Below are my avocado variety profile posts and videos:
Complete profile posts
Detailed profiles of varieties of avocados, based on my own experience growing them along with observations of the varieties in other yards and farms:
“Jan Boyce avocado tree: a profile”
“Pinkerton avocado tree: a profile”
“Holiday avocado tree: a profile”
“Reed avocado tree: a profile”
“Lamb avocado tree: a profile”
“Fuerte avocado tree: a profile”
“Hass avocado tree: a profile”
“Bacon avocado tree: a profile”
“What happened to the Gwen avocado?”
Video profiles: trees
Reed avocado tree: a profile
Lamb/Hass avocado tree: a profile
Fuerte avocado tree: a profile
Hass avocado tree: a profile
Holiday avocado tree: a profile
Nabal avocado tree: a profile
Mexicola Grande (3-1-1) avocado tree: a profile
Stewart avocado tree: a profile
Video profiles: fruit
I’ve also made videos profiling just the avocado fruit.
MacArthur avocado: a profile
Jan Boyce avocado: a profile
Reed avocado: a profile
Lamb/Hass avocado: a profile
Fuerte avocado: a profile
Bacon avocado: a profile
Hass avocado: a profile
Stewart avocado: a profile
Sharwil avocado: a profile
GEM avocado: a profile
Gwen avocado: a profile
Sir-Prize avocado: a profile
Pinkerton avocado: a profile
Puebla avocado: a profile
Don Gillogly avocado: a profile
Nabal avocado: a profile
Mexicola avocado: a profile
Ettinger avocado: a profile
Zutano avocado: a profile
Mayo/Covocado avocado: a profile
Edranol avocado: a profile
Mexicola Grande (3-1-1) avocado: a profile
Day avocado: a profile
One more video to help you choose an avocado variety
There is so much more to a good avocado than flavor. In this video my goal was to help us think about the many characteristics that avocados can have such as seed size, skin pliability, and flesh fiber. Which combination of characteristics would make the best avocado for you?
Finally, don’t be overwhelmed with the options. If you only have room for one avocado tree, just plant a Hass. I’ve never met anyone who was dissatisfied about having a Hass tree in their yard. (See more on this topic in my post, “What’s the best kind of avocado to grow?” Also see, “Avocado varieties for year-round harvest”)
All of my avocado posts can be found HERE.
Greg
I love avocados, which one is the best tasting one you would recommend for a backyard gardener ?
I have a very small backyard, therefore, I would have to have a smaller, great tasting avocado. What size is the tree ? and how would I keep it as small as possible ?
I appreciate your posts and read them with anticipation in furthering my knowledge of gardening.
Hi Joseph,
Thank you. Here are some posts that can help here:
Can you grow an avocado tree in a small yard?
Pruning avocado trees to keep them small
What’s the best kind of avocado to grow?
Hi Greg, what are your thoughts on Sir Prize, I live in Bakersfield and would really like to have an avocado tree. I tried looking for a Gem with no luck. If. If not what variety would be ideal given the climate in the Central Valley?
Hi Oscar,
You might try Hass. Last year, I spoke with a grower in Exeter (near Visalia) who grows Hass and Lamb. He was disappointed in how much Lamb fruit drops in May, when it is almost mature. (Lamb does the same thing at my place, by the way.) But he says that Hass does acceptably. The Hass fruit is just a bit smaller than it is in milder locations. He says that his Hass fruit develops well until temperatures hit 95 regularly, at which point they stop increasing in size. The trees continue to grow well as long as he waters them well, but the fruit doesn’t size up. Still, small Hass avocados taste just as great as big Hass avocados!
If I were in Bakersfield, I might also try Reed, Pinkerton, or Fuerte. I’ve seen these varieties perform pretty well in hot-summer locations.
I’m in Visalia and I have 7 varieties. GEM, Hass, Sir Prize, Mexicola Grande, Reed, Fuerte, and Stewart. All are growing fantastic, except the Reed. I allowed it to fruit while it was young and that has really set it back from all the rest. Hoping to baby it and get it thriving again.
