My first advice would be to contact a local Master gardener or LSU Ag Center, or find them online. Also see if you can get a book from the library or at a bookstore if this is something you want to make a hobby of, buy a book you can refer to often. I havent' really grown much fruit in containers, but you will see them at local garden centers even like HOme Depot or Lowe's, like lemons or other citrus trees. There will be a big difference I think between zone 8b and zone 7, I used to live 9b and now 7, much much colder days and for longer months, you will have to bring the pots in. So consider that. For example I had a big Meyer lemon tree outside in 9b but that would not grow outside here. Not much help but I think you need some local advice and a good book. Also there is a container forum and fruit/orchard forum, if you haven't tried them yet.

Here I am! I've been catching up on my repotting. I'm going to have to invest in a machine to mix up my soil. The ol "fill up the wheel barrow and mix with a hoe" is killing me! I'm buying spag peat several bales at a time now. Here's my list...if I can remember them all: Growing: Garcinia Livingstonei(Imbe(5)), Mangosteens(9), Garcinia Madrono(2), Garcinia Brasiliensis(Achachairú), cacao, pineapple(2), Feijoa(pineapple guava(12)), dragon fruit(red and white fleshed), papaya(dwarf and full(2 each), sugar apples(2), grumichama(cherry of rio grande), Jit Lee Rambutan, rambutan root stock(rongrien graft died), staghorn fern, maprang(mayong chid), miracle fruit(always blooming, always dropping), carambola, bananas(nam wa, super drarf cavendish), plumeria, passiflora, longan(kohala), tamarind, lychee(sweetheart), mango(nam doc mai-fruiting and loaded right now), sapodilla(alano-blooming for first time), orange, lemon, lime, key lime. Native grown: apples, pear, cherry(5 grafted varieties on one tree!), paw paws, peach(currently hit with a nasty fungal disease. Will probably yank it.) That's it! Can ya tell I'm partial to the Garcinias/Rheedia's?? Obviously in the future, this list will need trimmed down quite a bit keeping only the highly desirable. I wanted a jaboticaba and jak fruit but it just doesn't make sense right now. Besides, my wife won't let me..... :(

Flowerpwr45: "Bloody Caesars"? What a neat name! Perhaps the reason he makes them like that is because they live so close to Canada: on Lake St.Clair between Detroit & Port Huron . . . which, of course, is just over the borders from Windsor and Sarnia, Ontario, respectively. He may have originally had one at a restaurant over there. Do you add dill pickle juice and a pickle spear to yours, too, or is that just my BIL's idea? We love it. As for Clamato Juice, we buy it in Michigan but they also sell it at many grocery stores here in New Mexico. Love it! Lynn

Mmmm. I love cardamom. I'll have to remember that citrus salad this Winter when I'm pining for fruit but getting a bit tired of apples and citrus. I love caprese salad as well...what's not to love as long as the tomatoes are good! I make a variation on that, using my yogurt cheese instead of mozzarella, and drizzling a bit of the herb-laced olive oil from the yogurt cheese jar on the tomatoes. I'm including the recipe for yogurt in case anyone wants to make their own and doesn't have the recipe, though I know many people in this forum already do. I don't make it scientifically, that's not my style, but I know others do and I'm sure a more detailed, definite recipe could be easily searched up. Yogurt Heat 1 quart of milk to the boiling point for just 1 minute. Cool to 115 degrees (lukewarm to the touch). Pour into a heavy ceramic bowl. Mix in 2 T of fresh, plain yogurt (must have active cultures). Cover tightly with plastic wrap and set in a warm place. An oven with a pilot light is good, I use a goose-neck desk lamp bent low over the bowl. I know some people who use a heating pad set on low under the bowl. According to the recipe, 110 is the ideal temperature, but remember that people have been making yogurt for thousands of years without benefit of thermometers. The yogurt should be ready in about 8 hours. Tilt the bowl to see if it holds together. If it's still pretty runny, leave it for another couple of hours and see if it gets better. The time can vary. Line a colander with a thin cloth, such as a dish towel or muslin. Pour the yogurt into the colander and allow it to drain for at least an hour. Refrigerate. Note: It does not help speed or improve the process to add extra yogurt starterin fact, it can make for a lower quality product. You can make yogurt with 2 % milk if you like, but it takes longer and you need to strain it more. Yogurt Cheese in Olive Oil Pour home made yogurt into a sieve lined with a thin cloth, such as a dish towel or muslin. Fold the ends of the cloth over the top of the yogurt, top with a plate big enough to mostly cover the yogurt but small enough that it wont get hung up on the sides of the strainer as the yogurt gets pressed down. Weigh the plate down with a large jar or lidded tupperware bowl full of water and set the sieve over a bowl to drain. Be sure and empty the bowl from time to time so that the yogurt isnt sitting in its own whey. I generally do this overnight, but times can vary depending on the weight etc. You want a product about the texture of cream cheese. Form the yogurt cheese into balls about 1 " in size, rolling them in your hands. (It helps to lightly oil your hands) Pack the balls into sterilized jars with an herb mix sprinkled over each layer. Fill the jar with extra virgin olive oil. Store for at least 2 days to moogle the flavors, and up to about 3 weeks in the fridge. For the herb mix, I usually use dried red chilli pepper flakes, fresh rosemary & oregano (minced), fresh garlic sliced paper thin and salt. Then I add other things to suit my fancy. Herbs, minced onions, spices etc. Get playful. I dont know how to measure amounts, but remember that only a bit of the flavored oil will make it onto the cracker or bread with the cheese, so you almost cant put too much "stuff" in the oil. The "cheese" balls should be served with their spiced oil.