http://www.statesman.com/news/lifestyles/home-garden/7-ways-create-gorgeous-outdoor-room/nXp2j/

Growing an avocado tree from seed has always been a favorite project

for elementary age kids.  I remember planting one when I was young

and watching it in wonder as it sprouted roots and tops out of its tooth-

pick-stabilized seed. 

 

Although this is a great way to teach kids about how a seed becomes

a tree, sadly the actual avocado tree created this way will not usually

be strong enough to last through a winter, and will rarely produce any

fruit.

 

Like citrus, avocados that produce at a young age are grafted, not

seed grown. There are also specific varieties better suited to our

climate than the Haas and other grocery store fruits used in the ele-

mentary school experiments.

 

Avocados are a staple in many Texans’ diet – certainly in mine –

and with just a little TLC, growing your own fruit is definitely an

option here. The avocado tree (Persea americana) is native to Mexico

and Central America, and is grown commercially on a limited basis

in the Rio Grande Valley. 

 

The best types of avocado to experiment with here in central Texas

are the Mexican varieties. They have thinner skinned fruit, but a

greater tolerance to frost than the others (including the Guatemalan

Haas).  An established, older Mexican avocado has a frost tolerance

to 15 degrees when planted in a protected location.

 

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. 

 

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 nec-

essary to keep the tree at manageable levels for winter protection. I

don’t know about you, but I am not interested in climbing an extension

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 sum-

mer 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.  Drain-

age 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 be

ready too.

 

When I was a kid the servers at a Mexican restaurant my parents

would frequent referred to me as ‘the guacamole kid’ because that

was all I was interested in eating.  Although my taste is more varied

now, if I was given a choice of one food to live off for the rest of my

life…  it would probably still be the avocado.

                                              Happy gardening everyone!