I just finally signed up to this site after reading for a few years through google searches.

We live on a 8600sf lot in Long Beach and have owned our place for 2.5 years. So far we have 9 citrus, 2 avocados (Carmen Hass and Fuerte), a mango, 2 peach/nectarine/plum graft conglomerate things, 2 apples, kiwis, hops, olives, veggies, grapes, bananas plumerias and pomegranates. We also have a thriving and ever growing succulent garden that my wife is looking after. Also we have 2 bee hives, one that we will keep, and another that needs a home.

The avocados are our best crop. I picked my first Carmen hass fruit 2 years to the day from it's first planting and my fuerte set fruit after 2 years. The carmen is truly a beast, everything as advertised and more. My mango is going gangbusters even though it's just been in the ground a year this week. I have 6 fruit on it and it's growing like a weed. Once I figured out my citrus needed water and TONS of nitrogen they've taken off. My peaches and apples are more interested in death than growing, as are my kiwis. I think they must be emo. My hop plant thinks it's ground cover and also isn't interested in living in the heat. Otherwise, we've taken to planting our front gardens with a combination of a few 'pretty' plants and lots of herbs and veggies. All of the fruit trees are in my front yard and so far the neighbors seem to be quite intrigued by the orchard and are clueless to the fact that our 'flower' garden is actually our food garden.

Anyway, I'm hoping to do some learning, teaching and maybe even some trading.

-Cody