Thank you to everyone who ordered avocados in 2022. It was a joy to share with you different varieties and to connect you to the farmers throughout Southern California who grew them.
For 2023, I’m predicting the following harvest schedule:
January: Fuerte, (Bacon)
February: Fuerte, Pinkerton
March: Fuerte, Pinkerton, (Sharwil), (Sir-Prize)
April: Pinkerton, Carmen, Hass, GEM, (Jan Boyce), (Edranol)
May: Carmen, Hass, GEM, Gwen
June: Hass, GEM, Gwen, (Nabal)
July: Reed, Lamb
August: Reed, Lamb, (Mexicola)
September: Reed, Lamb
Varieties
The names in parentheses indicate that I probably won’t have much of that variety so I’ll incorporate them into a mixed box.
I’m still connecting with growers and finding more avocados and different varieties for you. It’s possible that I will have a smattering of some other varieties that I haven’t listed above or that I’ll get access to bigger crops of varieties in parentheses. The harvests might also extend into October, November, and December.
I’ve received requests from Yard Posts readers for these additional varieties: Queen, Mayo, Ardith, Puebla, and Kahalu’u. Let me know if there are others that you would like to taste so I can look for them.
Harvest times
I don’t do ongoing harvests. I’m aiming to harvest every two or three weeks. This will be affected by the weather and the maturity of different varieties. My priority is to pick each variety when it is at peak flavor and quality.
Ordering
I put a harvest up for sale sometime before I actually do the picking. Rather than putting a harvest up for sale a couple days before picking, as I did last year, I’m going to put them up for sale about a week before picking.
How do I put them up for sale? I write a post that will show up on the Yard Posts homepage, and I send out an email announcing the sale to all subscribers. (Subscribe by entering your email address into the form on the side or bottom of this page.) But I always give Supporters a chance to order first.
I would like to experiment with subscriptions and taking orders months in advance, but I’m not ready to do that yet.
Pick up
Some of you have asked to pick up your avocados rather than pay for shipping. It’s likely that I’ll set that up this year but I’m still working out details.
Prices
Listen to this good news: all of the growers who provided your avocados last year want to again provide for you this year. That means we are doing something right, no? We are pleasing the farmers. It also means that I don’t foresee prices needing to change this year.
On my side, I continue to look for ways to be more efficient with marketing, harvesting, and shipping — all while ensuring that the avocados are the highest quality — so that I can keep the price as low as possible for you while still making the work worth doing.
Values and distinctions of these avocados
Anyway, for the price, what do you get? How are these avocados special?
1. Local: they come from Southern California trees; you are supporting a neighbor farmer.
2. Known: you know the names and locations of the groves, and you get to see pictures of the trees from which the avocados come. (I always pass your comments along to the farmers too, by the way.)
3. Varieties: Hass is a great avocado, but here you get to experience the many other excellent varieties also, some of which you might even like more than Hass.
4. Taste: these avocados are harvested only when the particular variety is in the prime of its season; no bland or watery fruit here; no pasty or cheesy fruit here.
5. Quality: I carefully harvest and ship these avocados, such that I’m willing to promise that every avocado will ripen perfectly or else I will send you a free box.
Why am I selling avocados?
Finally, here is why I started selling avocados last year and why I continue this year. In essence, I am trying to do for you what I have long wished someone would do for me.
I always wished I could find avocados to buy that were at the peak of their eating quality. I wanted whatever variety was in season, and I wanted avocados that had been handled carefully so they ripened without rotten spots. Also, I wished I could taste the fruit of a variety before deciding whether to plant that kind of tree in my yard.
Here’s to treating others as you wish to be treated.
All of my Yard Posts are listed HERE
Supporters of The Yard Posts are the best!
I am all in on this avocado train! Can’t wait for January to start! Thanks for championing avocados and this program. I’ve learned a ton this year including that I’m going to let others grow them and I’ll eat them. Happy New Year Greg!
I just can’t thank you enough for what you’ve taught us and for give us the opportunity to taste so many varieties of avos.
That avo looks to me like a Jan Boyce.
Thank you, thak you, thank you!!!
Happy New Year Greg!!!
Prisco, you got it! That’s a Jan Boyce.
Thanks for the well wishes. Same to you!
where in Southern Cali are you?
I’m in Laguna Niguel
Hi Greg, my guess on the above mystery avocado is of course, Pinkerton. At least, that’s my guess. Happy New Year and wish you a bounty of good fruit and good health in 2023!
