Earth boxes

Every morning I add water to the Earth boxes...decided to measure how much they use every day, so this morning I added 40 ounces of water to each box, or about 1 quart and an additional 3/4 cup. That took care of filling the reservoirs. Then, just to be on the safe side I also added some water around each of the tomatoes and peppers that are planted. The potting soil seemed to still be moist around the plants, but I just wanted to make sure they still had enough water. The tomatoes and peppers are all looking really good. Strong and healthy with a fair amount of new growth showing at the tips of the plants. As the old adage goes, so far, so good!

Bye for now,

Ron, the Plant Man

Earth boxes

In reading the garden blog, 'Dirt Du Jour' from my friend (although I've never met her) Cindy McNatt, several months ago, she wrote about an interesting item that I looked into. They were planters you can make yourself called "Earthtainers". They are built out of Rubbermaid storage containers that turn into self contained garden containers. I went to the website and watched the video and downloaded the instructions. Cindy's comment was that they are big and ugly...which they are, but they are also very practical, and would work for me to grow a few tomatoes and peppers as I have no place in my yard where they would get enough sunshine. However, after seriously thinking about it, I decided that I probably just didn't have the right tools to build these things, nor the desire to go to the several stores to gather all the necessary parts to get them assembled! For those interested, here is the link to the Earthtainer website: http://www.tomatofest.com/

In another post by Cindy, she mentioned that she had a friend who had grown tomatoes in a product that was purchased ready to go. They are called "Earthboxes". Out of curiosity, I went to the website, http://www.earthbox.com to see just what they were. I was a little hesitant about what I saw...I thought they looked too small to grow large tomato plants in, but Cindy said they were doing well for her friend, so I asked my wife, Bonnie, to get 3 of them for my birthday. Well, being that my birthday is in mid June, I seriously thought that it might just be too late in the season to start tomatoes but after visiting a local nursery and seeing some really nice looking tomato plants, I thought I would go ahead and give it a try.

The "Earthboxes" were ordered from the website and it took a few days for them to get here, and when they arrived there were a few time constraints so I didn't get them planted until until last Monday and Tuesday...right after the 4th of July! Will I ever get tomatoes planting them so late in the season???? Well, we will see as the summer progresses.

A few points that I noticed about setting up the "Earthboxes". The set that I got contained everything you needed to get started....planter mix, fertilizer, dolomite, and casters so the boxes can be moved around fairly easy. They are built so there is a reservoir of water in the very bottom, with a tube that you add water to keep the reservoir full. On top of that is a grid to keep the planter mix slightly above the water, however in two corners the planter mix goes down into the reservoir so that the water can 'wick' up to moisten the rest of the planter mix. Now, the instructions said to mix the dolomite into the top 4 inches of the planter mix, so I did, but wondered if this was really necessary as our Western waters are so alkaline that I really thought I could have left this out. In hindsight, I should have done one planter with the dolomite, one with only half the dolomite, and the third with no dolomite, just to see if my observations were correct. Oh well, maybe when I replant next time.

After filling the box with the planter mix, you add the water to the reservoir. They conveniently build them so you can't add too much water. When it reaches the proper level, the excess water runs out of an overflow in the bottom to the planter. I finished two of the boxes and set them in place and then filled them with water. I put off planting them until the next day hoping that by then the planter mix would be moist. Much to my surprise, the planter mix as not very moist the next day, although I had added water to them twice on the previous day. Oh well, I just had to get the tomato plants in....couldn't wait any longer so I went ahead and planted them up. Although the instructions didn't say to do this, I added water to the top around the young plants after they were planted, just because the mix seemed to be too dry and I was afraid the newly planted tomatoes and peppers would dry out if I didn't!

The whole planter is topped of with a plastic cover...you cut holes in it so you can put the plants into the planter mix. Sounds easy, but I guess I'm just not very coordinated as the holes I cut look too big. You only want to make them large enough to insert the rootball through and into the planter mix underneath, then fold the flaps back down around the stem...mine look pretty messy but I suppose it will still work.
Well, here is a photo of the finished planters...I have 2 tomato plants in two of the boxes and 4 pepper plants in the third box. Come back often to see updates on the progress they are making.

Take care, and have a nice day!

Thanks for visiting.

Ron, the Plant Man

My Blog is Carbon Neutral!

Planet Green says we can make our blogs carbon neutral by including this button in our sidebars. What happens is, The Arbor Day Foundation plants a tree in the Plumas National Forest in northern California, that was damaged so badly by forest fires last year. They will plant a tree for every domain where the button lives!

Pretty neat, here's how it works:

How does a tree neutralize your blog’s carbon footprint?

How much carbon dioxide does your blog create?

How much carbon dioxide does a tree absorb?

