of maintaining consistent moisture levels even on hot, dry, windy Albuquerque Spring days. I hope it continues to satisfy as we go into the blazing hot summer. There are a couple of things I've learned.

1. The screen that separates the soil from the water reservoir needs to be supported as close to the edge as possible. Otherwise, the weight of the moist soil will cause the edges to sag and possibly block the overflow hole.
2. The potting mix will settle as it moistens. Keep extra on hand to top-off.
3. Before you plant or place the fertilizer strip, mix a small amount of fertilizer, epsom salts and garden lime into the top third of the potting mix.
   
4. Planet-Friendly Totes from Lowes are 99% post consumer product. Great for the environment, great for holding solids, not so great for holding liquids. One of mine leaks. So I lined all of mine with large contractor trash bags. I also put a folded up trash bag on the bottom before I put the screen in. I don't know how puncture resistant the trash bags are, but I figure the extra layers will keep the screen supports or fill tube from wearing a hole in the liner. The downside is figuring out the overflows. I pushed the liner through the overflow holes and trimmed off a little bit of liner. The hard part is keeping the liner from pulling back inside the tote. Still working on this.
5. I pulled out the 54" cages from Lowes in favor of stakes. In retrospect, I don't think it was such a great idea. The cages were pretty solidly anchored in the screen. I don't think they will tip that easily. Next season, I'll use cages and recycle the 1/2" EMT as stakes to secure the EarthTainers.
6. If you want to use stakes that are driven into the ground, don't center the plant in the EarthTainer. Put the plant near the edge, so it is easy to train up the stake.
7. I might try to build an internal staking system from 1" PVC. Or I might try a PVC cage like the one pictured here. Or I could create a trellis like this with clips like this. Or the trellis could be used to do a Florida Weave. Or I could just use the cages :)
8. Plant deep! Solid root development is critical!
   

Tomato Lessons Learned - The Early Season

After last year's disaster with the Bush Goliath, I decided that this year I would grow tomatoes in containers where I can control the soil, fertilizer and water. After hours of reading, I still didn't get it all right. Here's what I learned about the early part of the season.

1. Keep better track of expenditures. I do it for fun and great tasting, Salmonella-free tomatoes, but I like to know how much I paid for all the gear.
   
2. Keep better track of dates. Seedling purchase, pot up, transplant, etc.
   
3. After the seedlings have made it passed the cell pack stage, put each seedling in its own pot. This seems obvious now, but I didn't realize how fast the roots would grow. I put 27 seedlings in an 18 gallon EarthTainer. In 4 weeks when it was time to transplant, the roots had spread through the entire container. More importantly, the root had gotten intertwined and it was a pain separate them. In the process of separating them, there was lots of root damage. Probably set back growth significantly.
4. When the seedling goes in the pot, only fill the pot 1/3 full of potting mix. As the seedling grows, add more potting mix. This encourages a strong root system.
   
5. Indeterminates with multiple stems are bad in two ways. First, the plant spends lots of energy maintaining multiple stems. Second and probably more important, it makes managing the growth way more difficult. Each stem should have it's own stake or the cage is much more dense. They are basically suckers that grow right out of the ground. If the seedlings show multiple stems, prune back to a single stem.
   

Check back later for Mid-Season and Late-Season Lessons.

The Ambrosia is Gone

Something ate all the Ambrosia sprouts. I don't know if it was large or small. If the Ruby Queen sprouts, I'll have to put some cages around it.

Let the Counting Begin

I went out to check the plants this morning. One of the Early Girls has a couple of very small fruits on it. These Early Girls claim to be 55 days from transplant to first fruit. These plants were planted out on 18 May. Today is 25 days. 30 days to go. Not much chance of getting fruit by July 4th. More like the 10th or 12th of July.

Great Expectations

I got a little concerned about the stability of the cages to support my indeterminates. So I stopped by the Home Depot to see what I could find to use as stakes. I wanted at least 4 feet above the top of the EarthTainers. The EarthTainers are about 18" high. And I figure I'd drive them about 24" in the ground. So I was looking for something on the order of 8'. Not much to be found at 8'. On the short side are things like T-posts, which are 6' long. On the long side you have things like EMT conduit at 10'. I picked up 4 lengths of 1/2" EMT. Cheap at $2.77 per piece.

So I moved the cages to the buckets that have the determinates and commenced to drive the EMT. The first 18" went pretty well. The remaining 6" caused the pipe to bend in kind of an S shape. I wound up with 2 S shaped stakes and 2 that are pretty straight. If there's a next time I'll have Pam hold the middle section of the pipe so it doesn't flex when I hit it with the post driver. That should help deliver all the force to the ground.



Tying plants to the EMT is a little interesting, because it's slick and the cotton strips don't have anything to grip. Very low friction compared to say a cedar stake. But I'm a geek and have tons of cable ties. So I put a cable tie around the pole and under the tie. Clamped it down real tight so it won't slip down and so far it works great.

Planted Ruby Queen Today

Made 4 pairs of furrows - 3 with 4 mounds, 1 with 3 mounds. Expecting germination by 18 June. Expecting to pick a few ears by the end of August.

Bad news - no transplant

When I went to transplant, I discovered that my errant seedlings were Ruby Queen not Ambrosia. So I'm stuck with 4 Ambrosia mounds. Hardly worth it, but I don't have another use for the plot so I'll leave them be.