Hi Nathan,
Thanks for sharing this. I planted a Reed for my grandmother two years ago. It grew well and set dozens of fruit this year. I stripped all but two, apologizing to her but promising her it was for the tree’s own good. Last month, I decided to further reduce the load to only one fruit.
I’ve seen young Reeds stunted badly by being allowed to carry too much fruit too early. Yet I wanted to leave at least a single avocado on there so my grandma would have something to watch grow and look forward to. It’s a tough balancing act!
Hope your Reed recovers well.
Hi Greg,
We have a smallish space in our back yard which would be perfect for a Wurtz. It can get about 8 feet across and 10 foot high without issue (there are power lines about 14 feet up).
In our front yard with have a space about 16 feet diameter where we’d be happy to have a tree eventually reach 20-25 feet.
What would be a good tree for the front yard? We are in the San Gabriel Valley with quite a few avocados in the neighborhood so I expect cross pollination to just about take care of itself, but maybe it would be better to focus on one that could cross-pollinate the Wurtz?
The front yard tree would be sheltered from the worst afternoon sun by another large tree, and would get a little AM shade from our house, but would mostly have an un-obstructed southern exposure. I don’t know if it would better to get one that can extend our overall fruiting season?
Hi Bjorn,
I’m going to push your plans in another direction and see if it might work. Your narrow backyard space would work well for a variety like Reed or Lamb, which take kindly to being trained to grow more vertically than spreading, and which are harvested in the summer. Then you could plant a more spreading variety in the front which is harvested in an earlier part of the year. You could do Fuerte or Hass. I grew up in the San Gabriel Valley and still visit all the time, and I know that all of these varieties do great there.
Take your pick of any combination of Reed/Lamb plus Fuerte/Hass, and you’ll have a spread out harvest of delicious avocados.
Greg, love all your work and information. I have (4) avocado trees, a Jim Bacon and a Lamb/Hass that I’ve had a year each and another Lamb/Hass and a Sir Prize on the way, all from Four Winds Growers. I am in the Sacramento area.
Four Winds states that their Lamb/Hass is a Lamb bred to a Gwen(dwarf). Do the same growing behaviors and growing tips apply for this type?
My trees currently reside in 60 gallon fabric pots with mulch under a 50% shade cloth. Do you believe that with age the trees will grow tolerant of the heat we have in Northern CA ?
I apprciate your time and patience with my questions.
This is a freaking awesome collections of Avocado Profiles! Thank-you so very much for producing all of these, I can’t wait until my Avocado trees start producing, So far I have; Hass, SirPrize, Sharwil, Reed, Carmen, …. I need to add a Lamb, Pinkerton, and maybe a couple others, Humm…. Thank you so much
Thanks, Robin. It’s so hard to stop adding more! You have a great group of varieties already too.
I grapple with the concept of when to harvest each type of Avocado, I appreciate the chart that you made, that was very helpful, but I am still chicken to pluck one off the tree yet, and still a virgin.
I have a Hass that I planted 2 years ago (it was 15 gallon), it has grown nicely, and I has about ~20 Avocados on it right now, from last Springs fruit set. the Avos look ready, and the tree is now flowering again and pushing new leaves. So far I am chicken to pluck an Avocado off yet? For Hass we are about in it’s harvest season right? Should I pick one?
Also, My Sharwil that I planted at same time 2 years ago, Has exploded in size, twice as large as the Hass, maybe 12 x 8 ft , and it is flourishing and gorgeous! All of the leaves are lush, never any tip burn, and it is covered in flowers and new growth right now. I have ONE avocado (a large one) on it, just one, from last year under the canopy, given that I only have one Sharwil, when would be the very best date to pick that one. I think I will try to spray the flowers with honey water to see if I can get more fruit this next year. My trees are located in Dana Point at about 280 ft elevation and less than 1 mile from the beach. Thanks so much for everything, Robin
Hi Robin,
Yes, pick a Hass from your tree. Just pick one or two now to see if they taste good enough for you before picking more. But I’ll say that the Hass off my tree are now tasting very good; usually they peak from my tree in May and then they begin to get overmature in June or July.
