Keith, I wasn't thinking about the Earthtainers in terms of the plants appearance, because some years Raybo's plants look less-than-beautiful by mid-season too. In other years, though, his plants look a lot better than my plants, whether mine are in the ground or in containers. However, Raybo's plants always produce high numbers of fruit and that interests me. I was really posting the info about Earthtainers because there are a lot of new gardeners who want to grow tomato plants in very limited space, and for them something like an Earthtainer or Earth Box or Grow Box might be more effective than growing in the ground if their ground, or their time, are very limited. Or, growing in a self-watering container that might let them try growing something in an easier way than the usual process of breaking up the soil and improving it. Then, if successful with a self-watering container, they might branch out and try an in-ground garden. I get really high production from plants grown in molasses tubs but have to water them a lot. If I could get equal production from Earthtainers without having to water 2 or 3 times a day during the peak of the season, I'd be a happy camper. So why haven't I tried Earthtainers? Mostly it is because I know that too much water causes all kinds of tomato problems, including cracking, splitting and watered-down flavor. So, I am skeptical that tomatoes grown in self-watering containers would taste as good as those exactly same varieties grown in the ground. For me, high production is important but so is growing tomatoes with great flavor. I do think it would be interesting to try it, though. And, for urban gardeners looking to produce a lot in a little space, the SWCs could be a great solution. I have wondered, too, if tomato plants in self-watering containers in our climate would suck up all the water from the reservoir daily and if I'd still be watering every day even if using them. I think there's a good chance that would occur, so if it did, then SWCs wouldn't really be an improvement over regular containers, would they? Years before I ever saw one of Raybo's Earthtainers on the tomato forum, a guy named Josho was building something similar but simpler, and I remember seeing photos of those long ago. and I've toyed with the idea of trying them, but haven't done it yet (which says something, doesn't it, about me either being wishy-washy or just not wanting to take on one more gardening task in the months when the days are too long, and so is the 'to do' list). One of these years, I'll try an Earthtainer or Earthbox or Grow Box, or all three at the same time. I don't know that it will be this year, though. Jay, I've always felt the same way....that our climate is more harsh and likely we would not have the same results, or maybe we'd get large yields but watered down flavor. However, I feel kind of bad about automatically dismissing them without trying them. Maybe I'd be surprised and a self-watering container would produce better than I think. I used to think you couldn't grow celery here in our climate, and you've proven me wrong on that one, lol, so maybe we're making the wrong assumptions on SWCs in our climate too. Who knows? If I had a friend or relative wanting to try gardening for the first time ever in the simplest way possible, though, I'd recommend they try a tomato plant in a self-watering container and one in a standard large container. I'd suggest they grow the two side-by-side and see which one performed better and which one gave them the best-tasting tomatoes and the best yields. That's the only way they (or any of us) could be sure about the merits of a SWC versus a standard container. We're looking at the southern drought spreading into OK from the east and south and making our gardening lives less easy in 2011, and I know I am going to have to settle for a smaller garden/lower yields, etc. If I thought SWCs would make a difference (and I haven't decided if I think they would or wouldn't), I'd make some SWCs in January when it is too cold and icky to be outside and would try them with the February-planted early tomatoes. If I liked what I saw from them, I might try them with a couple of mid-season tomatoes planted slightly later. I think that in a typical year here, the SWCs might not be worth the time or expense, but in a really epic drought year, they might. Here at our house, with the heavy red clay soil, an epic drought gives us soil as hard as concrete and it dries so hard that when you try to water, the water rolls downhill into the retention pond at the foot of the garden and very little gets absorbed. Even inproved clay soil that is heavily mulched just doesn't perform well in the worst drought conditions, because we cannot afford to spend as much money as it takes to keep the soil moist in those conditions. So, the real question for me is whether or not I think 2011 will be an epic drought year or just a moderate one. On that point, I am undecided, but here at our house, rainfall has plummeted the last 6 or 8 weeks and I believe our 2011 drought has begun. Our ground (and, remember, we had oodles of rain in Sept. and early Oct.) is cracking and I'm having to water the soil around the foundation about every 3rd or 4th day. Wildfires are increasing. I have been watching very, very closely all the info coming out of the U. S. Drought Monitor and the Texas Forest Service, since our property is surrounded on three sides by Texas and our conditions here are more like theirs than those found even 50 miles north of us in OK. I'm not liking what I am seeing coming out of Texas and other states in the south plagued by drought. Also, I've noticed through simple observation that in the years when La Nina brings heavy, heavy snow to the upper third of the USA, we almost always have a dry winter that carries us into spring very dry. Starting a garden in a dry spring is not easy. In 2003, I was slow to recognize the early start to the drought and waited too late to begin irrigating. I did a better job of irrigating earlier in 2005, but the drought finished off my garden in July anyway, and then except for a one day rainfall of over 9" in April 2006, we had the same issues in 2006. I just dread the thought of 2011 being like those years, but I think it likely. I think there's a good chance we'll have extreme drought issues in 2011 and if the La Nina weather pattern hangs on into the summer months, we could see exceptional drought, so I'm working on ways to combat those conditions. For me, it probably will be a once-and-done garden where I go into the gardening season with the knowledge that after July 1st, irrigation will cost more than it is worth and I won't irrigate after July 1st. That also means I'd be less likely to succession plant. It has been several years since I've done that, but in extreme to exceptional drought, there's really not any other choice. With the container-grown plants, I can water with a drip irrigation system and keep them going even if extreme drought is occurring, unless we have water rationing. However, in all the years we've lived here, we haven't had water rationing a single time so far in our community, so I don't expect it in 2011 unless one of the water company's wells runs dry or has techinical difficulties. It could be that in a year of extreme to exceptional drought, SWCs would be the ultimate solution for someone like me who wants to garden despite the drought. I guess I'll never know, though, if I don't try it. I may be the only gardener in southern OK obsessing over whether the southern drought will make gardening a nightmare in 2011, but what I'm seeing in Texas, and Georgia (where the winter onion plantings are in serious trouble due to drought) and points in between makes me think 2011 is going to be the most challenging year since 2005-2006 unless the La Nina weather pattern abruptly turns back neutral, which seems unlikely. I feel like I've become obsessed with drought the last 2 or 3 weeks, but that's because I'm working on my 'Grow List' for 2011, and I almost feel like I need to have two lists.....one list of what I'll plant if we're having normal weather (as if there is even such a thing as normal weather here) and a second list of what I'll plant if we seem to be in the early stages of a prolonged drought at planting time. Dawn

