I'm also in the Bay Area, a bit farther north I think because our summer highs are similar but our winter lows are a bit lower. My favorite plum is the Elephant Heart, bred by Luther Burbank in this area so it does well here. I just had my first off of my new tree and it was delicious and definitely an eating over the sink variety. I also have a Santa Rosa plum, which is smaller and not quite as juicy but very flavorful and reliably productive. If you want to try multiple trees in one hole I suggest doing it with plums and pluots, because there are so many good varieties and a lot of them yield better with cross pollination. I love my Pink Pearl apple tree, I just harvested the first batch to make into pies and my friends and family are eagerly anticipating them. They are a bit too tart for my taste for fresh eating, but the best pie apples I've ever used. I second the recommendation for a Meyer Lemon, I wouldn't be without one. Very useful fruit, fragrant flowers, and they're evergreen. Beware bramble fruits! Contain the roots or they will take over your yard. I'm not certain how to ensure the longest harvest, the easiest way would probably be to get a variety of summer bearing and fall bearing cultivars. Also, you should have some strawberries because they are relatively easy to grow and they start bearing sooner than most fruiting plants. Depending on how cold your area gets you will probably have to protect the avocados and tropicals, and there might be issues with lack of summer heat for ripening. You might want to contact the California Rare Fruit Growers for advice, or just look around to see if others have had success with those plants in your area. I know it can be done, there's a guy locally who grows pineapples, but it's a lot of work for a small harvest. Good luck on your project, I hope you have bounteous harvests in the years to come!

You know what, I didn't add gypsum to that mix. That tree was the first thing I planted in gritty mix and I don't recall adding anything but the granite, turface, and bark. I ordered Foliage Pro a few days ago however so the gypsum won't be needed now anyway. I have been using Vinegar in my water but it's possible that it's not enough. If the pH is still too high it might be blocking the uptake of nutrients. I use 2oz of white vinegar in my two gallon watering jug. The pH of our water is nearly 8 so it probably wouldn't hurt to add a little extra. I read in a couple other threads that those of you who use gritty mix sometimes fertilize with every watering at a lower concentration. Looking back on the past couple weeks I've been using diluted fertilizer maybe once every four waterings so I'm thinking I just need to increase my fertilizer use. Thank you all for the help by the way, I appreciate it. I love to crowd source my problems to see what other people think lol :p

Maybe. Maybe not, Steve. Bees travel many miles. Are your chances better my selecting a seed from a block of same species trees? Yes. Is it perfect science? No. You still have a chance of having a hybrid. As I mentioned in my previous post, peaches, apricots and nectarine seedlings as hybrids will often be very good. And, sometimes better than either parent. Unlike other fruit trees (pomes for example, and monoembryonic citrus), whose hybrids are often less spectacular than their parents. And all three will produce strong seedlings, that can grow very quickly. Now, the downside to any seedling will be its roots. If you have unusual soil issues, this can be a detractor, as you do not gain the benefit of a stronger, better rootstock, more suited to your specific soil issues (if you have them). But, they are still fun to grow from seed. If you do not have specific soil issues (heavy clay, poorly draining, sandy, nematodes, pathogens, etc.), then seedling stone fruits are fun to experiment with, as they will produce very quickly, as opposed to citrus seedlings. Patty S.

I's good to hear you have a porch to winter store plants imagine if it gets to chilled at night you can simply open a door and share some inside heat or use a suplemental heater for a while With this in mind is it safe to assume your hot house is not attached to your house ? If you have a heater that works for you already I wouldn't suggest adding a lighting system (bulbs) to your hot house as the only sorce of heat simply because they wouldn't be on at night Emphisis on night: It gets to cold to often with colder temps at the minus (?) F degrees bulbs that are off aren't going to warm any area Some bennifits to a heater are it can turn on and off on an as needed basis by thermatic controls and timers helping maintain disired warmth though out the entire day and night. A draw back is loosing power for to long of time with out a second sorce on a colder day On a logical thought, a cold frame wont work for you but if it where to work you wouldn't need any added lighting to keep plants warmer I agree it's better and easier to grow some plants slower if ideal growing conditions cant be suplied with in a persons means if you dont push growth, it's not uncommon for a healthier plant to be seen in the future. Many compliments are read that are directed to Mike Mike Your doing something right