Last year I had amazingly large tomato plants that were beautiful
and full but bore no fruit. The blossoms just fell off the stems
before they had a chance. My research indicates that they were
overfertilized and encouraged to put all their energy into stems and
leaves and none to fruit. I haven't fertilized at all this year, but
am nervous that they should get something. When and what should I
fertilize next?

I'm but a novice, but last year I swore off chemical fertilizers in
my garden.  My Tomatoes were planted with plenty of manure, and
mulched with compost.  (I also used Worm Castings from my
worm-composter to side-dress them) My tomatoes were wonderful... 
Just make sure you have a good source of calcium to avoid
blossom-end rot (egg-shells, lime, bone meal, etc.) and don't water
too frequently.

I've heard that if you don't get good pollination, your blossoms
might not set, so be nice to the bees!

If I have any mis-information, please let me know!

Best of luck!

-John

Thanks, John--you're so right concerning plants that are "too happy"
just growing and growing and growing....They just never get around
to blossoming, or don't set fruits on those that do.  And,
sufficient calcium paired with moisture is indeed the clue to
avoiding blossom-end rot.  You want the tomatoes to have sufficient
irrigation to keep cell walls fully extended; if they're not, they
collapse, which results in the dry sunken areas we identify as
blossom end rot.

Just in case the bees are not too plentiful,  just shake those
tomato plants and they will be pollinated.  

Hi, my mother-in-law told me to be sure and pinch the new sprouts
that grow in what I call the "crotches" of all the stems and
branches and then when your tomato plant is tall enough you can top
it and it will focus on the fruit instead of growth.

We live 6 blocks from the coast in Redondo Beach. We're trying to
figure out what fruit trees like that weather, but can't find a list
by zone. Suggestions or suggestions on varieties?

I live in North Redondo Beach. Apricot trees grow real well here. I
also have adwarf lemon tree that produces more than I will ever
need. My plum tree produced real well until the other one died about
twenty feet away. Now not so good. I hope this helps. Avacodo trees
are abundant here and grow miles high it seems. 

Hi, Linda--

In Southern California, we don't need to pinch our tomatoes to grow
tall and enable more "breathing" space between foliage.  In more
humid climates, this is important to encourage air flow to reduce
likelihood of fungal and other diseases.  With sufficient nitrogen,
our plants will grow taller than our trellises will support, and
more branching--by letting those interior shoots grow--will result
in more blossoming and fruiting.

Hi, Bob--
The best resource regarding fruit trees for home orchards in
Southern California is Dave Wilson Nursery (www.davewilson.org),
which provides fruit trees for many local nurseries.  On the
website, fruit tree expert Tom Spellman provides taste-test results
and chill-hour requirements for their many varieties of many fruits.
 For your coastal garden, choose varieties that require less than
300 hours of chill time--below 40 degrees from November through
March.

Hi, Bob (again)
Another resource for fruit trees that'll do well here in So Cal is
the California Rare Fruit Growers (www.crfg.org), with 5 local
chapters, specific-fruit experts, and much great online cultural
information.

We live 11 miles from Oceanside and used to live in Redondo Beach -
the weather is similar. We're having good luck with guava trees.
They are very attractive - the pineapple guava has beautiful flowers
- and are low maintenance. Can be grown in pots for several years,
or planted in your garden and trained as shrubs or trees. 

Most "guavas" grown here, including pineapple and strawberry guavas,
are really Feijoa.  Their blossoms, besides being beautiful, are
edible and make an attractive addition to salads.  They can be
pruned heavily to keep small, and they respond with lots of new
growth that'll set fruit the following year.  Consequently, they are
excellent bushy trees for gardeners who are beginners in learning
how to "see" as they make pruning choices.