Archive for May, 2015
Grow Your Own: It’s The Time Of The Season…
by John Weckerle
Planting season continues here at New Mexico Central headquarters, and with a couple of tweaks and a bit of mulching to go, Bed 5 is essentially up and running. Having saved a few spots for succession planting, we now have the following (including those mentioned in our last gardening post):
- Tomatoes: Brandywine, Big Brandy (a first generation hybrid), Grandma’s Pick, and Rio Grande
- Summer Squash – Zucchini and Yellow
- Cauliflower
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Chiles (New Mexico 6-4 [mild] and Sandia [hot]
- Bell Peppers (red, yellow, green)
- Cucumbers (2)
- Shallots (2 rows)
- Leeks (2 rows)
- Wax beans (from seed; 20 planted)
- Green beans (from seed; Blue Lake [10], Top Crop [10])
- Eggplant (Dusky; 2)
- Jalapeno (1)
- Lettuce
The kale has been removed; sadly, it was covered with aphids, and these have already spread to the broccoli. We’ll be fighting them off with water and a pyrethrin-based (pyrethrins are a chrysanthemum extract) spray in the early season only; pyrethrins can be bad for bees and we don’t want to cause trouble there once things start flowering – we’d rather lose the broccoli, although that doesn’t seem likely. We’ll try bringing in ladybugs, also, but we have not had time to get the very important next-door flower beds started, so they’ll probably fly the coop. The relocated Bed 1 awaits repurposing for this, but probably not until next season.
We’ve “buttoned up” the greenhouse on Bed 5, and have added some critterproofing in the form of poultry netting along the roll-up sides. So far, there’s no evidence of unwanted entrants, although a determined squirrel could get in fairly easily; we’re prepared to go further if needed.
As to the greenhouse itself, a ShelterLogic product, we have some thoughts. Obviously, we were adapting this to a situation other than its designed purpose, and some adjustments were necessary. However, we would note that assembling this structure was far and away more difficult than it should have been, and this seemed a function of manufacturing issues. Parts were extraordinarily difficult to fit together (this appeared, in our opinion, to be associated with outward dimpling on bolt holes, odd “flanging” on certain parts, and perhaps not taking the thickness of coating into account), and in some cases holes through which bolts had to fit did not line up. This was a three-weekend project at least, and while the resulting product appears very sturdy, we caution readers considering it to allow ample time to complete the project.
Bed 5, with greenhouse sides rolled up.
Bed 5 interior, facing north.
Bed 5 interior facing south.
Edgewood Loses Fast-Food Franchise
by John Weckerle
After receiving a tip from a local business owner, a team of New Mexico Central investigators made a beeline to a location in Edgewood to confirm the demise of another local establishment – the Subway® sandwich shop on George Court. There, indeed, a sign in the door advised us that this location had closed, and asking us to visit their Moriarty or Tijeras locations. Confounded – primarily because the shop seemed chronically busy – we initiated contact with Subway® to inquire as to why we had been deprived of the six-inch tuna sandwich on 9-grain wheat with everything on it that we enjoyed so well, and whether or not a new Edgewood location was planned. On May 7, we received the following reply from Subway:
Thank you for contacting SUBWAY® Restaurants. Your feedback is important
to the SUBWAY® brand and your recent inquiry has been forwarded to the
appropriate areas for further review.
Sincerely,
The Customer Care Team
SUBWAY® Restaurants
325 Bic Drive
Milford, CT 06461 USA
http://www.subway.com
Ph:1.800.888.4848
Note: This e-mail message is automatically generated as part of our automated e-mail system. Please do not reply to this e-mail address as this mailbox account is not monitored.
More than a week later, we have heard nothing else from Subway®.
We have, perhaps unsurprisingly, a few thoughts. First, let us recognize that a Subway® sandwich, in addition to whatever enjoyment it may provide, is a convenience, and likely primarily a convenience, to most purchasers. Adding what amounts to a 30-minute minimum round trip to the procurement has the potential to turn the grinder adventure into a grind – and if there is a long line at the alternate location, the entire hero-ic enterprise could become a hoagie horror.
