When I was a boy in high school back in the '80s, it was a lot easier to sprout a grocery store coconut. Back then they didn't refrigerate them which can kill the seed (which is behind one of the eyes), if they are exposed to cold for too long. Also, in the last 10 years, I have tried sprouting about 60 grocery store and farmers' market coconuts with only about 8 or 9 sproouting. In the '80s, I would have gotten 2- 3 times that number to sprout and survive, which tells me either the growers, the shippers, or the government is doing something to them that prevents them from sprouting. Out of those that I did get to sprout only about 3 survived. It is best if you can find a large one in the husk, then set it out in full sun for a few weeks to let it brown up, then plant it in a 5 gal. pot on its side with a good organic potting soil. Cover it about half to two thirds of the way up the side of the husk. Set it out in full sun in 90+ degree weather and water it once a day until it sprouts (which should take about 2-3 months, but may take as long as 4-5 months). You can try thsi too with the unhusked ones, but many of these as stated above quickly crack open and then are no good. I have a beautiful sprout growing out of an HEB grocery store coconut that I bought in Bryan, Texas back in the spring. It is in the husk and was green when I bought it. I let it brown up for about a month before I planted it. I planted it in April and it sprouted the end of June. It is now about 5 inches tall. Like I said, you have better luck if they are in the husk, and the bigger, the better (about 8-10 inches long and 6-7 inches wide). Don't fetilize them until they are about 9-10 months old. The sprouts feed off the nutrients in the milk for the first 6-8 months until they have a root system developed. Use a good palm fertilizer with the Nitrogen content higher than the phosphorous and potassium content, and make sure it has the micronutrients. You only need to fertilize them 3 times per year, Spring, Summer, and Fall. Take it inside whenever the nighttime temperatures are predicted to get below 40 or when the daytime highs are only going to be in the 50's for a prolonged period. Once they sprout, water them 2-3 times per week in the summer, 1-2 times per week in the winter. Enjoy! John

Just an update ... I pulled the Manihot root that I had planted up and it was soft, mushy and rotting. So no, I'd say you are not going to have any luck planting this thing. To get real Yucca growing for you, it is incredibly easy to propogate by cuttings. Just find a Yucca Elephantipes for example, and cut off one of the leaf buds with a small portion of the heart wood. Plant this and you'll get a new Yucca, almost assuredly.

Hard question. There was a time I was a fan of Meijer's which is a superstore here in Michigan. They have every thing from Tofu to shells for my .30-06. Much of their advantage is simply turn over... the produce is fresh because they just recently put it out. In college I had 3 of them within a 30 minute drive... Okemos, Lake Lansing, and the old Lansing store. Recently prices have been rather steep on basic things like beans and rice. Walmart is my favorite because they are the only place open at 3am. I won't buy meat at Walmart... I used to buy the uncut round roasts but those went away. For awhile I could get decent lamb chops but I think I was the only person in the store buying them (Tuna loved lamb). We have a meat market in town that does nice pork. A 30 minute drive and I can get short loins for under $7/lb so they get most of my steak business. My "hamburger" I buy from a local dairy farmer which is currently $3/lb in one pound frozen packages... also get free hearts, tounges, and oxtails with my hamburger. Simply love oxtail soup. Local market had a baker that worked there for many years. When she retired the baked goods section just faded to nothing. The third time in my life a baker has retired and it changed my life. Growing up there was a wonderful bakery in the middle of town... cinnamon twists to die for. Then they closed and we had Stanley's. Then they closed so it is store bought bread or bake your own. Unions are not perfect but they can do good. Much of what is wrong with Unions is the direct planned actions of Management. A common stunt is to pick a Union worker and allow them to get away with anything... being late, poor work, being drunk, sitting around doing nothing. The idea is to make the normal workers angry at the Union for "protecting that guy". On the other side my non-Union employer has sent me for drug testing twice this year because I wear a respirator. I been sent for "medical" examinations and had blood draw 5 times this year by direction of the company. No I don't think people should be high at work and don't object to genuine concern about my health but things are getting a bit sadistic. Even after the company's comp Doc advised me to continue wearing the respirator the Plant Manager informed me the company does not think I need it. I now have written orders from my MD and if there is more trouble over this the next "doctor" will be a JD. Either God or the Devil loves me because my lawyers has been working for free... as the regulars here know I've a running battle over Safety issues (yes, I am the Safety person). : ) lyra

The grocery where my vacation house was located kept all of the Dole (or was it Del-Monte) jarred fruit in an unrefrigerated display in the produce section. The grocery near my everyday house kept the same product refrigerated in the produce section. I called the manufacturer (Dole or Del-Monte). They said it was supposed to be kept refrigerated. Apparently the key is whether the label says "keep refrigerated," or "refrigerate after opening." The first needs to be kept refrigerated at all times; the latter is shelf-stable and only needs refrigeration after it is opened.