Its best to use starter or starter/grower until lay begins.Then mix the last of the starter with the lay feed rather than just simply switch feeds all at 1 time. Most any of the commercial feeds are adequate. Feed mill guys generally try to be helpful but few have animal nutrition backgrounds.

Murky, My figs are towering giants right now. I bet they are 12 or more feet tall. If you had asked me that same question in 2003 I would have jumped at it, as these root cups look like they cannot be improved upon. But I am just not airlayering anything these days. Back in 2003 I was using yogurt cups that I had first melted a hole in the center bottom, then cut with scissors down the side to that hole. Next I would fit it around the fig stem, and then duct tape the whole thing solid. After that I would fill the cup with some potting soil and keep it moist for a month or two. They rooted very nicely, best done in early June. The reason I even went to this extreme is because a friend from California had given me some potted figs that had severe nematode infestations, so this method was incorporated to give the clones disease free roots. Then junk the mother plants. Any more, my figs are so branch-prolific that I just take the more limber of the lower branches and weight them down with rocks of bricks to the ground, making superb fig-babies for whoever wants them. Right now I have plenty of Desert King and Negronne, if you know anyone that needs that sort.

I usually can peaches to save freezer space for beef and pork, which we raise ourselves, but I freeze a few for cobbler and pie as Iike the texture better, canned peaches seem softer when baked into a pie, etc. I blanch the peaches, peel them and put them into a solution of water with a couple of Vitamin C tablets broken open and dissolved in. Far cheaper than Fruit Fresh and it keeps the fruit from browning. Slice them, put them into a single layer on a sheet tray and freeze. If they stick just a few minutes will allow them to thaw just enough to release. Into a ziplock bag and into the freezer, and the individual slices let me take out just enough for a smoothie for the grandkids, a small batch of turnovers, some ice cream, topping for pancakes, whatever. I never use any sugar or syrup when freezing this way and even if I'm making scones or muffins the frozen slices still are easy enough to cut into smaller chunks. I've also done as Donna states and put all filling ingredients in a ziplock bag ready for use. The only thing I do differently is that I freeze the bags right in my pie plates, so they are the right shape to just plop into my pie crust for pie or into the pan to thaw and get ready for cobbler or crisp topping. When they are frozen they can be removed from the pie plate and stacked up for later use and the pie plate goes back into the cabinet for future use. Annie

I think my sister has made Grapefruit pie and boy yours sounds so good! I just happen to have some Ruby Reds in my frig too! Michelle