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anyone growing avocados?

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ajbcirc



Joined: 13 Apr 2011
Posts: 97

PostPosted: Tue Apr 17, 2012 10:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I wish you the best of luck on your trees. I just didn't want to see you suffer the same fate that a lot of other people have, especially with avocados from big box stores. It sucks when you devote a lot of time and energy towards growing a plant only to see it die in a matter of days.

Mangoes and guavas are pretty easy to grow out here. The biggest problem is our frosts, so if you're going to to grow them, you're going to have to cover them frequently during the winter. As Matt mentioned, Don "Datropicalman" has some of the best plants for sale in town.

Have you tried growing some deciduous fruit, like peaches? Certain varieties do very well here and are fairly low maintenance. It's amazing how people from the tropics dream about growing apples, pears, and peaches and we likewise dream of cherimoyas, mangoes, and papayas. Gardeners everywhere always seem to have some degree of zone denial.
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phoenixtropicals
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Joined: 06 May 2008
Posts: 1207
Location: Mesa Arizona

PostPosted: Wed Apr 18, 2012 10:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The flowers on the Mexicola I planted in winter actually produced some fruits, which is a big surprise considering my Winter Mexican hasn't had a fruit yet, and its been in the ground for many years. Yes, the fruit will probably drop off, but we'll see.

I agree that you'll need shade cloth for that avocado since it is pretty much in full sun. This first summer will be its hardest. Also, make sure you water every other day in summer, and whatever you do, no fertilizer anywhere near it. Also, lots of leaf mulch will help as well.
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mariolo



Joined: 06 Feb 2012
Posts: 116

PostPosted: Thu Apr 19, 2012 12:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks pt,not even with fish fertilizer? Can u post pics of your mexicola? Smile
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phoenixtropicals
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Joined: 06 May 2008
Posts: 1207
Location: Mesa Arizona

PostPosted: Thu Apr 19, 2012 2:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You can see it up above in this thread. The fruit don't look like much yet.

And, yes, not even fish fertilizer.
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mariolo



Joined: 06 Feb 2012
Posts: 116

PostPosted: Sun Apr 22, 2012 8:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ok,I screwed up, my mexicola was doing great,I had to build it a shade,but instead I decided to transplanted next to my house underneath a porch where it would get alot more shade,this was done Friday, the tree now seems weird,its all droopy. I know its in shock but don't know if it will make it,any tips?
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Datropicalman



Joined: 22 Sep 2010
Posts: 132
Location: phx

PostPosted: Sun Apr 22, 2012 10:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank you Ajbcirc for the kind words. How is the big guava doing you got from me? As for the avocado, leave it alone. Trees can go into shock when the roots are disturbed, its not natural for them to be moved. Make sure it is planted somewhere it is going to get morning or filtered summer sun for at least 3 years. If not there already dig up and return now so as not to waste time. Stick with mexican types, Ca avos dont like our climate. Ill have some West Indian types in Oct if you want to try some salt tolerant rootstocks.
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mariolo



Joined: 06 Feb 2012
Posts: 116

PostPosted: Mon Apr 23, 2012 9:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank you tropical man,I am very interested and devoted with avocados,I will want one,preferebly large size
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phoenixtropicals
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Joined: 06 May 2008
Posts: 1207
Location: Mesa Arizona

PostPosted: Mon Apr 23, 2012 3:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

My Mexicola (planted in January) wilted this weekend too and I didn't even transplant it and its in lots of shade. It was doing amazing up to this point, putting out huge leaves and still holding about 10 little fruits. Maybe it just doesn't have enough roots yet to support all that new growth. So, I watered it heavily this morning. You'll probably want to do the same. Fortunately, it looks like the weather will be heading toward seasonal norms toward the end of the week, so maybe your plant will have some time to acclimate. However, transplanting one this time of year is really a gamble. However, where you had it, it probably didn't have a chance anyways, so it was a better move than doing nothing.

