There is nothing like a bagel with creamy green avocado on it. Top it with a fried egg, and I can start my day. Avocado is a fruit that seems to always be on my grocery list. So I finally planted a tree and want to tell you all about it.
Most people would have Hass avocado. The reason is simple: it is the tree that you most commonly can find in a nursery. The fruit has a good size, and the skin is thick enough for transport. Obviously it also tastes really delicious. However, the tree is big, very big and most of us do not have space to have such a large tree in your backyard. It would be cool if those were the trees that grow on our streets. But one can only dream.
There are other varieties of avocados you can plant, like Fuerte avocado is also a big tree like Hass, but has smoother skin and a more delicate flavor. Lamb Hass fruits at different times then Hass, so if you have a family member or a friend with Hass, plant Lamb Hass and you can share with each other. It is also a larger tree reaching 25’, but compact and easy to trim. Bacon avocado is also a large tree, the fruit is more pale and the skin is smooth.
So what if you have a small space, could you have an avocado tree? I am here to tell you, yes. I needed a small tree. I wanted to give a little partial shade to my veggie bed, that is frying in the summer heat. For good varieties in fruit trees, I always head over to Armstrong nursery. I like that they often have many varieties of fruit trees. I grab my book about fruits that grow great in California climate and head over to read the labels.
My need was a small tree that gives me small fruit , since we mostly use avocado on bagels. If I was doing guacamole all the time, I would want something larger. So think how you are using the fruit before buying the tree. I chose Cado avocado also known as Wurtz or Minicado. It does not grow taller than 8-10’, but I would keep it no higher than 6’. The fruit is creamy and rich, plus it fruited for me in just 3 years. The skin of it is smooth and the flavor is very delicate.
Avocado trees are not as needy as citrus. You do not have to fertilize it often. When it is young give them extra love, but mature tree fertilize 2-3 times a year. They need fertilizer to have nitrogen and zinc. Adding some compost and worm casting never hurts. Do not remove the leaves from underneath the tree, they have plenty of nutrients the tree needs. When planting do not cover the stem with soil or mulch. The roots are shallow, so be careful removing it from the pot, it often is mostly soil. Because of the weight of the soil, it is easy to break the roots. So ask someone to help you or be very careful, putting the pot on a side and slowly tipping the plant out. Get 5 gallon pot trees, no need for bigger. Planting from seeds gives you limited and disappointing results. The tree needs to be grafted to give you consistent fruit. Do not over water, the plant likes to be moist but no soggy soil. Give it a full sun and the tree will be happy.
When harvesting avocados, use shears to remove the fruit, instead of pulling it since branches can easily break. The fruit is hard when picked, but look up how the fruit should look, it may need to lose a shine on the skin to be picked. Then it ripens on the counter. Once soft, eat it or put it in a fridge to stop the fruit from ripping even more.
So if you have space, you got plenty of trees to choose, but with our small yards, you can always plant Cado like I did. Avocado is overall an easy tree and for sure has saved me some money at the grocery store. Plus it is an attractive green foliage that is a nice addition to the garden.
Happy gardening!
Joanna Kotwis
