Can't speak for South Florida and texas, but in warmer parts of Australia (in a similar climate) they will bear year-round before a noticeable drop-off in production. They produce smaller and fewer pods in winter, normal in summer, and generally last 3-10 years before a notable drop in production (at which time ti's a good idea to replace them, or like old pets, feed them just for sentiment's sake)..... I've also been around, but it's that time of year when the slave yoke is firmly on at work... Tara -- ______________________________________________________ Tara Deen School of Geosciences Division of Geology and Geophysics Building FO5 University of Sydney NSW 2006 AUSTRALIA Phone: 61-2-9351 4271 Fax: 61-2-9351 0184 Mobile: 061 410 538 655 email: tara@es.usyd.edu.au ______________________________________________________