My "Winter Mexican" is pushing out new growth and looking really good, even with the heat. Originally it was doing phenomenal, going through summer with no problems until I decided it was old enough to take some fertilizer. It's been recovering ever since. I'm hoping this is the year it turns around. So you might want to look into that variety if you get a chance. I mail ordered it from Florida.
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mariolo



Joined: 06 Feb 2012
Posts: 116

PostPosted: Mon Apr 23, 2012 3:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Will do,it didn't getn no shade where I had it at first,I really want it to get better,but if not,I still have the recipt, although I am looking for a banana plant, I've looked everywhere and they don't have or will get any soon,even called local nurseries. If you know of someone who has one for sale,can you please let me know?
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phoenixtropicals
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Joined: 06 May 2008
Posts: 1207
Location: Mesa Arizona

PostPosted: Mon Apr 23, 2012 9:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ugh. My Mexicola is still totally wilted even this evening. If it can't take even 102°F there is no hope for it surviving 115°F, which it will surely reach in June.

I'm thinking my Mexicola experiment is over. So, I ran by HD and bought a Reed today. The ones they had there were sitting in full sun in black pots and had some sunburned leaves but no wilting at all, so they are definitely tougher than the Mexicola. The crazy thing about the Mexicola is that it did so well up to this point. I'd say it was one of the most vigorous avocados I have ever tried.

The best HD (aka from California) avocado I have tried was Mexicola Grande. I had one that survived fairly well in a pot underneath my pine tree for two years. I was attempting to graft it to my Winter Mexican variety but I never got any grafts to take. I finally gave it to my neighbor because I didn't have room for it at the time. He put it in a very sunny spot, and didn't water it enough, and probably even tried to fertilize it even though I told him not to. It turned black and died which leads me to believe he fertilized it. I wish I had held on to that one. Well, I guess I'll get a chance to see how Reed does.

Here is a list of what I have found to be dry heat tolerance of avocados so far, listed most tolerant to the least.

Winter Mexican
Mexicola Grande
Zutano
Haas
Mexicola

The more heat tolerant varieties seem to have thicker glossier leaves. Mexicola leaves are super thin and not glossy at all. Winter Mexican leaves resemble thick plastic.

Strangely, some sources list Mexicola as being very heat tolerant. Maybe this is the case with heat and humidity, but it sure doesn't seem to be able to take dry heat.
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ajbcirc



Joined: 13 Apr 2011
Posts: 97

PostPosted: Mon Apr 23, 2012 10:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you can somehow get a Brogdon, I suggest you try it. It's a South Florida variety on some sort of hybrid rootstock. A friend of mine up near Desert Ridge has one growing in a 24 gal pot that's done very well. Very salt and cold tolerant. It's supposedly self fertile, but he hasn't had fruit in the two years that he has had it, but it has grown and taken the heat. He was able to get it from some nursery in Florida by shipping it to Nevada.
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Datropicalman



Joined: 22 Sep 2010
Posts: 132
Location: phx

PostPosted: Mon Apr 23, 2012 10:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Il be placing my Fl order in Aug for a Oct dlvy if anyone wants to try the Fl types.
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mariolo



Joined: 06 Feb 2012
Posts: 116

PostPosted: Tue Apr 24, 2012 10:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Count on me tropicalman
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mariolo



Joined: 06 Feb 2012
Posts: 116

PostPosted: Thu Apr 26, 2012 9:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just wanted te let u guys know that my mexicola grande really bounced back,its doing better and I think it really likes his new spot,and with this rain,its really going to help it
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myamberdog



Joined: 21 May 2011
Posts: 323
Location: palm springs, california

PostPosted: Thu Apr 26, 2012 3:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

...kind of a little side issue on the culture of avocado - had one now for 4 years - in semi-shade (gets about 6 hours of sun in summer) really healthy, but has never flowered....

Any tips on how to make that happen?


MyamberdogofPalmSprings
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