Great to hear that your Sharwil is in such good shape. For very best taste? So hard to guess that because even on a single tree all the fruit are of slightly different maturity, but I’d give it maybe one more month. The Sharwils that I’ve eaten over the last month or so have all tasted excellent.
So last year in October my wife gave me a Pinkerton avocado for my birthday. We all like avocados and she knows how I’ve struggled to get one to grow. I can grow stone fruits that would impress Georgia peach growers and citrus that’s absolutely exceptional, but avocados…I’m much more of a mortician. I’ve planted so many and have lost so many it’s sad. So this time was going to be different, way different. I went to the masonry yard and bought two yards of decomposed granite and placed it in a built up railroad tie planter two ties high. I then dug a hole exactly the size of the pot and placed the tree in without disrupting any roots. On that I put about two inches of the free city of San Diego compost and on that I put another 4 to 5 inches of wood chips I get from my friend who makes old wood windows. About 8 feet away I also placed a small Stewart. Then I put up some fencing to keep the chickens from messing it all up. The only time I watered it was in October when I planted it, everything else to date has been rain. I did use some miracle grow in that first watering. To my pleasant surprise, both have grown really well, even in the off season. The Pinkerton in particular put on new branches and plenty of new leaves (all through the winter). The Stewart is currently flowering and looks really healthy. Wish me luck.
Currently, I also have a Sir Prize that’s about a foot tall with three leaves, a spindly Lamb Has that almost died in the heat a few years back, but is full of leaves now, and a two foot tall Edranol that hasn’t grown much but looks alright.
Hi Bob,
That’s great to hear about your Pinkerton (and Stewart). You put in a lot of work, but it appears to be paying off.
I know of other people who have great stone fruit trees and citrus but struggle with avocados, and in one way or another it seems to always be a water-related issue. Either the soil doesn’t drain well (which stone fruit and citrus care less about), or there are big trees nearby stealing water from the baby avocado (while stone fruit trees and citrus seem to cope with better), or the baby avocado simply isn’t watered enough in its early days before it can establish its root domain.
Whatever it is or was for you, I’m so glad to hear you’re making progress and hope it keeps going through summer.
Thank you, and also thanks for all the great videos.
I live in Fresno California and want to purchase a Gem avocado for my back yard. Can you please help me purchase this tree.
Thanks,
Lacretia
Hi Lacretia,
There is one nursery that reliably propagates GEM and sells the trees to home gardeners, and that’s Subtropica Nursery in Fallbrook: https://www.subtropicanurseries.com/
Hi Greg, what are your concerns about planting a GEM tree, like you mentioned in the profile video?
Hi Todd,
I wouldn’t discourage anyone from planting a GEM tree, but I just don’t yet have enough firsthand experience growing GEM in order to be able to compare it to other varieties in a backyard situation. My GEM trees are only a couple years old.
I have visited many mature GEM trees in farm settings throughout Southern California, and I’ve talked to a number of people who have been growing them for decades. They are mostly positive on the variety, but not all of them like GEM more than Hass (or other varieties) overall.
Anyway, since a lot of people are interested in the variety, maybe I’ll break routine and compose a profile of GEM soon that shows other people’s trees and gives their experience with the variety. Then I’ll update it as my own experience with GEM increases. What do you think?
That sounds fantastic! If you have the time, and it’s interesting to you, I’d love to hear more. I’m drawn to them because of the more consistent fruit-bearing, and the slower oxidation than most varieties. Since I’ve heard the tastes are so comparable, I figured all of this, plus a smaller tree size for urban growing, makes it a great choice.
Hi Greg, Thank you so much for your videos! It is very difficult to get good information on avocado trees. I live just north of Houston, Tx in zone 9a. I just found your website and I plan on spending several hours watching the avocado videos.I just planted a Lila (A) and a Joey (B) avocado tree and I plan to buy one more.
Question:
1. Where do you buy the wooden plaques with the name of the type of tree you have?
2. Do you add any fertilizer when you 1st plant your avocados? I put some blood meal in the dirt before I planted it and a little microlife 6-2-4 on top of the dirt after I planted it. I’m wondering if I messed up by doing that.
