Theftproofing plants? (Location California Central Coast)

You are in zone 8a, http://www.springmeadownursery.com/zones.htm this one is by city

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/cemap/hardiness.html this one is by county

The eternal burning question, Leysha. We are told, variously, that we are zones 5a, 5b and 6. It all depends on who you talk to.

Leysha - for us colder zones, it's best to be err on the side of caution. However, being zone 8, I wouldn't care WHAT the books all say.. I'd try to grow everything I could! Man, the garden I would have if I was zone 8.. I'd be growing palm trees & coconuts & avocados & pomegranates & birds of paradise... ALL kinds of stuff.

Moon - LOL! on how you managed to stop that moron from stealing your urns! I canNOT believe the audacity of some people! Wow, it's a crying shame.

Sal - so what kind of deterrent did you come up with? A large pit filled with venomous, bad tempered vipers & scorpions? A rabid pitbull? Or Trina's suggestion? :)

Thanks guys! :D This place is great. I have been trying to get some avocado seeds to grow now that you mention it skiekitty. Nothing to report yet, I hear they take forever just to sprout. I'm using the toothpick way. Sticking in toothpicks and dangling them in a glass full of water. I think it's time to change the water though. Sad part is that if I do happen to get them growing I have to give them away because I live in an apartment. Alas... if only I lived in a house. :)

Skiekitty, the only problem was had to go to annuals in the urns cuz I sure as heck aren't gonna move them....grin

His audacity cost him big time....by the time the police added up the cost of urns and plants and then added in the cost of the plant dolly he was hauling from the garage it came to more than petty larceny. Louisiana has a three strike law that enables judges to sentence repeat offenders to the maximum time. Because my address was written on the bottom of the urn found in his yard, they got him for 2 thefts....that added to a prior conviction meant he was charged with two separate thefts from my property giving him a total of 3 strikes. His first conviction was ripping off stuff from parked cars, so I guess he thought he would avoid B&E and just take stuff outside.....gonna cost him seven years at a minimum.....

Leysha, another DG member is growing avocados in an apartment and she lives in Indiannapolis. She has a couple of them. By the time they get so big they are a problem, your domicile may have changed....so don't let that discourage you.

Is there any way to keep their size once you get them to a happy size? (like 5 foot or something) I read somewhere that you can heavily and constantly prune them to keep them at a certain size. But I don't want to do that if it will decrease leaves and leave a lot of wood. (if that makes sense) Also, will they produce fruit? I was also told they won't grow fruit unless I'm lucky.

Do you have the space or architectural structure to allow you to have them out doors at all?

Leysha - They have to be about 15-20 years old to start producing fruit, from what I have read. That would really be a bummer.

Anything taller than 10 feet would be a big no no. I have a roof that goes out over the porch so I can't have anything too tall. The tallest thing i have right now is 4 foot tall. I'm also not sure if the avocados could survive outdoors during the wintertime despite it being mild compared to other states. In the long run, I'd rather find someone who could find a place for it in a yard instead of a container. Thanks for the help.

Other thorny plant ideas are thorny bromeliads like http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/2116/ or bouganvilla. Perhaps a mix of thorny natives shrubs. Sorry but I haven't quite figured out your planting zone. Good luck

We are talking about a kid that is under 12 years old, right? I hope you all are being facetious.

Yes they are JulieQ :)

Julie - Ever deal with a juvenile delinquent? I do. Every day. All day. Sometimes, all the kid needs is a swift kick in the pants. However, most parents can't/won't do that for various reasons. So the rest of us have to deal with a monster on the loose. I'm very grateful that, where I live, if a child becomes out of hand like this, the authorities *will* step in and *will* place the kid in an environment that is conductive to producing an adult who's not a worthless piece of trailer trash. However, not everyone lives where I live, so they have to do what they must to protect their own. I've lived in that kind of area, too. It's not fun.

And I personally wouldn't use a rabid pitbull. Gives the poor pitty a bad name.

i worked a a security officer for child welfare and housing services.a slap on the wrist does"the big fat nothing".my work in a locked mental facility was far more enjoyable.most of the people in there were not as bad as the people on the streets.i got into police trouble for warning a boy who had just splattered a chunk of rotten celery over my freshly painted,restored petrol pump,on christmas eve.i gave up security work[whats the point]it seemed like i was the only serious person in the legal chain......................................sal what a can of worms youve opened up here

sal is your front yard fertilised?if not,scatter some 'dynamic lifter'about,then water it in....................man it stinks,but it also gets the plants growing

G-whizz - :) Wrong time to be fertilizing plants here.. we're going in to winter!

this thread has been severely edited[anyone else noticed]

Yes, g-whizz, it has. It was getting derogatory, and as JulieQ pointed out, the subject is a child.

Looks like my comment was edited out and I made no derogatory comments. Just commented on the fact that personal responsibility wasn't being taught and human life wasn't held in high esteem anymore. Guess we have a liberal doing the editing.

No, actually you don't - not by a long shot. But we do have a longstanding rule against political discussion and other "hot topic" current events. So your posts were edited to remove derogatory and inflammatory comments that could trigger a debate.

Terry, considering how many of the DG members actually live in trailers, I'm surprised you didn't edit out the "trailer trash" references...

I realize many of you in this forum are very new to DG, but it's important to understand that we are from many different areas and backgrounds. Terms that might not offend those who live next door to you might very well offend an avid gardener viewing this thread who is indeed residing in the inner city or in a mobile home. A little consideration and forethought before posting can go a long way, ya' know?

There's an edit button next to every person's posts, which each person can use to back up and re-think their words.

While this is a casual conversation thread (we won't go through and "sanitize" it because that is a tremendously time-consuming task), I encourage every poster to remember your words can be read by almost half a million of your fellow DG members, and countless millions of visitors that come to DG each year--and will remain "published" for posterity for many years to come.

You have a way with words Terry. :)