Unfortunately, no precise answer is possible. The carbon dioxide absorption of a tree can differ a lot. The amount of carbon dioxide that a tree can absorb depends on the type of tree, light exposure, length of the vegetation period, latitude, water balance, and the soil conditions.

There are many different calculations for the saving potential of a tree. The assumed values vary between 10 and 30kg (20 and 70lb.) for a tree each year. It is certain however, that in its first two to three years a tree absorbs relatively little carbon dioxide. In the growth phase following this, the absorption rate increases rapidly. During this time, the tree saves a considerable amount of carbon dioxide. The absorption rate decrease again from the age of 18.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) assumes a yearly absorption of one tree of approximately 10kg (20lb.) carbon dioxide emissions. “Make it green”, the environmental program of kaufDA, is using a yearly absorption value of 5kg (11lb.) for its “My blog is carbon neutral” initiative. This is a very conservative calculation, ensuring that the neutralization of each blog is achieved.

One tree neutralizes the carbon dioxide emissions of your blog

As demonstrated in the above calculation, the atmosphere can be relieved by an average of 5kg (11lb.) carbon dioxide every year by planting one tree. An average blog causes 3.6kg (8lb.) of carbon dioxide emissions. Consequently, a tree neutralizes the carbon dioxide emissions of a blog. Since a tree lives for an average of 50 years, carbon dioxide emissions of your blog can be completely neutralized for this time period!

Thanks for reading my blog!

Take care,

Ron, the Plant Man

The Pacific Ocean After A Storm

Again, Aloha to my many friends who
might be reading this blog. We have been on Maui for a little over 2 weeks and every day we sit out on our lanai and watch the beautiful Pacific ocean. It has been living up to it's name...peaceful. Many days it has been almost as smooth as a lake, with just gentle waves that lap up on the beach with a gentle flow. Well, all of that has changed today. Last night we had one of the first winter storms that hit the Islands, and it rained and rained and rained. I thought from watching the weather forecast on the TV that we were going to have rain for a couple of days, but woke up this morning to a beautiful bright blue sky...an absolutely perfect day here in paradise! We had closed the windows before going to bed due to the terrific rain that was falling, so when I saw the sun shining and the air sparkling this morning I opened up the windows to the sounds of an ocean that I was not used to!

The rain may have passed, but the aftermath of the storm stayed behind with a wild and angry ocean letting out it's rage on the beaches outside of our condo. We are staying in Kahana, and to be truthful, the ocean here is not known for having too many big waves. You very seldom see the surfers out on the ocean here as the waves just don't get that big. Well, today is an exception to that...as I am writing that I have been observing waves at about 5 to 6 feet high. Now that isn't really a very big wave, but for Kahana it is a pretty good sized wave. The noise from them crashing up on the beach is terrific and loud.

It's very interesting to sit and observe the waves and the beach, and as I have sat here watching, I've thought that the ocean is behaving like a stingy child that doesn't want to share anymore with it's friends. Normally I have watched many people walking along the beach, leaving footprints as they walk along and the ocean waves will eventually gently wash up and erase the footprints leaving the sand smooth and shiny until the next person or group walks along and leaves more footprints, aways changing and changing depending on how many people are walking by, and how lazy the ocean seems to be at that particular time of day.

Today however, not many people are venturing out on the beach, and with good reason. The few that are, have very little beach to walk on, and those who choose to walk close to the water are being surprised by how strong the waves are as they crash with a fury and cause many people to stumble and reach for one another to keep their balance as the massive waves rush about them. In many places the waves are rushing up higher than I have seen before, right up to the shrubbery that marks the edges of the resorts property! All the footprints in the sand are being washed away in a matter of seconds as people are walking by, kind of like the selfish child smoothing out the sand in the playground after the other children have "messed up" that sand that he thinks is his!

As I look out to the foamy waves, I can see a couple of surfers out there waiting to catch the perfect wave...and every now and again, I see them positioning themselfs, and then standing up and riding the wave into the shore, only to turn around and repeat the process all over again.

I look closer to the shore and I see a large sea turtle come to the surface for a breath of air, and then watch as the choppy waters toss it around for a few minutes before it again dives under the waves, and back to the bottom where it rests and stays safe from the turbulant ocean.

What a marvelous experience it has been to see the ocean so different...just another thing that makes Maui such a wonderful place to be and enjoy!

Mahalo for reading my post.

Take care,

Ron, the Plant Man

Special Places to Eat on Maui

Aloha to all from Maui! I wanted to share with each of you a couple of special places that we like to eat whenever we are on Maui. Perhaps our favorite place to have breakfast is the 'Gazebo', located in Napili. It is on the grounds of the resort area called Napili Shores. Park in the parking lot and walk through the complex down to the ocean and the restaurant is right out on the rocks overlooking the magnificent Pacific ocean. It's built like a Gazebo...hence the name. They only serve breakfast and lunch, but you can get either whenever they are open. My favorite to get there are the Macadamia nut pancakes, with coconut syrup...absolutely to die for delicious! Of course I also have to have the traditional bacon and eggs to go along with the pancakes, and by the time I am done, I am absolutely stuffed as full as I can get!