Hi Neal,
Pinkerton is a great guess because of the tiny seed, but it’s a Jan Boyce. Happy 2023!
I would love to check out your grove sometime and maybe get a tip or 2!!
Yay! I’m all in. I have no idea what that avocado is. Small seed, big fruit.
This sounds great. Our Pinkerton is pretty loaded for such a small tree. I’ll be looking for announcements when we run out .
Hi Bob,
I’d be interested in purchasing some of your Pinkerton’s when they are ready. Feel free to call or leave a message at (714) 728-4807. – Neal
It’s loaded but it’s a small tree, just enough for us.
Hey, Bob, no pressure been. I do have a question for you. During its normal harvest season, how long does it take to ripen – in days? If you have other avocado varieties, do you notice a difference in ripening days – more or the same. If more, how many more days – twice as long to ripen a Pinkerton? Just curious, Thanks. Enjoy!
I love all the posts! Thank you for all of the work you do. I would be interested in a subscription if you decide to do that.
I’m looking for Kahalu and Mayo scions. Any chance you could sell me some this year?
Can’t wait to taste Gem and Nabal. Thanks Greg. I think it’s a Stewart
I found your blog earlier this year and have found it invaluable as I plant avocado trees at my newish property in the Bay Area. We have a Reed and a Sir Prize in the ground and a Wurtz/Wertz/Little Cado in a large pot, and eventually want to add at least two more trees. We got a box of Reeds from you and were blown away by the quality and flavor, and now want to sample pretty much everything to decide what else to add! My frontrunners (without tasting) are currently Fuerte, GEM, and Gwen so I’m very happy to see all of those on your harvest list. Thanks for everything you do to spread the avocado love.
Thanks so much for doing this! I had no idea there were so many varieties until I found your site while looking online for guidance about planting my own tree. I will try any that you can send until it’s time to put one (or two) in the ground! Right now the frontrunners are Reed and Hass.
Just ordered a box of Fuerte… Can’t wait. My Fuerte tree has about 15 fruit on it, first time it’s produced anything after 5 years in the ground (from a 4-5 year old tree I got a Maddock Nursery). So at about age 9, it’s started making fruit. I want to taste these perfectly ripe ones you’re selling to compare to mine so I’ll know when to harvest. Thanks so much for doing this, the GEM and Pinkerton I got from you last year were simply amazing.
I’ll never let my friends eat grocery store bought avocados again😊
/Dave
Hi Dave,
We need a t-shirt: “Friends don’t let friends buy avocados at the grocery store.” Ha!
Thanks for your order, and I hope the crop on your Fuerte is a sign that it’s ready to produce every year going forward.
Greg, love your videos on Youtube. Very helpful.
Do you know where I can purchase a Jan Boyce tree in San Diego County?
Hi Chris,
Thanks. I know that La Verne Nursery had started making Jan Boyce trees but they were bought by a company from Texas and may not be making them anymore. You could ask at a Walter Andersen’s or Armstrong location near you to see if they can order one from Everde (formerly La Verne). Otherwise, consider ordering one for shipping from Epicenter: http://www.epicenteravocados.com/
FYI, epicenter starts taking orders New Year’s Day and for the more popular or more obscure varietals, they will run out in a month or two. Don’t wait around or you will miss out!
I was lucky enough to get the Fuerte box, it’s great to try things I have not tried before. It also tells me that I will not be trying to grow a Fuerte! Two reasons. First, pragmatically, they just won’t grow where I am located. It’s too cold too frequently. And I suppose that means there really isn’t a need for a second reason. But Second, I find that the peel is just too fragile. I use the ‘very soft spatula’ method and have opened more avocados than just about anyone else (due to working the kitchen at a Togos for an extended period of time in my youth, I opened several thousand a week). And always use the soft spatula method. Which just does not work with the thin, fragile skin of a fuerte.
So I won’t be growing a fuerte. But honestly, mostly it is because I can’t!
Thanks again for giving us the chance to try all these different avocados, I’m really looking forward to trying a Pinkerton (which I can grow here!).
Thanks for the feedback, Dan. The character of the avocado peel is something that is very important to me too. I think my favorite avocado peels are of the varieties Hass, GEM, Gwen, Reed, and Edranol.
I just recently started growing avocados and I am wondering which ones to grow on a patio. I am interested in little Cado fruit, or seeds if possible. Also does Wertz avocado make good rootstocks for grafting
Will be down in socal may 4th – 8th – how can i pick up some avocados from you? also planning on buying reed, pinkerton, queen, etc trees to take back to norcal