Regarding the plastic: I had done some research on various plastic mulches, and found that some great studies had been done on white, clear, and black plastic mulches (interesting that I found that when I was trying to research the red mulch which supposedly makes tomatoes increase in yields and sweetness... sounds like the jury's still hung on that one; I guess the sunlight has to reflect OFF the red to be effective, and in some growing situations, not much sunlight hits the mulch, thereby negating any positive effect. But I digress...) The research found that black plastic mulches will warm the soil a couple degrees at 2" down, and not quite as much 4-6" down (black captures heat), and white didn't heat the soil much (white reflects most light), but what surprised me was the clear plastic. What they found was that certain wavelengths of light were allowed to enter via infrared, but wouldn't reflect back out. The soil with the clear plastic mulch was crazy--it was something like 10-14 degrees WARMER than non-mulched soil at 2" and 4-6 degrees warmer at 6 inches. I wish I had bookmarked that site, but you could probably find it if you googled "plasticulture." Anyway, I think this is going to be my technique for killing weeds and weed seeds/seedlings in the spring. I have a terrible bindweed problem, and those suckers just will not die (invasive roots can go to 60 FEET), which of course means WAR! I can put down the clear plastic over the rock beds (wet them first so the steam can build) and cover them with clear plastic. Sorry to get off-topic on your original question, but it kinda turned into a plastic mulch thread... Anyway, put the plastic down now; the sun can do much of the work even if the nights are cold, and the plastic will help keep the heat in at night. If you're going to continue to use plastic mulch after the plants are in-ground, you can use the research to apply the proper mulch for the various plants: peas like cooler soil (white), but tomatoes like it kinda warm (black), while okra likes it HOT (clear). Also good to know if a gardener is in the south--you just might inadvertently cook the roots of some of your plants if clear plastic is used! Regarding your original question, I found a package of small-diameter bamboo sticks--painted green, no less--at Walmart for like 3 bucks for about 20 of them. They're great for stabilizing tomatoes until you're able to cage them; just be careful what you use to tie the vines because if it doesn't have some give and take, it might just become a noose. Favorite cheapies are strips of old nylons--they give but are also sturdy enough to do the trick (I have alson been known to use a recently pulled strand of bindweed as a tie!). I expect we may yet have some more frosty nights here in CO, so I bamboo-"staked" my tomatoes in their gallon pots just today because they're getting whipped around in the wind. They're out all day, just like yours, and then into the garage each night unless it's going to be over 45--the garage stays warm enough, especially since there's no wind in there! Too much cold can stunt the growth--especially if you already have flowers, the fruit might not set, so don't rush it. Regarding the pollinating of the flowers--the plants are outside all day, so it's a fair shot that some of the bumbles are buzzing! Maybe pinch off half or 2/3 of the blooms--that way you'll still get some early fruit, but the plants won't be wearing themselves out trying to grow more roots and lots of fruit at the same time. Do a GW search for "hardening off" to get a better idea of how to prepare them for being in the ground. There's some great stuff out there. I'm kinda jealous, though; I waited so long that my indoor starts are puny (the ones I staked are from a swap!). Way to make sure that you've got some good plants ready to go! (and can I get on Santa's list for a greenhouse, too?)

I thought our 2300 sq ft. house was just perfect for the 3 of us... - then we decided I traveled too much for work and opened up my own business - in the house - then things grew and I added an employee - in the house - Then hubby took early out from the University and expanded his tax & consulting practice - in the house - then his practice grew and he added a part ime employee - in the house - then things really got successful and some parts of the year he can have as many as 3 employees - in the house!!! Net effect is that our 4 bedroom house some days feels like a 1 bedroom office - we no longer have a home. We are building on 20 acres in the country - house with a good sized office wing. I've redesigned about a dozen times and can't seem to get it down below 5000 sq ft. So, for us (and the assorted clients, employees and visiting relatives) I guess the perfect size is 5000 sq ft.

1. Pool type: rectangle - 47 ft by 12.5 ft. with an interior spa. Swim length is 44 ft (pool cover vault takes up approx. 2.5 ft. of the pool's length. 2. 40,000 ish gallons 3. Perimeter length : approx, 120 ft 4. Min. depth / Max. depth: 3.5 ft to 5.5 ft. 5. Avg. # persons using (in) pool at a given time during the active season: 2-4 on days when dd has friends over. 6. Max. # persons pool can accommodate comfortably (before seeming too crowded): For lap swimming one or two is fine...for playing around, five or six is okay...beyond that, it gets crowded. 7. For your usage level, would you say your pool is undersized, oversized, just right: Just right given my yard space. If I had a bigger lot, I'd love a longer and wider pool. Daughter and friends *love* the slide....I' might have liked a deeper deep end for diving. Pics:

What everyone needs to realize is that when you purchase the IntelliBrite, you are buying Pentair's most advanced light. You will only get the benefits of this light when you purchase the most advanced automation. That is the IntelliTouch, not EasyTouch. EasyTouch is meant to be an entry level into automation. Once considered highe end, the SAM/SAL lights are now less than the IntelliBrite. Go to the Pentair website under lighting, IntelliBrite and there you will find the toggle sequences. All Pentair automation allows the "sync" feature on multiple lights. With ET or IT, you simply set sync and multiple lights will change to the same color provided they are on their own relays. EasyTouch will not sync an IntelliBrite but it will a SAM/SAL. IntelliTouch will will allow the advanced features of IntelliBrite to be used but EasyTouch will not. Example, multiple lights can be used in the color set mode(each light on its own color with one button push)or the color swim mode (each light blending colors across the pool). The color set/swim is only available on the +3 versions of the IntelliTouch. With EasyTouch, you must toggle to get the various colors. Once you find something yuo like, you can use the hold/recall option. It's a ridiculous amount of switching but that's the case w/o IntelliTouch.