Tonio: I use that one also, but the other is a lot more microclimate specific with the map. Phil: That's a good general rule. By the way, notice the different dates for seeds or PLANTS for all the brassicas. What's kind of bogus is if you want to go down to Home Depot and pick up some fall/winter seedlings, they won't carry them until xmas or so -- not really a good time to stick a small seedling in the ground with the lack of sunlight, but Armstrong starts carrying them in late August. Yep. I grow quite a bit. Broccoli, Cauli, Bok Choy, Collards, kale, Leeks, Red Onions, Napa(first time this year -- planted seedlings in Dec -- produced real well, though for the longest time, I didn't think they were going to head; Snow Peas were awesome this year -- started in early November; Spinach, Leaf Lettuces, Swiss chard. What I've noticed is most of the Brassicas like to be planted early on in the fall or the mid-late winter -- once again, because of the lack of sunlight. Bok Choy's a hit or miss thing with me though -- I either get some decent plants or the heat or cold(what I've read recently) causes them to bolt. Potatoes -- I tried some reds one year and got some small ones, but since then I've found out that they like a pretty acidic soil and we're a bit on the basic side here in the west. So, before i try again, I'll have to add some sulfur to bring the ph down some. That... and the fact that I'm somewhat of a chile fanatic and since they're both in the nightshade family, it doesn't lend itself to crop rotation very easily. Nancy: Sometimes, just SOME TIMES, I wish I was more North for certain crops. Kevin

Daisy, First, so happy to hear from you and your experiences! So your small m comment got me looking and it seems like American editors and rulebooks differ on the usage of small m from one to another. Some say it applies to every mediterranean climate outside the Mediterranean Sea area, and some say it refers to anything landlocked with that climate. Still others disagree and say if your climate is based on that sea then you can use the capital whereas everyone else must use a lowercase m. Just an interesting aside I had never considered before. Thank you! Thank you for the suggestions! I have not seen that book before and I am going to have to check it out. There is another book I want to interlibrary loan to see if it is worth purchasing called "Gardening in the Middle East." I fear it may have more to do with the desert, so I want to look at it first. Oh, the hail. Yes, that happens in NW Jordan as well. This information has given me some great direction. I will be taking a look! Julianna

Thank you hoosierquilt, but the potting mix is a citrus mix and drains extremely well. There is no problem with draining. Water runs right through it and out the bottom. I live near the coast. Some mornings are foggy, and as I said temperatures have been cool as of late and not getting much sun so the soil in all my plants is not drying at all. You can even see the moisture on the leaves. These pictures were taken early in the morning. Also, the roots are not sitting in water. The pot is elevated above the saucer so the pot (nor the tree) is even touching the saucer underneath. Both those issues are not the problem. I'm hoping it's just sunlight and once the sun starts shifting further north in a few weeks it will be fine. Thanks again. This post was edited by ariel.s on Tue, Jan 21, 14 at 22:55

Okay, as far as your cholesterol meds go, just tell your doctor you need to switch to Crestor, so you can enjoy grapefruit (and pummelos) again. That is so dumb. I wish doctors would pay better attention to this (I am an RN, Crestor, rosuvastatin, does not interact with furanocouramins). Citrus, and especially grapefruits and pummelos are part of a healthy diet. If you like them, you should be able to eat them. No problem at all eating grapefruits or pummelos if you're on Crestor, that will fix that issue. Jean, I had a Valencia orange in my back yard in Huntington Beach, and it was delicious, so it should do just fine for ptr in Manhattan Beach, especially if she's a bit away from the coast. Huntington Beach is cooler and foggier than Manhattan. Navel oranges may not get enough heat units, but you shouldn't have any issues with a Valencia. As far as mandarins, I would suggest Seedless Kishu. Pixie is also wonderful. Another good option is Clemenules (Nules) mandarin. All really excellent, rich, very sweet, easy to peel, super delicious. Lemons - the best true lemon out there would be a Santa Teresa Feminnello, which can be found at Four Winds Citrus. Pink Lemonade is pretty to look at, but the fruit is pretty worthless. Dry, pithy, not juicy. Pretty tree, poor fruit. A prettier tree is the Improved Meyer lemon, but it is a hybrid, and if you're looking for a true lemon, then this may not be to your liking. I would suggest tasting a Meyer lemon before you buy a tree. I love them, no all lemon lovers do. And, if you change your statin, you can consider a Cocktail pummelo hybrid. All the sweetness of an orange, but tastes like a grapefruit. And, doesn't need heat units to sweeten, like most grapefruits do. Just love them. ptr, are you originally from South Africa by chance? Patty S.