Hi Greg,
One of the variables to consider when planning to plant our new avocado trees is the use of gopher wire baskets. I know my problem with gophers is in no way unique, but if I could get just a bit ahead of the curve when the trees are young I could have a fighting chance later on with the traps for conventional war fare. Just wondering if you or fellow growers , gardeners have had good luck with them.
Thanks,
Greg H
Hi Greg,
Sorry to say, but I have still yet to use a gopher basket. I have heard plenty of people say they’ve used them with success though.
You’ve probably already heard me say this, but try the Cinch Trap. Once you get the hang of it, it works so well. Many of my neighbors now use Cinch Traps with great success too: https://gregalder.com/yardposts/the-best-gopher-trap-its-a-cinch/
Hi Greg, first of all thank you for all of your posts! I read every single ones in less than a week, and you inspired me to transform my boring lawn into a food forest! I knew nothing about fruit trees and vegetable gardens a month ago! Now I am passionate! I live in Vista and am in the planing stage of planting 2 or 3 avocados in my front yard. My question is how close together can I plant them if I plan on prunning regularly and keeping them fairly small? My picks are a Hass, a Reed and a Fuerte. Can I plant 3 trees within a 30 ft length yard? ( with the Reed in the middle that would grow taller and not spread as much) or is it too close? Should I instead plant a Hass and a Fuerte for good pollination and graft ( when I learn how to do it) a Reed onto the Fuerte that is not too reliable on productivity? Thanks, Marie
Hi Marie,
I’m so excited for you! Vista is an amazing climate in which to grow avocados.
Yes, you can fit those three trees within 30 feet, and putting the Reed in the middle is smart since Hass and Fuerte like to spread more.
Don’t worry about pollination and productivity. It will very likely not be a concern. Fuerte should do well in your climate, and the proximity of all three trees will mean that bees will be bouncing among them all and making a lot of avocados for you.
Awesome!!! Thank you so much!!!!!
Hi Greg,
I am new to your posting.
I planted three avocado trees, Zutano, Mexicola and a Fuerte , all in 15 gal. containers and about 10′ in height. They were planted last May and irrigated by drip emmiters thru the summer.
The Zutano was planted at the top of an upslope lot, the Mexicola and Fuerte were planted half way down the upslope. I live in Morgan Hill, about 10 miles south of San Jose.
January produced some cold nights and damaged the Mexicola and Fuerte trees, but the Zutano
showed no damage and is loaded with blossoms and new leaves. The leaves on the Fuerte and Mexicola were flaccid and wilted due to the frost damage and have remained that way.
Both trees have new growth and blossoms, but after a couple days of warmer weather the leaves of the Mexicola have curled and dried up in the upper 2/3 of the tree, lower branches still have healthy new growth and blossoms.
The Fuerte has new growth and blossoms up and down the tree. Old leaves still appear drooping and lime green in color. Any suggestions in keeping the two avocado trees as healthy
as I can in spite of damage done by the cold weather in January of this year. The Zutano escaped any damage from the cold temperatures and the Mexicola the most damage.
Alan
Hi Alan,
I’m wondering how much of what you’re observing in the foliage of the avocado trees is related to the cold damage and how much is related to soil drainage. It’s possible that the Zutano is doing so much better not just because it is in a warmer spot at the top of the slope, but also because the soil drains better up there. Have you checked how long it takes water to drain out of a hole in the ground where your Mexicola and Fuerte trees are planted?
Hi Greg,
Thank you for your response.
I will check the drainage for all three trees, although I don’t believe that is the problem.
The Mexicola tree had a large sun burn’t area half way up the trunk. It has lost all leaves
above the area that was sun-burn’t and the new growth and blossoms intact below the same area in the main trunk of the tree. Do you advise any action on my part.
I have white washed the trunk above and below the sun-burn’t area on the Mexicola tree
The Fuerte has almost all of its leaves and new growth intact.
If it is a drainage issue, what do you suggest I do?
Alan
Hi Greg,
Just a thought.
This has been relatively dry winter.
Should we be watering our Avocado trees in the months of
Jan, Feb and March?
Hi Alan,
Whitewashing is pretty much the only thing you can do for your Mexicola unless you want to also shade it on hot days until the canopy is back intact. I’d do that if I had the time.
