Well, straight from the horse's (EPA's) mouth: "Americans spend more than three billion hours per year using lawn and garden equipment. Currently, a push mower emits as much hourly pollution as 11 cars and a riding mower emits as much as 34 cars. With this proposed rule, nonroad gasoline-powered engines, such as those used in lawn and garden equipment, would see an additional 35 percent reduction in HC and NOx emissions beyond a 60 percent reduction that finished phasing in last year under an earlier rulemaking. Those engines would also see a 45 percent reduction in fuel evaporative emissions." Let's break this down a bit. Three-billion hours per year sounds _very_ suspect. We have 350-million Americans total, including lots of children and senior citizens. If an average household is 4ish people, and we know that many households aren't in houses with land, then there are probably only a few million houses with land. But let's say there are 35-million to be generous. Am I supposed to believe that each household operates lawn equipment for 100 hours/year? I don't buy that. I wonder how they got that number? So unregulated mowers currently pollute at the same rate as 11 new cars. That is, either the average emissions found by EPA tests or the current EPA standards for non-road small engines show that one average push mower engine emits the same amounts of "big three" greenhouse gasses as 11 cars for any given time period of operation. Now I can believe that, actually. As I wrote before, new cars are so tightly regulated by very sophisticated management systems that they are really clean. Even if I think they are seriously overestimated the usage and impact of these engines, I still think it's worth reducing their emissions if it doesn't cost that much. And I don't think it will. I don't see these regs as the beginning of $1000k basic push mowers. I found this very interesting: "Additionally, recreational watercraft can emit as much as 348 cars an hour. By 2030, recreational watercraft powered by gasoline engines would see a 70 percent reduction in smog-forming hydrocarbon (HC) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), a 20 percent reduction in carbon monoxide (CO), and a 70 percent reduction in fuel evaporative emissions. When fully implemented, the rule would result in annual emission reductions of 630,000 tons of HC, 98,000 tons of NOx, 6,300 tons of direct particulate matter, and 2.7 million tons of CO." I can believe that, too, because many of these are still giant 2-strokes with 100hp and 600-700cc displacement. I've been wondering what's taking the EPA so long to get on their cases! The other thing I wonder about are the teeny little scooters and mini-mini-bikes in my neighborhood. I bet those are escaping regulation altogether as well. Here is a link that might be useful: EPA Press Release on the

If the ERG valve is stuck and/or the ports clogged, remeding these maladies may solve the problem. However, after you clean everything up, check out the ERG for operation. If does not operate, it may have failed or there is a problem in the control feeds to the valve. Recirculating exhaust gas back into the intake mixture lowers the combustion temperature, hence reduces NOX. Sadly, it also reduces efficiency a bit.

I wouldn't be ready to go the all in approach yet. First I'd focus on improving what you already have for next year. I assume this spot was well tilled/turned and amended before planting so it already has some work invested? You don't mention anything about nutrient supplements or feeding the plants at all? With no organic matter to provide even minimal nutrients regular supplements would have been required. The size of the tomatoes produced all depends on the variety planted. Name? The zucchini sounds like either lack of pollination or BER (blossom end rot. Manual hand pollination may be required until sufficient insects find the garden and settle in. BER is basically a soil moisture level (inconsistency which is common with sandy soils which drain quickly) plus a bit of nutrient deprivation thrown in. Cucumbers are subject to a couple of insect transmitted diseases - signs of cucumber beetles? The late planting will also account for some of your issues. Dave

Colorado sounds great, OllieJane! Also supposed to be below 90 today and tomorrow. However, rain and thunderstorms predicted and we are supposed to see Halestorm and The Pretty Reckless tonight along with up and coming rockers The Warning (3 sisters from Mexico) and Lilith Czar, so all female lead bands. The Pretty Reckless is Taylor Momsen’s band. She was Cindy Lou Who in the Grinch movie and also on Gossip Girl, but she’s really quite talented musically, too. LOL, DH saw her yesterday outside the hotel since the hotel shares the parking lot/garage with his building. So how much of a concert we will get tonight will be interesting to see.