P...this is an interesting question. I suspect this is partially due to the specific varieties involved...and the general weather conditions. Unusually bland weather slows down many processes such as flowering. Don't panic.

I just got my first fruit tree, combo asian pear, and I am going to put a ceramic owl on my shed, near my pear tree, to keep the doves and other birds away. I have bird attracting trees, and a dozen nests in my yard, so I want to make sure they are eating bugs, and not my fruit. On my yard, we had a peach tree a long time ago, that no one took care of. It was basically invaded by ear wigs, and so we only got to eat a few each year! Ever since my yard has always had ear wigs up till last season. I took out a foot of bark 2-3 inches deep from my willow, cause earwigs were burrowed up in it like crazy.. I just used sevin spray on it from Lowes that hooks up to the hose. I rinsed the tree after to make sure they all fell out, and to keep the spray off my tree. It was a good method. I got them good, but I had to really get up in there to get the nursery of earwigs. Obviously they say you "can" use this Sevin Stuff on vegetables and fruit trees, but I don't think I want to go that route. I did use it on my vegetable garden 2 times last summer when I was spraying my trees, but I did it only on vegetables that you didn't eat the outer layer, like pumpkins and watermelon. Not that any of them needed it. --------------------------------- I am also researching more organic ways to spray a fruit tree. I have used other methods for other types of edible plants, like planting certain types of herbs or plants around things to keep bugs out. Like my pepper plants really kept bugs out of my bed, I swear I didn't have 1 invader in my garden outside my lettuce crops. And I think my catnip and bay leaf plants in my willow tree bed helped out a lot after the sevin sprayings. I also have very little of new bugs, because my "bird" attracting trees, are filled with bug eating birds. Birds are your best friends. It is about containment of the bug populations and getting less of them each season. No way to keep "all" bugs out of yard over night, or for good. I also wanted to note, that I have found simple methods in other parts of yard/house. Like putting ammonium sulfate all over my grass instead of fertilizer, cause I have kitties, and a dozen kids who live in circle in front of my house. I have also used salt to help kill stumps, cause kids love to play on the one in my front yard, so no stump killer. I have also used viniger based cleaning solution for all sorts of things. It keeps away bacteria and organisms, big or small. If you didn't know, you can clean your fruit off with viniger rather than water to get bacteria off. I bet there is a vegetable oil and viniger mix that would work for a spray, that keeps fruit natural and bug resistant. I am looking to find something like that, some house hold item that can used that isn't poison or dangerous to cats, kids or the fruit itself. If I find something I will let you, cause I am also a first timer fruit tree planter/owner. I would suggest, a "scarecrow" by the tree, and maybe some plants or herbs around the tree. Bay leafs have multiple uses. Birds and bees are what I attract to my yard, which can be flowers, trees, etc. A little flower can help out a lot more than you would think.

Welcome! You have chosen a hobby that can that can feed body and soul for a lifetime! Avocados sound like a difficult choice to me but I haven't tried myself. Have grown most of the others mentioned in pots. They all bear but don't expect enough to cut your food bill noticeably. Groworganic is a good supplier. I bought 10 of their trees last yr. Price is right and all grew but they were minimally packed and kinda dry on arrival. I'd suggest looking for bare root trees in January at big local nurseries. When I lived near Fresno they carried them at good prices and at the best planting time, mid winter. My favorite low chill nectarines that should be widely available bare root are Arctic Star and Snow Queen. Check out the San Diego chapter of California Rare Fruit Growers online or whatever chapter is nearby. They have long lists of best cultivars, scion exchanges, and regular meetings to learn and meet fellow growers.

I've ordered from several different places, and have so far liked them all, including Chamblees. On the one occasion when there was a severe damage problem caused en route, Chamblees replaced the rose. You do need to report the damage immediately, though, if it's so extensive that the rose might not recover. I've decided to stick with the easily-planted ownroot roses from wherever I end up buying any particular rose. And with the possibility of severe winter dieback, the ownroots also have an advantage over the grafted in that whatever grows back is necessarily going to be the same variety you ordered. Someone who has grown both kinds for sale, Paul Zimmerman, says that the ownroots are only smaller than grafted plants during the first three or so years because when you get them they're younger plants than the grafted roses... but that they'll soon catch up. One of my ownroots from Chamblees last year, Cinco De Mayo, started out as the tiniest rose I've ever seen, but had grown to about 4' wide, 4' tall, and very bushy by the fall. One of the best places for a newcomer to learn about growing roses is Paul Zimmerman's website with his videos covering many aspects of growing roses. (Link enclosed) Best wishes, Mary Here is a link that might be useful: Paul Zimmerman's rose growing videos on You Tube