Q and A: Dirty windows and Wallo’ Waters
Dirty windows
Saw the post on dirty windows. I clean them for a living. Good advice. My brew is approximately 1 gallon water ½-1 cup ammonia and 3 Tbsp. liquid Joy. Make sure that the scrubber hasn’t see fabric softener (solvent) and if using a squeegee that the rubber is new, most people NEVER replace this! If a towel to wipe off, again no fabric softener. A clean little secret for a dirty little job.
Kathy Suhr
Sedro Woolley, Washington
Thanks Kathy! Good tips from someone in the know. — Jackie
Wallo’ Waters
I was wondering if you ever leave the Wallo’ Waters in place after the tomatoes grow up through them. The directions on the bag say to fill them and leave them around the plants all season. I have been pulling them off when the weather is stable. Just wondering if you have experimented with this.
Mia Sodaro
Frazier Park, California
You know, I tried that one year, as an experiment. No, I don’t leave them on. What happens is that the tomato vines grow so big and rank that you can’t remove the Wall, even in the fall. And the branches dry and can damage them before you take them off. Plus add photo-degradation and you have a mess. Nope, I pull them when the plant has grown above the edge and no more frost is possible. — Jackie
We purchased some of the Wallo’ Waters for earlier planting this year. This is our first time to use them. We will be putting them out in a couple of weeks to warm the ground prior to planting. The winds toward the end of February and into March here can be quite strong. My question is: How do you keep them standing erect in wind? Are there any pointers you can give us to ensure our success this first time? (The photo in your canning book of your Wallo’ Waters was indeed an inspiration to us.)
Gwen Cantrell
Dallas, Texas
Wallo’ Waters stand up to the wind pretty darned good. Their shape, which is a basic cone, wide at the base and narrow at the top, allows them to take even storm winds without toppling. If they should dump, simply put them back up and re-fill them. They are wonderful and you need no further tips; they are very easy to use and will give you great success. Keep us posted! — Jackie
February 1st, 2012 at 2:47 pm
Dear Jackie and Gwen of Dallas, Texas,
Mom used wall-o-waters on her tomatoes in windswept Wichita, KS, and they would tip over under the immense gales of spring (such as Dallas probably also suffers, the kind that will tip over a mobile home that’s not strapped down and some that are). What she did was mound dirt up around the lower edge and place her tomato cages (hogwire) around them. -KS of KS
February 2nd, 2012 at 11:37 am
Last year was my first year with wall-o-waters, and I did leave them on to find they COOLED the tomato plants through the heat of the summer and stunted their growth! Only the ones that were on container plants worked well through the growing season as the containers kept the heat going for the plant through the roots and the plastic cones protected the fruit from critters. and of course, the water got pretty rank in there too.