Avocados
Have you ever considered growing an Avocado tree in Melbourne?
Well I’m Suzi from Gardenworld and let me tell you that it is possible!
If grown in the correct position, these wonderful trees are highly productive, bearing delicious, creamy and as some would describe a buttery or nutty flavoured fruit. They are also very nutritious packed with vitamins and antioxidants.
These evergreen rainforest trees can make a great addition to any garden, courtyard or possibly balcony. They have a gentle weeping habit with lush, glossy, green foliage. They can make a great screen or feature tree and work well on the side of your house protected by the wall of your home and fence. You can also grow some varieties in large containers.
You just need to follow a few simple rules:
• Make sure that they are growing in a protected position especially when the trees are young
• Grow them next to a building or between buildings
• They don’t do well in extreme weather conditions like the burning winds of summer, frost or the cold winds of winter!
• Make sure that they are growing in rich but well drained soil with a slightly acidic to neutral PH ranging from 5.5 to 7
• When planting dig some compost and manure into the soil. If you are planting them in clay soil, it is essential that you add plenty of gypsum and compost to improve the soil and allow for drainage! They hate wet feet!
• It may be worth planting on a slope or a raised mound
• Water more in summer and mulch well
• Water less in winter
• If planting in a pot, do not over pot!
• Pot them up gradually as the tree grows
• Use a good quality fertiliser and feed them regularly in the growing season with an organic fertiliser combined with an all-purpose plant food
• If growing in a pot, use pot feet to raise the pot and ensure good drainage
Avocado cultivars
Avocado cultivars are categorised as A type or B type and are partially self-fertile. As a result, they should fruit on their own however your yield will increase abundantly if you have one of each.
There are many varieties to choose from but my pick for Melbourne are Hass and Bacon.
Hass Avocado
Hass is an A Type and is the most popular variety and great in cooler climates. A grafted tree can fruit after 4 years. These trees are very large, up to 10 metres tall by 6 metres wide. They fruit between September and January with a sweet nutty flavour when ripe. The fruit is large, oval shaped with a bumpy texture and dark green skin ripening to purple. The fruit needs to be harvested in this time because it doesn’t ripen on the tree. It will ripen once it has been picked within a week or 2.
Lamb Hass is also an A Type cultivar and is a newer more improved variety which is Semi-Dwarf growing up to 5 Metres tall and can be easily kept pruned to 3 metres. It also fruits within 4 years. The large fruit has a rich nutty flavour. This tree has the longest harvest time as, when mature, the fruit can store on the tree for up to 10 months. Harvest from November onwards.
Bacon Avocado
This is a B Type and probably the best cold tolerant variety! A grafted variety can fruit after 4 years. It has medium fruit which has been described to have a lighter taste like pork hence the name Bacon. Unlike the Hass, the fruit falls off the tree once it ripens. It has light brown skin which is easy to peel.
It grows to 6 metres high and 4 metres wide and fruits between June and July.
Avocado – Persea americana