If drainage is a problem, I’d consider trying to replant the trees on a mound, immediately.
Yes, especially for young trees, if there aren’t sufficient rains in winter then you do need to water. I’m glad you brought that up because I’d forgotten that although down south here we have had a wet winter, up north you have not. It may very well be that these young trees could have used some extra water.
Hi Greg,
Read your post regarding DIG micro-sprinklers.
It makes sense to water the whole area that has the roots of your avocado trees,
compared to having drip emitters around the circumference of the root area.
Are you able to determine the amt. of water you are giving your trees when using the
micro-sprinklers?eg. gal. per min or gal. per hr.
Alan
Greg,
How long do you run your sprinklers when you water your
Avocado trees?
Hi Alan,
You can use a bucket to determine the amount of water micro-sprinklers are applying. See my description here: https://gregalder.com/yardposts/how-much-and-how-often-to-water-avocado-trees-in-california/
Over the years, I’ve varied from as little as one hour to as much as four hours at a time. My soil is sandy loam, and I’ve settled on running for between one and three hours as being best. Last year I tried frequent, one-hour run times throughout the summer and my trees did pretty well.
Greg, Thanks for all the great info you’ve put out. After reading a lot of your posts, I decided to plant a Reed and Haas from 15 gallon containers. Picked them up in Fallbrook and planted in Carlsbad last August. They looked happy for a few months but definitely got overwatered around December (yellow droopy leaves and 1 foot holes dug nearby had water in them). And then the last few months, leaves started dropping with the Reed now barren of leaves. The Haas has faired better but it too has lost lots of foilage with some dead black branches. Thoughts?
Much thanks, Scott in Carlsbad
Sorry to hear this, Scott.
If drainage is the problem, then planting the trees on a mound is the most practical, effective solution — in conjunction with not irrigating too much.
Did you plant them on mounds?
If you can keep them from getting sunburned then they might be able to recover unless the drainage issue remains. In that case, you’ll probably have to replant on mounds.
They are in a raised and good drainage area. The reed has some black dead/dying branches, perhaps sunburn. I’ll cover up the trunk and branches. Much thanks!
Hi Greg,
I’m thinking of planting your top six for year round yield – Pinkerton, Fuerte, Hass, Gwen, Reed and Lamb. What is the optimal time of year to plant, does it differ by variety? I live in San Clemente. (After reading your article about Hass, I may plant two!)
Thanks,
Tom
Hi Tom,
In San Clemente, I would plant any avocado tree any day of the year — no precautions necessary.
You’re making me miss Hass. I’m onto my Reeds here in late July, and the Reeds are wonderful, but the late season Hass were so rich (Gwen too).
Hi Greg,
I wanted to ask about spacing for the above trees? I would probably prune to 12 or 15 feet tall. Any particular trees next to each other? And any special instructions for planting on a hillside?
Thanks again,
Tom
Hi Tom,
If you want to prune them to 15 feet or less, and you want to be able to walk between the trees, then I’d plant them from 15 to 20 feet apart. The Gwen, Lamb, and Reed, and probably the Pinkerton too, could be closer to 15 whereas the Hass and Fuerte ought to be closer to 20.
I’d try to put the Fuerte somewhere in the middle if possible since it is a B flower and will enhance the pollination of all the others.
If your drainage is good, then I’d plant the trees at about grade on the hillside (not in a basin and not on a high mound). Then the challenge is to keep irrigation water from running off. Mulch helps here, as does using a drip emitter or micro-sprinkler. You might also build up a rim on the downslope side to hold the water in place.
Hi Greg,
I don’t mind if the canopies touch, could I do 12ft wide for the smaller ones and 18ft wide for the Hass and Fuerte? And I’m not sure if I can fit all six. Would you drop the Pinkerton, Gwen or Lamb?
Thanks for all your great advice.
-Tom
Hi Tom,
If you don’t mind touching canopies, then you can plant much closer. You could even do 10 feet apart for the smaller ones and 15 for Hass and Fuerte.
If I had to drop one, I’d drop Pinkerton because you could still have the year well covered without it.
Thanks again.
