When your tomato plants get frosted they will die (or at least start a quick downward spiral). It is good to get all of the usable fruit inside before then (the fruit might still be usable after a frost - it probably will not freeze, but I don't see too much reason to wait). The sun angle, shorter cooler days, and longer cold nights are all working against your tomato plants - there is a point at which they seem to stop and wait to die. If it is not going to get warmer your tomato season is probably over. You can pull the tomato plants with a bit of a root ball intact (knock the dirt off) and hang them in a shed, it is amazing how many of the fruits will ripen this way (I grow mostly paste types, different varieties could behave differently). There is a bit of a problem doing this even if you have the extra space, the ripened fruit is of decreasing quality and at some point it will be best to compost them. I hope this helps, best of luck!

I think what you are seeing is possibly a slight language barrier, coupled with the use of technical terminology, so I wouldn't count out the advice or musings of anyone quite yet. :-) I do believe that some of our posters reside in other areas of the world... such as Europe, or on other continents... and there may be a slight loss or change of meaning through translation. What I do is assume that everyone posts in a friendly manner, and if I don't quite understand something said, it's either due to a difference in language, or a difference in technical knowledge. English used in America is very difficult to master, and it's filled with slang and different placement of the various sentence parts. And since we can't see the gestures or expressions of our fellow posters, we can only guess at "how" they meant something. Some of us speak in more technical terms, and some use more common wording. I'll be the first to admit that some of the more technical language is lost on me, which is why I lean toward the more common terms. But once you go deeper into the technical and scientific aspects of plant husbandry and breeding, you'll be using those same terms and the barrier you detect now won't exist. I think Hans is only giving you a "heads up" so you won't be too disappointed if your breeding doesn't "take". He has a lot of experience in such areas, and although it doesn't hurt to try something that is known to fail for others, I think he's only trying to share his knowledge and spare you any disappointment. Go easy on us old-timers, please! :-) We each have a lot to offer through our individual experiences, and our differing opinions formed over time. The best course of action is to take what you can use from the various postings, and leave the rest. Often, it's by sifting through such information and opinions that we discover a new outlook that we hadn't previously thought about! As example, I grow things completely differently than quite a few other posters, but it was only through their shared ideas that I was prompted to search further... so, in reality, I have them to thank for pushing me to learn more! While the underlying basics of plant husbandry remain the same, there are numerous variables when it comes to individual environment, methodology, and the genetic heredity of a plant, itself. So, while something works for one grower, it may not be possible for another grower to duplicate. And this is why everyone's shared information has some merit.

The longer any grout haze sets, the more tenacious it'll be in removal. Clean it next day. Try warm water first. If that doesn't work, then try a nonacid grout haze remover, which can be found in the tile aisle at any of the big box stores. So long as your installer's done a good job grouting, that should be all that's needed. Try and stay away from vinegar or any of the other acids, and only use them as a last resort.

Use a good elastomeric caulk, not the cheap painter's caulk which will crack with movement. I would wait until humidity is about mid point between the high and lows of your home. That way, when the moldings expand and contract with the seasons, the amount of movement the caulk it must manage successfully will fall somewhere in the middle and hopefully within its performance range, not the full span, not too much or too little applied. (Hard to describe!) This post was edited by snookums2 on Tue, Aug 20, 13 at 0:10