Second, we wish to make it clear that we did not hear from “The Customer Care Team.” We received an autoresponse from an autoresponse application. If there were actually a “team” at Subway(argh) that cared about customers in Edgewood, we should have heard from them by now. Then again, the indication that our inquiry was forwarded to the appropriate areas (Sandia Knolls? Piscataway? The Caribbean? Narnia?) rather than the appropriate people or department suggests that Subway(argh) is perhaps less concerned with the care of its customers than the customers themselves might be.
As some may have noticed, the denizens of NM-Central tend not to engage in a range of colloquialisms, seeking alternatives to even those that are only mildly vulgar and/or part of the commonly accepted parlance, acknowledging that some of our readers would prefer headier discussions. Therefore, we will refrain from such machinations as inviting Subway(argh) to “bite me” or “eat it,” in the mode of accepted vernacular. However, we will note that we will likely be biting and eating less of Subway’s(argh) products in the foreseeable future, both here and elsewhere because – for Edgewood area residents, at least – they are no longer convenient, and to date we’ve seen no indication that the corporation is the least bit concerned with the interests in its once-upon-a-time customers in Edgewood. It’s not as if Edgewood area lunch patrons don’t have options – if you have an extra half-hour, there are good, non-sandwich lunch options locally, and if you’re really wanting a great sandwich and have time on your hands, there’s always Albuquerque.
Of course we can always make our own sandwiches. After all, it’s not as if it’s submarine science…
EMIFPA Fire Info – May 28, 2015 – Tijeras Library Meeting
by John Helmich
EM Residents,
It’s your turn to help us! We want to hear from you! Is there information you want/need about wildfire that we have not helped you with? Do you have ideas that you believe we should incorporate into our education program or ideas on how we can reach more people?
Come to the May session of the Tijeras Public Library series. The date is May 28, 5:30 – 6:30 pm in the library meeting room. Help us help you!
As always, we encourage you to get involved. Your safety during wildfire and any disaster will be effected by your neighbors and their readiness. Be prepared and help your neighbors become prepared too.
John Helmich
EMIFPA Community Education Outreach Coordinator
Grow Your Own – One Door Falls, Another Zippers…
by John Weckerle
It is early yet for planting, as the weather forecasts warn – with temperatures predicted to fall into the mid-thirties tonight, tomatoes and peppers could once again fall victim to the late frost that has felled so many of the delightful nightshades planted in mid-May, much less earlier. Planting anything but the cold-hardiest crops would seem a fools errand at least until (in our experience) the weekend before Memorial Day. However, we have marched forward, because we now think we can get away with it. We finally got the greenhouse assembled, shown here at about 85% complete (more pictures when planting is complete):
We’ll note that the sides and top have been tightened down and the ends have been fixed as well since this photo was taken, which required a bit of creativity. The sides roll up to the first seam from the bottom as seen on the right-hand side here, allowing (along with the screened vents on the ends) for air circulation during hot weather. We’ll be publishing a final review of the ShelterLogic greenhouse hear shortly, but we will stop short of endorsing it to the general public, especially that segment of it that is less crazy than the denizens of New Mexico Central headquarters. We will also note that the trees in the left-hand side of the picture may be in for a tough summer. Sorry, guys.
Planting inside technically began last year, as we have some kale that made it through the winter and is providing some early harvest. This year’s planting, which began today, thus far includes:
- Tomatoes: Brandywine, Big Brandy (a first generation hybrid), Grandma’s Pick, and Rio Grande
- Summer Squash – Zucchini and Yellow
- Cauliflower
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Chiles (New Mexico 6-4 [mild] and Sandia [hot]
- Bell Peppers (red, yellow, green)
“In the ground soon” (which means we already have them and can pop them in after work during the week) plants include leeks, shallots, Blue Lake green beans, and wax beans. Next weekend we’ll likely pick up jalapenos, perhaps some lunchbox peppers, and eggplants. And where have we gotten all of this, and where will we get as much as possible for the rest of the season?
Parker’s Farm and Greenhouse, of course. Located at the eastern end of Church Street in Edgewood, New Mexico, Parker’s is a great source of locally (for the climate) appropriate and healthy plants – vegetables, herbs, trees, and ornamentals . Everyone there seems knowledgeable and glad to answer questions and offer advice. They are open beginning at 9 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays from April through July. This year, as in every year, Parker’s gets our highest recommendation for quality plants. And, of course, while you are there, take some time to stroll through the lovely gardens and pond area that highlight their horticultural expertise; on its own, it is well worth the short drive.