Are there any lessons to be drawn from this?
Welcome . . .
I'm Greg. My goal is to help you grow food at home, with a focus on vegetables and fruits -- especially avocados -- in Southern California. I write a new "Yard Post" every Friday.
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So…? Are YOU going to give that fruit its chance? I recall reading once that avocados are similar to apples. Daughter seeds produce trees with unpredictable, often inferior quality fruit, and generally take 2-5 times longer to produce fruit than grafted trees. Are you a gambler…or maybe enough of a scientist? Will you be investing your time, space and water in that seed? 😉
That avocado really wants to be a tree! Precocious to the max. 🙂
Gray Martin would be proud. 😂
Most people can keep some avocado branches close to the ground it will protect the trunk from heat and sunburn. But at the same time with our recent humidity the ground is holding more moisture than usual. So what can happen? Fungus can happen. So watch the airflow by trimming a little bit so it does not become too wet. Persea mites love damp ground. And sunlight is must to keep them at bay. You might not have this problem further east–but closer to the marine layer you will.
I’m wondering about different root stalks..Most retail trees’ root stalks supposedly are Zutano. But what if we had Gwen or Gem as a root stalk? Would they make or a heavier and sooner bearing tree or would they not be able to handle the job? I’ve got a Reed from seed growing in a 15 gallon pot. It’s growing straight on a thick (for its size and age) stalk. Tried grafting it when young, but my grafting skills run at about .02%. so I’m going to let it go ad if i can find a place to put it in the ground, I will and watch it. I just started a Gwen seed. If it sprouts I’ll try a graft while it’s still just a sprout. Happy 4th of July !
Hi Larry,
I have had trees on rootstocks of seedling GEM, Gwen, and Reed that have all done well. I have had a Sharwil grafted to Reed seedling rootstock, a Gwen grafted to Gwen seedling rootstock, and a GEM grafted to GEM seedling rootstock. The Gwen x Gwen is the only tree that I no longer have only because I had to remove it. But there is nothing magical about Zutano seeds for rootstock, and the seeds of many other varieties can become good rootstocks, I’ve seen. I would just recommend culling any seedlings of any variety that are runts; only use the healthy and vigorous ones.
Hi Greg…The Reed seed I’m growing came from the box of Reeds you sent some time back. The seed is very large (The Reed was super good!) The seed has sprouted up to a lush near four feet. Has huge green leaves. I’ll try grafting some Reed scions on it as well as a few others this coming winter.. Then I’ll have to find a place to plant it. I have a 45 gallon planter if i can’t find a place in ground. Keep up the good work.
Morning Greg, I have a question about a 2 year old Gwen. I’d love to send you two photos that may show the issue. The initial tree is 3 ish ft. tall and as you discussed; it wants to produce A LOT of fruit. I’m leaving a couple just for fun – but my concern is that there is a tall, 4-5ft, leader that appears to have developed above the graft. I am not sure if I should leave it. Any thoughts?