(Altadena Mara) Peach trees don't last that long so are gone in around ten to fifteen years, from my experience at least. A foursome of plum trees also died over a ten to fifteen year period. One foursome of apricots had two trees die. One of them that was left was especially good so I let them grow full size. A three some of apricots is hard to keep cut back but doable. In a three citrus, one sapote cluster, the sapote has grown four times the size of the south placed citrus but is trained away from them so they still are growing and producing. I wish I had not planted the sapote there, another citrus on the same rootstock would have been better, but the sapote fruit are too delicious to remove it. I have several threesome of fig trees which aren't doing that well, compared to individual trees planted elsewhere, are about half the size, but are still producing a nice crop of figs. Banana trees make their own foursome, given half a chance and a little time. I would suggest that if you have a favorite fruit, plant it by itself. If you moderately like several different fruit, fruiting over time, plant a three or four cluster.

I have tried the spray-on black rubber sealer this weekend on my cracked stock tank. The lady that helped us had a 5 gal. bucket that they had poked holes in with a screw driver that they had repaired to see if it worked. Time will tell. I have put 6 coats on both sides. It is a fascinating product and I have thought of several other places to try it out. It doesn't have a lot of directions-if you use it for anything know that--it bubbles a lot after spraying and then flattens out, needs to be sprayed on something right below it or it sags(even with light coats)-not good to spray up or sideways. I used a finger to smooth out the sags from the first spray and it did wash/rub off with out too much trouble before it was dry. Be sure to clear the spray nozzle after each spraying session.

I usually take cuttings with 5-6 nodes. I cut the proximal end (closest to roots) square & the distal end diagonally so I don't get polarity mixed. I bundle the cuttings together & secure with rubber bands, then bury the cuttings so they are vertical, proximal end up, so the proximal end is about 2-3" below the soil's surface. The spring sun warms the proximal end because it's close to the soil's surface, and this helps stimulate root formation and growth. At the same time, the cooler temperatures deeper in the soil inhibit bud movement; helpful because it's better to have working roots BEFORE the cuttings push leaf growth. Make sure you mark where the cuttings are buried, and plan on retrieving them in spring when the fig or mulberry trees in the landscape start to put on the spring flush. Keep any roots that have formed moist, & pot up or plant cuttings out. Al

My pots will be going into the ground for 1-3 years until we either move or decide we are going to live here permanently. I purchased a demolition hammer for digging the holes. I think I will be using this material to cover the holes with. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280361233092&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT I plan on pulling the older trees and doing some root pruning. On the trees I planted this year I may pull them and add a few inches of soil to the bottom and sides of the pots as the soil has compacted a little. Either way I will be able to cover the bottom hole from the inside of the pot. I may drill 3-6 larger side holes in the 15-25 gallon pots to encourage more rooting outside the pot. Al, I plan on putting the pots about 6" into the ground with a 4" wide 6" deep perimeter filled with garden soil. Our soil here is very poor and alkaline though fast draining. Do you think there would be any advantage to putting a few holes in the pots above ground level or would that just be over kill?