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Concerns

Page history last edited by pinkhamc@... 9 years, 5 months ago

Table of Contents (Items Covered on This Page)

AT ABOUT $4, ISN'T THE WoW EXPENSIVE?

BUT I GROW DOZENS OF TOMATO PLANTS. HOW CAN I AFFORD THAT MANY WoWs?

MY GARDEN IS TOO SMALL TO USE WoWs.

WHAT IF I'VE NEVER STARTED SEEDS INSIDE?

WHY LEAVE THE OPEN WoW AROUND THE PLANT IN FROST-FREE WEATHER?

WHAT HAPPENS IF I GET A FREAK LATE FROST?

WON'T HOT DAYS DURING THE MONTH AFTER THE ALF DATE COOK THE PLANT?

 

AT ABOUT $4, ISN'T THE WoW EXPENSIVE?

No. Look at it as an investment rather than an expense. With a repair kit as a backup (see "HOW LONG CAN I EXPECT MY WoW TO LAST?"), The Wallo' Water should last an average of 6 to 10 seasons. This means that it costs about 50¢ per season to use. If you were to buy the crop from your grocer for the 3-to-5­ week period of early harvest, you could easily pay the equivalent of the entire cost of the WoW during the period of early harvest. What other gardening devices have a payback of less than one year? Having paid for itself in the first year, it saves you money in subsequent years.

 

BUT I GROW DOZENS OF TOMATO PLANTS. HOW CAN I AFFORD THAT MANY WoWs?

The WoW does not need to be used on all your plants. Put it around two to four of your plants and start them early. Then plant the rest of that crop at the usual time. You will start harvesting that crop earlier than you ever have before and you will find that the increased yield from those grown in the WoW will cut down on the number of plants you will need for that crop next time, saving you even more money. Many gardeners buy one or two 3-packs each year to build up to the number they need.

 

MY GARDEN IS TOO SMALL TO USE WoWs

All the more reason to use the WoW! As stated in the above paragraph, you will get more yield from fewer plants. In addition, by switching from bush beans to pole beans grown in the WoW, you can begin harvesting beans earlier than you ever did with bush beans and the yield per hill will equal the yield from a very long row of bush beans (also see "INTERCROPPING" and "WINTER USE"). Even if you have a large garden, more yield from less space means less work!

 

WHAT IF I'VE NEVER STARTED SEEDS INSIDE?

You have two choices: 1) Contact your county extension agent for some good references and read up on it (it can be a bit tricky, so follow the directions exactly) or 2) Tell your favorite nurseryman that you would like to have some plants early. Show him the schedule (Wallo'Water USE CHART) so he can plant the seeds at the correct time. Most are happy to have the early business. If you should miss the opportunity to get to him early, many nurserYmen have tomatoes long before they put them out for sale. It is just a matter of making your need known.

 

DO I NEED TO HARDEN THE PLANT?

The plant needs to be hardened to the cold. Even though it will not freeze inside the WoW, it can get cold. If, after germination, it is allowed to grow in a cool place, it should be adequately hardened. If, however, the plant is grown on a window sill or some other warm place, it will have to be hardened. This can be done by placing it in a cool place for a week or putting it outside for increasingly longer periods when the weather is above freezing.

 

WHY LEAVE THE OPEN WoW AROUND THE PLANT IN FROST-FREE WEATHER?

We will grant you that it's unusual to leave a season extender around your plant after the normal danger of frost has passed. There are several very good reasons for this procedure given in this point and those immediately following.

 

Already we have shown that the WoW brings spring to your plant about 8 weeks sooner. Now that it's spring outside, bring summer to your plant by leaving it in the WoW. Warm days and cool nights become hot days and warm nights inside the WoW, much like days in July and August. Host plants recommended for the WoW (see "COOPS THAT WORK BEST IN THE WOW") love the warmer conditions and tell you so by growing like weeds!

 

WHAT HAPPENS IF I GET A FREAK LATE FROST?

Late frosts coming after the ALF date will occur when the WoW is in the open configuration, no matter what the crop (see "Wallo’Water USE CHART"). Normally, if frost threatens this time of year you would listen to the weather forecast to see if you have to mobilize the troops to cover your crop. Not with the WoW. Just sit back, read a good book or otherwise relax and let the WoW do all the work! Even though it is wide open, it will protect a plant to 16°F. The chances you'll get a night that low this time of year are just about nil. If some of the plant is above the top of the WoW, that part will get frosted. However, the part below the water line will be fine. Since it has a good root system and lots of leaves below the water line (about 18 inches high) recovery will be rapid.

 

WON'T HOT DAYS DURING THE MONTH AFTER THE ALF DATE COOK THE PLANT?

No.  Another advantage of the Wallo'Water is that you cannot cook your plant in an open WoW. Late in the spring when you would normally be removing your frost protector during the day to avoid baking your plants, and in the month following the ALF date, you just ignore the plant in the open WoW because the heat build-up that occurs under a closed frost protector does not happen in an open WoW precisely because it is open. Furthermore, the water will act as a heat sink and absorb the heat from the sun (see "PERFORMANCE RECORDS OF THE WoW OVER SEVERAL DAYS").

 

Potential users sometimes wonder if the pockets will act as lenses and focus light on the plants and burn them. Although this can happen, the focal length of the lens is so short, it will only damage a small area on one or two leaves. The remainder of the plant will be unaffected.  See Figure 1.

 

Figure 1. Burn damage to pole bean leaf due to

short lensing effect of WoW pocket (red arrow)

 

 

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