Although the food is good there, the charm and ambiance of the Gazebo are what make it such a special place. Part of the restaurant is behind louvered windows, but other parts are just wide open to the most beautiful view of the island of Moloka'i that you will ever have. Some days the ocean is calm and the deepest blue you can inagine, but on other days, and especially in the winter months, the ocean is terribly angry and the waves will crash onto the rocks with and unbelievable fury. Napili is located on the northwest part of Maui and this is Oahu's equalivient of the North Shore. The waves don't get quite as big here, but this is where all the best surfers come to catch the big waves. This is also a great place to watch the whales when they come back to Maui in the winter months, and from the Gazebo you can see many of them as they swim, breach and shoot great spouts of water and mist into the air.

The man who owns the place (Jerry), has instigated a few pranks to keep people amused while they eat and enjoy the food. Used to be when all of the camera's had film in them, Jerry would walk up and offer to take your picture. He would pick up your camera off the table and look like he was focusing and composing the picture, and hidden in his hand was a roll of 35 mm film that had been pulled out of the canister, and he would drop the film and canister so it looked like it had fallen out of the camera in his hand. You could see and feel the panic in the poor people who thought the film had fallen out of their camera!

If you ever visit Maui, plan on going there and I guarantee that your experience there will be one that you will treasure forever.

Another place we like to go for lunch or dinner...especially for dinner is the Hula Grill located in Whalers Village, in the heart of Kaanapali Beach. Hula Grill is only one of several good restaurants in Whalers Village. What we like about it is there is and indoor part of the restaurant and an outdoor part. We always go to the outdoor part and when they take you to your table, you will step off the stone walkway and right onto the beach sands of Kaanapali Beach! The tables are actually sitting in the sand and are covered by large palm frond umbrellas to keep the sun off in the daytime, but add to the beach atmosphere at any time. We always make sure we are wearing flip-flops or sandals so we can take them off and push our toes and feet into the sand while we are eating our meal.

Starting late in the afternoon they provide live entertainment that goes into the evening hours until they close. It is always a Hawaiian group, sometimes with hula dancers and sometimes without.

As like all the places on Maui, the food is on the expensive side, but the atmosphere and the fact that you are eating right out with your feet in the sand makes it all worthwhile!

Mahalo for reading...hope it is enjoyable and will be entertaining and useful for you for when you plan your trip to Maui!

Take care,

Ron, the Plant Man

Something Everyone Should Do On Maui

There is one thing that we do almost every time we come to Maui, and that is to go to a show in Lahaina that everyone who comes to Maui should see. It is called the Warren and Annabelle show. Warren is a magician and a comedian and Annabelle is a ghost. Now let me tell you up front that if you are coming to Maui, DON'T wait until you get here to get your tickets or you might be disappointed as the show sells out several weeks in advance almost every night. When you first start planning your trip, go to the website, http://www.warrenandannabelles.com/, and make your reservations before you leave home.

Let me tell you a little bit about the show. Warren Gibson is from South Carolina and is the star of the show. He built the theater in Lahaina just for his show. It is above Ruths Chris Steakhouse on Front Street in Lahaina. When you make your reservations, you can make them for the show only, or a package that includes appetizers and desert before the show and the show tickets. We did that the first time we went and the appetizers and desert were good, but a little expensive, we thought. Now when we go, we get show tickets only, eat dinner before we go, and then go a little early and buy a desert and soft drinks before going in to the show. We usually go to the 7:30 show.

Now, here's the deal, if you go to the 7:30 show and are having the appetizers, they will tell you to come at 7:30. If you are going to the show only they will tell you to come at 8:30, as that is when the Annabelle part of the show starts (more on that later). We usually go at about 8:00 to 8:15, order our desert and enjoy the company and the Annabelle show while eating our delicious desert.

When you arrive, you will be put in a room and will be given a key and Annabelle will give you clues on how to get out. It's a little tricky but fun and believe me, you will get out of the room and you will then be in Annabelle's Parlor. You will be shown to a seating area and can enjoy the food and drinks while you are introduced to Annabelle. As I said earlier, she is a ghost who plays the piano. You just shout out what song you want her to play, and she will play it for you! It's fun and you should be sitting close enough to other people that you can strike up a conversation and enjoy the fun and music.

Finally they will tell you to go into Warren's theater for the show. It's not a large theater and all the seats are good. They will pre-select 4 couples to actually sit down right in the front of the stage and they will be involved in some of Warren's magic tricks....and also be involved in much of Warren's humor!