I’m not yet ready to plant (I’m digging out some old vines), but I’ll let you know how it goes.
You’ve been very helpful!
Hi Greg. I wish I could send you a picture of my avocado tree. I think something is wrong. The leaves droop and do not bounce back when watering. I took up some of the soil and notice that it is moist. Im thinking it might always be moist. Cant tell if we have good drainage and do not know what to do. I think maybe root rot but how can I be sure? It is an 8-10 year old Hass avocado tree we bought about 4 months ago. I think this expensive tree is dying. Please help.
Hi Jennifer,
Is this tree in the ground? Has your watering volume and frequency been roughly similar to my watering table in this post?: https://gregalder.com/yardposts/how-much-and-how-often-to-water-avocado-trees-in-california/
A quick report on Central Texas Artic Blast. Started Feb 14 2021 with 5 inches snow, then went all week with freezing temps; 178 hours below 32F, 4F on 2/15, sleet 2/16, 3 nites at
15F, 2.5 inches snow 2/18, 2 more nites at 19F. Rio Grande Valley citrus froze 22F; also avocadoes, sugar cane, vegetables. etc. My Fantastic & Poncho avocado, navel orange, 15 Adenium, Pachypodium, Baobab za all in pots were in garage with grow lights and heater which maintained 37 to 50F. Fantastic has many terminals with unopened buds.Sat am predicted to be 19F, then a week above 34F with upper 60’sF highs. peach, plum, olive, blueberry outdoors may be ok?? I am Kyle Tx 20 mi S. Austin, Tx USDA Zone 8b.
Thank you for the detailed report, Thomas. What an incredible stretch of cold weather! Keep us updated on the results, progress and recovery.
My girlfriend has an avocado tree of unknown variety at her house. It has long tube shaped fruit, almost like a sausage. I looked through all of the pictures that you shared on the website to identify varieties and the closest it seemed to me was the Pinkerton, but then seeing yours here, it didn’t seem very similar at all. Is there any variety that resembles this or could there be some other issue affecting fruit shape/quality. She doesn’t do anything with it aside from watering… it’s pretty well established in the yard.
Hi Rob,
Do the avocados have seeds inside?
No there was no seed.
Might be a Fuerte. I know a couple of old Fuerte trees that only or almost only produce “cukes,” which are seedless avocados that resemble cucumbers.
Oh interesting! Yes that sounds exactly like the tree! Is there anything that can improve the fruit size? I don’t think she specifically fertilizes it or waters it beyond the back yard sprinklers. Or just enjoy the avocados as they are?
I don’t know if there’s anything you can do about it. The tendency to produce these cukes seems unique to certain varieties (like Fuerte and Ettinger), and it even happens more on certain trees of these varieties, from my observations. These factors make me think it’s unlikely to be changed.
But if I were to try anything to reduce the number of cukes and get more regular avocados, I would try giving the tree cross-pollination opportunities by planting an A type tree nearby.
Here’s a little background on the cuke phenomenon that you might like to read: http://www.avocadosource.com/journals/ashs/ASHS_1980_105_PG_341-346.pdf
I just purchased a Sir Prize thinking I have to keep it in a container, a dwarf, and not in the ground due to the small size of my garden area. Now I’m second guessing myself after reading your post. Since I’ve just read about your idea of a Lamb Hass, I’m tempted to return my Sir Prize for a Lamb Haas. Did I make a mistake with a Sir Prize?
Hi Laura,
What’s your goal? A small tree that you could keep in the ground? Check out this post: https://gregalder.com/yardposts/can-you-grow-an-avocado-tree-in-a-small-yard-space/
Sir-Prize isn’t a huge tree. You can keep one pruned down even smaller than a Hass.
Hi Greg, I was wondering if you will be able to help me out in getting some avocado budwood?
Hi David,
See this post: https://gregalder.com/yardposts/where-to-get-avocado-scion-wood/
Hey i was wondering if you have tried the Winter Mexican, Mexicola, or Fantastic varieties.
I’m considering planting a sapling in a colder climate (Europe) and these are the varieties that were recommended. Though i have no idea which one to pick ultimately, as i can’t get the fruits shipped here easily.