I live in DFW, last year was a very good year for tomato gardening in Dallas. Last year I had good luck with everything I planted: Celebrity, Sunmaster, Sweet Million, Superbeefsteak, Better Boy, Giant Belgium. The Sunmaster variety was still setting fruit in July, till the night time temperature failed to fall under 80. March and April can be quite windy, so be aware that your plants can really be damaged if exposed to the high winds, usually out of the south-southwest. Hail and high winds in April/May from thunderstorms usually take their toll too. Be prepared. In regards to planting...last spring around St Patricks Day we had alot of really rotten weather that would have drown most new plants. I waited till about April 1st to plant. A little late but the mild spring made up for it. Last freeze date in DFW is usually about March 17th but varies by area. I live inside Dallas and our last freeze has usually been about the 15th. Bad thing about tomatoes is if you plant them in cold/cool soil they will just sit there and not grow. Better just to let them sit inside in the warm air for another 5-6 days rather than plant in the cold soil. I started my seeds a week ago, a full week ahead of last year and a full two weeks ahead of the year before. Seems that I always get my first crop of tomatoes the same week every year, a week or three either way in regards to starting seeds does not matter for me.

We put Caesarstone in our master bath about 3 years ago. Polished, not honed. The area around my sink looks dull, mottled, grimy. Also spots from water or something...We have cleaned it with vinegar and water or Mrs Meyer's countertop spray. Found out recently that Caesarstone says not to use Mrs. Meyers--Because it's "plant based." Seems strange to me, since people use it in their kitchen with plant based cooking oils splashing on it. My husband's sink doesn't look as bad as mine. I of course use makeup and more lotions. Also nightly contact lens cleaning (hard contacts require this). But I always wipe it dry when finished. Maybe it depends what pattern you choose. I think the grimy look I've noticed is called "patina" and it probably doesn't show on some patterns. I have Statuario Nuvo. When I contacted CS for advice on cleaning, they told me to use Soft Scrub Gel with bleach (this is also on their website). I tried that three times with no change. I'm looking for another brand for my kitchen remodel and will pick a pattern that is more forgiving, since I want ease of maintenance.

The OP mentions that she is looking for a muted grey counter with little variation/pattern and not very glossy. And what does she get? With the exception of rinq and cawwaps, people are posting that they prefer natural stone and dislike "fake" quartz as it those opinions were facts. Yet, clearly, quartz is the countertop material that the OP is looking for, as a calm grey, quiet with little to no movement is what quartz does best, better than any natural stone, as karin_mt makes clear with her post on limestone. Add to rinq's list the Diresco brand quartz from Belgium. Look at their wide offerings of solid greys, from light to dark, and warm to cool. Not sure it's available everywhere though, we bought ours in the Chicago area and love it, as we too looked for a calm, quiet, pattern-free countertop, in light to medium grey in a honed finish. Ours is "Medium Beach" in velvet (their honed finish). When we purchased It, about 1 1/2 years ago, it was very reasonably priced. My honed quartz takes just a little bit more effort to keep pristine than polished quartz would. But it's by no means difficult, or much extra work. First, no sealing or waxing is required, ever. For quick clean-ups, I use a wet rag with some dish-soap. If the area around the cooktop or sink is especially greasy, I use a bit of a degreaser such as Crud Cutter or some such, on the rag and wipe the surface down. Rinse with clean rag. Done. The only thing that leaves stains on our counters are blueberries. Not to worry though, the stains come off with a little bit of Scrubbing Bubbles All Surface bleach-free bathroom cleaner with lactic acid, spray some on the stain, let it sit for 10 to 20 seconds and wipe off. Repeat once if needed. That's it. By the way, I think it's best not to use scrubbies with abrasive cleaners on quartz, they tend to dull the surface. Check out Diresco's product line, you'll see they carry plenty of calm greys, from light to dark and from warm to cool. https://www.direscousa.com/product https://www.houzz.com/pro/diresco/diresco