As I said, Warren is from South Carolina. He loved the Andy Griffith show and so immediately several of the folks on the 'front line' will be called names from the old TV show. He is a good magician and will do several amazing magic tricks, as well as having you holding your sides from laughing at his jokes and interaction with the 'front liners' and other members in the audience. The show is about 2 hours long and believe me, you will laugh for the entire time!

If you want to get involved with Warren, be sure to have with you, a new one hundred dollar bill. At one point he will ask the audience members for the bill, and if you are selected and have the bill, you will be in for the treat of your life! I won't tell anymore about what is done with it as it would spoil the fun, but believe me, you will be totally amazed and have the time of your life to boot!

The show is very funny, and as Warren will tell you at the end, he doesn't believe in using four letter words in his humor. All the stories and jokes are 100% clean, and very funny. They say that you have to be an adult to go, but that is only because alcohol is served before and during the show.

Most of the time when the 7:30 show is over, Warren will greet and shake hands with everyone in attendence, so it is an additional treat to meet him personally and enjoy a brief moment of hospitality with him.

I've told several friends about the show before they went on vacation to Maui, and they have all come back and told me how much they enjoyed the show. Most have said they never laughed so hard in all their lives!

Bonnie and I go almost everytime we are in Maui. The only times we don't go is when Warren is not going to be there. He does take vacaions at various times throughout the year, but when he does, he has substitute magicians in his place, but they are mostly magicians and not the comedians that Warren is.

Thanks for reading, and if you ever go to Maui and see Warren's show, let me know if it's not as good as I've described it here!

Ron, the Plant Man

Maui

Have been in Maui for about a week now and I am still walking around in absolute awe of how beautiful it is here. The weather has been absolutely beautiful. The first few days it was a little warm and humid and there was a fair amount of VOG (Volcanic dust and gases) in the air. It almost obscured the islands of Lana'i and Moloka'i it was so bad, but then the wonderful trade winds kicked in again and cooled down the temperatures and humidity...and blew away the VOG! Maui is such a relaxing place to be in, the people are all so nice and friendly...you meet someone and and in just a few minutes you feel like you have been friends for a lifetime!

We do have friends over here that we have made over the years of visiting, and it has been good to see them again and catch up on what has happened over the past year since we had seen them.

One thing that has happened here is that tourism is way down. We were in Lahaina today and it almost seemed like a ghost town...very few tourists on the sidewalks, shops empty, only a few people in the restaurants, parking very easy to find. All of this is great for us as visitors to the Island, but I feel very sorry for the merchants here who depend on the tourist industry...I certainly hope they can stay solvent until tourism picks up again.

While in Lahaina today, we ate at Cheeseburger In Paradise. If you haven't been here, it is right on the beach and edge of the ocean. There was no problem getting a seat right by the window and looking out over the beautiful blue Pacific Ocean towards the Island of Lana'i. Now if you haven't been here before, you wouldn't know that although we had a window seat, there are no real windows with glass in them...just the openings where glass would normally be, and in Maui you sit there in front of the window opening and enjoy the ocean sounds and breezes blowing in while you eat your meal. Of course the occasional bird will fly in and walk around on the floor looking for crumbs to eat! Only happens in Hawaii, I can imagine the health department would have a coronary on the mainland! We could see small sand crabs darting along the narrow stretch of sand in search of bits of food to eat. Also there was an interesting dog on the beach, sitting there and looking at us. When he got up I could see that he only had 3 legs, but didn't seem to be hindered by the lack of one of his legs! We asked our server about him and she told us his name was Rocky, and belonged to someone who worked next door to the restraunt. She told us that he was waiting for someone to throw him a scrap of food, and she showed us how to make him bark, or speak, for the food!

More evidence of the lack of tourism is at our condo complex. I stood outside our front door and looked down at the parking area the other day and counted 90 parking spaces, but only 37 cars parked in them! Our condo is on the 9th floor and although there is another unit next to us that is occupied, we leave our front door propped open while we are there to let the wonderful fresh island breeze flow through our condo, and not once has anyone passed our door to go to one of the 6 units on the other side of us!

As we were walking around today I told Bonnie that when I go back to the mainland, I forget how absolutely marvelous and beautiful Maui is. When we come back for our vacations, I fall in love with it again and again! We love it so much that it is truly difficult to leave at the end of our vacation...but enough of talking about leaving, Bonnie and I are enjoying to the fullest capacity our days here on Maui.

Most of you know that it is our goal to move to Maui permanantly and just before we left for our vacation, we received some good news from a real estate friend of ours, that the market on the mainland is starting to move back up slowly, so that gives us hope that we might be able to make the move soon! How wonderful it will be when we can call this beautiful paradise our home!

Thanks for reading. Will make another post in a day or so.

Take care,

Ron, the Plant Man on Maui!