AVOCADO FANTASTIC TREES-"FANTASTIC" Zone 8a
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Avocados should be planted on high
ground.
- ·
They need adequate water but need
good drainage. Tropical broadleaf but
will not tolerate wet soggy soil.
- Trees need to be in a raised bed or mounded. Over time mound the ground around the trees so it covers the graft so that if a bad freeze occurs the plant can come back from "Varietal Wood" instead of from the rootstock.
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The trees “will” need to be
protected from the cold for two to three years. As the tree matures, the
green bark on the trunk will begin to turn brown.
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Start fertilizing young trees after
one year of growth, using a balanced fertilizer such as 8-8-8 twice
yearly.
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It is also recommended to protect
young avocado trees from direct sun for the first year.
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One option is to paint the green
trunk and main branches with a whitewash.
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You can also drape them with a shade
cloth or light burlap sack over a wooden or PVC frame a foot or two above the
tree.
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The trees should begin to bear fruit
within 2 – 3 years. Can grow to 30 feet, containerized to 6-10 feet. 3-5 Gal trees bear some
fruit now. Trees can be cut back to desired height. Remember fruit comes on new growth.
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Joey, Lila, Lula, Fantastic, and Arizona are
just some of the cold hardy examples now 14-18 degrees, with Fantastic being the most cold hardy
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Zone 8a
