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Avocado Tree click pic to enlarge |
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Zone 8-9-10 Avocado is a large fruit tree to about 40 feet here in South Florida. It is evergreen with huge dark green leaves when properly fed. Native to the American Tropics, avocado grows in a dense, symmetrical form with leaves and branches growing to the ground when young Popular varieties include Brodgon, Choquette, Hall, Lula, Marcus, Pumpkin, Monroe, Pollack, and Simmonds. The University of California claims there are over 1,000 varieties There are actually three botanically distinct races of avocado:
In Florida, we grow the West Indian type, the one most preferred worldwide
Florida grown avocados are much larger than California fruit, although Caliornia claims better taste. Different varieties produce fresh fruit all year around in Florida, which California can not claim Avocado trees grown from seed take 7-15 years to flower and fruit. Commercial plants are grafted and fruit much sooner. After 7-15 years, you finally find out if the fruit is good to eat ...not really worth the effort or risk. Commercial plants are grafted and fruit much sooner Buy only named, professionally-grafted Avocado trees Due to its size, avocado is also a wonderful shade tree. It's best to plant in full sun with plenty of room to grow. Provide fertile, well-drained soil and plan on being sure your tree never suffers from lack of water in dry times. Keep grasses away from the trunk and use mulch to make your avocado even happier Squirrels and Iguanas attack avocado fruit in Florida. Squirrels sample the immature fruit then throw it to the ground, ruined. Iguana just eat at will, anytime. The pesky rodents and lizards continue to sample fruit daily so by the time your tree should be loaded with fruit, there may be little left for you. If you're serious about wanting your share, you'll have to first deal with the Squirrels and Iguanas Due to its size, avocado is also a wonderful shade tree. It's best to plant in full sun with plenty of room to grow. Provide fertile, well-drained soil and plan on being sure your tree never suffers from lack of water in dry times. Keep grasses away from the trunk and use mulch to make your avocado even happier Squirrels are a nuisance to avocado in Florida. They sample the immature fruit then throw it to the ground, ruined. The pesky rodents continue to sample fruit daily so by the time your tree should be loaded with fruit, there may be little left for you. If you're serious about wanting your share, you'll have to first deal with the squirrels Avocado can grow as far north as warmwer areas of Georgia, zone 8. To select the variety that is best for you, please review the additional information from our friends at Hopkins nursery, a wholesale grower/professional, click here We get email asking how to sprout avocados from seed. Here's the traditional way: Remove the pit and insert a toothpick into each side about midway up the nut. Place the nut over a glass filled with water so the bottom portion of the pit is touching the water. Keep in a warm place and keep the water fresh and touching If your attempt is successful, the nut will split and produce a root at first. Continue to keep the water fresh and the next stage will be a trunk sprout from the top. Once your nut has produced both a root and a top, plant in good fertile soil somewhere in the tropics. Avocado is not a houseplant. Note that commercial nursery varieties are all grafted to assure variety and help against root-rot and leaf-spotting diseases. From seed, there's no telling what you'll have 7-15 years later |
