(Sorry, these are now sold out.)
I’m offering a second round of GEM avocados from Balmar Farm in Fallbrook, San Diego County. Here is the order page with details.
GEM is a cream-of-the-crop avocado that was selected within the University of California avocado breeding program and named in honor of Gray E. Martin, who worked in the program for many years.
The avocado is slightly larger and rounder than Hass on average, and with a slightly larger and pointier seed. The skin of GEM is a bit thicker than Hass, and it has a shimmering speckle to it when unripe. As the fruit ripens, it turns black.
The texture and flavor of GEM are world class. It is one of my favorite eating avocados, with a meaty texture and a nutty flavor, and it reaches this level each year in Southern California around mid April through May, and even into June.
I set aside space in my yard to grow more than one tree of only a handful of avocado varieties, and GEM is one of them (although it’s not so hard to set aside space for an extra GEM tree since it is compact for an avocado).
I’ll pack as many GEMs as I can into a box for you — that will likely be 8-10 avocados, depending on their size.
I’ll ship the boxes on Monday, May 16 so your avocados will get to you by the end of that week.
Here’s the order page with details.
To learn more about the GEM avocado and tree, see my post, “The GEM avocado tree: a profile.”
GEM avocados can also be found at a few grocery stores in California, including Gelson’s. And Eli’s Farm Stand in Fallbrook is currently selling them.
All of my Yard Posts are listed HERE
Such a wonderful offer Greg. My Carman’s are not yet ready and my Hass have just set. Our Three Granddaughters, (7, 5 & 2[ going on 10]) who now live in the Seattle area keep reporting that store bought Mexico or Chile avocados don’t compare to what I send them when we can. Your offer and our order is going to brighten their household in Renton.
As Always, Thank You, Jock Begg, Corona del mar
Thanks, Jock. I look forward to sending them the best GEMs that I can. I think they’ll love them.
Hi Jock,
I’ve got a box headed to Auburn. It looks like Washington is about to get some good avocados.
Hi Greg,
Can you please let me know where can i buy some young GEM avocado tree that I can grow on backyard? Many thanks.
Hi Dan,
Check out this post: https://gregalder.com/yardposts/where-to-buy-an-avocado-tree/
You can find or order a GEM tree at any good nursery nowadays because the wholesale nursery called La Verne is not growing it, but if you’re close enough to Fallbrook I would see about getting one at Subtropica: https://www.subtropicanurseries.com/
I feel fortunate that I was finally able to order before you sold out. Thank you so much for making it possible to ship to my friend in Washington.
Hi Greg,
I planted a Haas & a Bacon avocado in by garden 21 months ago, but I am presently selling my home. The buyer has no interest in growing avocados and so I will take these two trees, along with a dwarf Washington Navel and a dwarf Meyer Lemon, and replant them at my new house in the same City (Calabasas, Ca).
I would appreciate any replanting tips or comments you might have, that will guide me through this procedure, and to learn if the trees will be damaged or stunted in anyway, because of this forced move!
Many thanks for all you do!
Sincerely, TJ
Hi Terence,
A couple of keys to success are: dig as wide and deep as necessary to get as many roots as possible; keep the roots intact during transport (burlap sack, large plastic container); perform the uprooting, transport, and transplanting on the same day if possible, and do it late in the day so the trees have the night to settle in; also, do it during cool weather if possible (winter is ideal for this, but obviously this is not possible in your situation); erecting shade over the trees after transplanting for a couple weeks might help. Best of luck!
I just did a Gem avocado that was in the ground for three years, 21 mos is an advantage.
what size pots were the trees planted from?
Just took out a Gem that was in the ground for three years.
I use a Hound Dog HDP40 Planter Auger, create a small basin and pre soak tree roots.
Auger 3 inch holes ( remove dirt ) around tree filling with water hose and blasting with high pressure nozzle.
The planting hole will soon turn to mud soup, with a steel bar or strong stick move tree until roots let go.
You now have almost a bare root tree.
Take the tree to the hole you dug yesterday and filled with water.
Check root ball to see if it fits, fill with water, install tree, add soil while moving tree crown up to ground level.
The tree will now be planted in mud but no air spaces and well hydrated.
Stake with sun screen
I have done this many times with different plants and must say I have had close to 100% success.
Interesting method, Dennis. Makes sense. Thanks for sharing.
Hello,
I would like to purchase a five gallon Reed but cannot find one in the Santa Barbara area. Does anyone know where I might find one not too far from Santa Barbara?
Hi Ellen,
I’d contact these two nurseries in Santa Barbara:
https://lavernenursery.com/store-location/roses-garden-landscape-1673
https://lavernenursery.com/store-location/montecito-gardens-1290
Otherwise, you might want to explore nurseries closer to Ventura. Check this post for help with that: https://gregalder.com/yardposts/where-to-buy-an-avocado-tree/
Reeds just came available on Four Winds site.
Hi Greg, Thank you for working with Belmar Farms to be able to offer the GEM avocados to your readers. My GEMs arrived this evening. They are beautiful, and they are in perfect condition. I sent Belmar Farms a message via their Instagram account to let them that I look forward to tasting them.
Cheers!
Just ate my first Gem today. Yum, yum and more yum! These are my favorite of the varieties you have sent. I was going to make guacamole, but decided to taste one first. I decided just to eat the whole thing with a spoon.
Thanks so much for allowing us to experience all these varieties!
Like Tanya just mentioned, these GEMs are just flat out delicious. Had my first one with breakfast this morning and it was just as good, if not slightly better, than a prime season Hass. Wondering aloud if this could be a slightly better variety for a backyard grower on the SF Peninsula compared a Hass tree. You’ve described how this variety was developed to handle a wide temperature range. With the marine layer affecting our daily temps here, it may not be consistently warm enough (compared to San Diego County) for a Hass tree to truly thrive. It appears time will tell.
Thank you again for the superb avocados!
My gems are all nice and ripe now. And I’d agree with everything you say about them. Great meaty flesh. Great flavor. Thick skin that keeps them from bruising. My wife thinks they are superior to the soft, bruised hass that we normally get. Really glad I get the chance to taste these! Looking forward to my shipment of Gwen.
do you know where i can Buy some Gwen trees?
Where are you located? If no one local has them, four winds still has them in stock.
can I buy a gem avocado tree and where
Where are you located, Frank?