by Amanda Moon
The best Mexican varieties to grow in the Austin area are Lila, Joey,
Poncho, Fantastic, Opal, Wilma and Pryor.
For strong fruit production it is best to have two different varieties,
although here in Texas the Mexican varieties appear to be somewhat
self-fertile as well. My Lila has fruit on it without a pollinator friend;
hopefully I will actually get a small crop of avocados this year.
(We currently have 3 gal. Lila and Joey trees for $49.99.)
Cold is definitely our limiting factor for growing avocados commer-
cially in the central part of the state, but just like citrus a backyard
gardener can have success with the trees if they are well protected from
extreme cold and even better protected when they are still young.
I have kept my Lila in a pot so that while still young I can bring the
tree in and out of the garage on the coldest nights. Of course my soil
isn’t very deep either, so she may be in a container as long as I live in
this house.
Avocados will reach heights of 50’ plus if given the opportunity, so
topping the tree (cutting out the center growth leader) may be neces-
sary to keep the tree at manageable levels for winter protection. I
don’t know about you, but I am not interested in climbing an exten-
sion ladder in below freezing wind chill to protect a tree!
Trees planted in a protected area of your backyard, or facing south-
southeast in the front will have the best chance of surviving winter.
Make sure the soil is well-drained, but otherwise the avocado is not
particular about acidity/alkalinity.
The tree fruits best in full sun, but young trees may burn in the summer
during the first few years if not shaded in the afternoon. This is another
reason for keeping mine in a pot for a while- so I have more control
over the conditions until it is bigger and stronger.
Fertilize regularly with an organic fertilizer throughout the growing
season and water regularly, but don’t let the tree sit in water. Drainage
is essential.
Avocados typically flower in the late winter to early spring and fruit
will develop roughly 6 months later on the Mexican types. Because
of the warm weather this last winter mine was actually in flower by
early December.
Determining when to pick the fruit is a little bit of a guessing game
as the fruit will not ripen on the tree. The best way to tell is to pick
one or two of the largest fruits and let them sit on the counter for a
week or two. If they ripen, then the rest of the larger ones should b
e ready too. Happy Gardening!
