you will have to wait another month when everything takes off and fruit starts hanging. The forum ride will fly.

Move the video ahead 1 minute. Then watch.

Fruits of are labor will be hanging

Steve

You are a regular one, who else? I get they are all in the gym, built muscle getting in shape. Steve all the other forums are going at a pretty good clip.

Can't keep up with the FaceBook citrus forums. Tons of posts. BUT...lots of repeating newbie questions...

'Why is my Meyer lemon dropping leaves?'

'Why doesn't my grapefruit seedling bloom?'

'What is this odd citrus with three leaflets taking over my orange?'

'My indoor citrus is dying. Please help!'

etc etc.

I realize I'm new to this forum so don't know all the players nor their past information. You, Bob, seem to know-your-stuff, as do several others, so I find this forum interesting.... at least until someone gets their shorts in a twist and that is boring.

I've been on GardenWeb for over 20 years visiting various Forums as the mood/need strikes, and I've found that Forum participation comes and goes. And, yes, we oldsters get tired of answering the same questions over and over as new, neophyte gardeners appear. (If one more person whines about their Basil not doing well on the window sill I just may give up on the Herb Forum entirely!) I guess we can see ourselves as teachers for the new-comers...... or leave.

I'm going to go one further: I almost can imagine a group of us sitting at the big round table/booth in the back corner of the local café, you all with your cup of coffee and me with my cup of tea discussing so many different things as the morning goes on. Bob, you bring your grand nephew who is just starting to grow things and has a million questions, but mostly just listens.

The other day I observed just such a thing happening at a table near me... the older guys 'explaining' and discussing all sorts of things and the younger guy taking it all in and asking a few good questions. They discussed crop rotation, fertilizing, insurance for workers and State Laws, to just mention a few of the many varied topics. I think this happens all over the US, and probably all over the world... one generation passing their knowledge on to the younger.

OK.... I'll stop being boring. ;-)

Bob,you are right. I have been at the gym buillding up my 6 pacs again and no time to sit and write these days. Working on it though)

Bob, I do think that this forum has had (and continues) to have an influx of persons from the HOURZZ acquisition, in many cases, who acquired trees from Lowes or HD with no experience. I consider myself lucky to have been on here in the pre HOUZZ time, where there was a stronger concentration of plant heads. The tropical fruit forum has a good citrus and cold hardy citrus forum which I frequent read and find a number of former gardenweb regulars are there and no longer here. Especially interesting is that TF has far more international participants discussing their varieties (cold hardy, blood, finger limes) which we don't and can't get (maybe one day). That said, I like this family. And I'm really hoping that the southeast citrus expo makes its way back up to VA at some point, so I can meet lots of like minded fruit heads, that I converse with here.

Ken

Ken, thanks for your input, it’s helpful, so members here feel more comfortable and stick around and participate more. Being an oldtimer myself, started out with persimmon, than drifted into soils/ potting mixes a la Tapla, growing under lights, than citrus. Did well in persimmon/ paw paw forum, all with the old Gardenweb. Started around 2006 or so. With any forum it has to have substance, more substance it will attract more serious and staying members. Don’t know what else to say.

I agree it has been a bit slow around lately, and I must admit I have not been visiting as often. It is feeling like the beginning of spring here, and I am out and about the yard, doing the first round of fertilizing the fruit trees, the blueberries are starting to bloom, also setting up a spring garden this year, sort of, I am doing an outdoor hydroponic grow with tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, and lettuce, plus a few herbs. Hopefully winter is over for us, the 9 day forecast calls for highs in the 70's and lows in the 60's here. Though we did have one night that got down to freezing for an hour or two last week.

One thing that might be off-putting to lurkers is when members make public posts addressing only certain members, rather than using private messaging. For example 'HEY JIM, HOW'S THAT TANGELO I GAVE YOU?'. -- Not that it's done a lot, thankfully.

People that use P\M are everywhere on forums . Than you have klicky groups....etc .! This forum need about 20 members that understand each other, you need a core that makes a difference. After been on this citrus forum I still don’t know where I stand. Still feel like a stranger, online friendship is new to me. I’ll just keep chucking along.

Bob, I posted and you never ackowleded it. That's why I don't take part in your posts anymore. Ha. kiddding))

I m sure there are alot that feel like that though, kidding aside and from what I can see, I agree with Dave too. Sometimes there is favortism, another thing that makes others not want to be a part anymore according to one member that e-mailed me the other day.

I have also noticed that there will be a period of time when all we see is dicussions on 'IN-GROUND' planted trees, then at times mostly 'CONTAINERIZED ones. It varies.

I would say like the variety of endless soils our trees grow in, so are the reasons that this forum either changes, stays active, slows, or dies out all together.

Mike

I’m guilty of not stopping by lately. Frankly, this winter was hard on my trees and I did not even like going in my sunroom to see them that way. It was depressing. They went out yesterday and I hope they’ll start recovering- hopefully the weather will hold. I have lots of pruning and some repotting to do soon. I love spring. I love this group and consider you my friends, so let’s keep it going.

And Mike, get that six pack going. I’ve been going to the gym myself - toning classes and yoga.

Laura, don't you do yoga while trying to water plants ;)? I know you thinned the herd, tho. Sorry to hear they have not been doing well, I'm sure they will perk up soon.

That’s involuntary stressful yoga though ;). However, after a long absence from yoga in the gym, I realized I was not that out of shape after all - probably thanks to citrus yoga ;)

I might go for a six pack of Michelob ultra light in the summer. My yard doesn’t require a lot of muscle. Went from 218 to 178 lb, target? 172, my old weight for a lot of years, have to wear a belt now.

Speaking of belts. I hate these belts made in china. They weren't tanned correctly and they shrink about an inch each year and seem to need replacing every 3 years.

Steve

Ya right Steve, got the hint.