Which one would you say is closest to the hass in texture and taste?
Greg? I really don’t know who else to ask.
Hi Gummy,
I don’t know anything about Winter Mexican or Fantastic, but I do know Mexicola. Mexicola is nothing like Hass. See my video of it in the post above.
Of the varieties I know that are tougher in the cold compared to Hass, Zutano and Fuerte taste good enough to be worth growing and you can possibly find a grafted tree to buy.
Well it’s just that it gets *really* cold here. Like theoretically you shouldn’t be able to grow avocados here because of a few very harsh winters. But i’m banking on the climate getting a bit milder as it has been recently, so i would be the first over here to grow avocados. Hence i’m looking at the most cold resistant ones and the ones above are all i know of that COULD live in climates like this.
I don’t know if Zutano and Fuerte are fit for that.
Any idea who else i could ask?
Like it’s classified as a zone 7, but that will change to zone 8 in the foreseeable future. So it’s at the very limit of survivability.
This is more an experiment than anything, since we need a few trees in the yard, and avocados are great.
Hi Greg, I have a large Avocado tree in my garden which I am trying to identify. Could I send you a few photos for you to give me your opinion? Thanks!
Hi Greg, I have a small yard on the coast of Ventura. I’m very limited in tree size and space. I have a Reed, Bacon, Shawil, and Holiday. The Holiday is growing poorly. The leaves look nice, however growing slow as molasses? Possibly poor root stock? I watched your video of “When to give up on a Avocado tree.” I wondering should I give up on it. I was thinking of replanting a Gem? Or, should I continue hoping for the Holiday to take off? It’s been in the ground 3 years and it about 4 feet high. If I pull the Holiday out which Avocado Varietal do you suggest based on taste, tree size, and production? Gem was on the list and Sir Prize?
Also, what is your favorite of all favorite Avocado? You keep saying the term, but I’ve never heard which Avocado it is?
Thank you,
Tim
Hi Tim,
Your Holiday might just be growing the only way it knows how. Holidays are always slow growing compared to other varieties. See my profile of Holiday here: https://gregalder.com/yardposts/the-holiday-avocado-tree-a-profile/
Since you’re limited for space, GEM might be a good choice.
I don’t have a single favorite avocado. There are so many things to like about so many varieties.
Hi Greg, Thanks for all the great content you put out. Very helpful and enlightening information. I have mini Avocado grove in my back yard. Two mature Hass, Two Reed, one Gem, Two Sharwill and one Hass that is approx 3 years of age. And in pots I have two Don Gilolgy. So far this year it seems the GEM, Reed, and HASS have good fruit set. However my Sharwills are barely have any fruit this year. They are approx 4 years old. is this normal for the Sharwill being an A type? Also I am considering grafting some different varieties to the sharwill, and to the mature HASS trees. Where would be a good place to find some good bud wood?
Greg I enjoy all your YouTube Video’s. I was wondering when you will do a video on the Jan Boyce Taste?
Hi David,
Thanks. Funny you ask because I plan to do one on Jan Boyce in the next few weeks. I did one a few years ago but wasn’t satisfied with the video so never published it, but I’ll make sure to get this one right and get it out to you.
I am looking for avocado seeds to grow on my patio and I was just wondering if Wertz avocados make good rootstock for grafting. Where would I be able to purchase Wertz fruit, or seeds
Wow! What an incredible post on avocado varieties! Thanks so much! I was wondering if you knew if they ever graft Hass and Fuerte? I have room in my garden for one tree but know it needs a pollinator so I’m concerned about getting just one.
Hi Greg, I have really enjoyed learning about avocado trees through your posts! I live in Fallbrook and have Fuerte, Hass, Reed, Gem, Sir Prize, Pinkerton, and Lamb Hass trees in my yard that are doing very well. Some of the trees that I planted two years ago are full of fruit. If I wanted to add 4 or 5 trees to my collection, which types would you suggest…are there any sure winners that I am missing? Space isn’t an issue. Thank you for sharing all of your expertise with us!
Thanks, Chris! You have almost all the best already. Some others I would consider: Gwen, Edranol, Nabal, Sharwil, Jan Boyce.