This is my six-minute video profile of the fruit of the avocado variety called Zutano.
All of my avocado profiles are HERE
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Zutano avocado: a profile
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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Nice video. A lot of my varieties are on Zutano stock, if not all of them. I’m curious about two or three in one hole. I’ve got a Fuerte, Pinkerton, Stewart and a Lamb Hass in the ground. I’ve got four more little ones that I got from Subtropica…a Nabal, Reed, Kona Sharwil, and an Edranol. If you were to pair any of these with what’s in the ground what would you put with what (2 in 1 and 3 in 1)? I’ve got limited space here so this would be my main option, unless I figure out how to graft stuff. All of the ones in the ground aren’t very big so shading won’t be a problem.
I suppose if I want a Zutano I’ll let a shoot live below the graft and I’ll have that variety, too.
Hi Bob,
I’d shoot for the two varieties to suit each other in two ways: similar vigor but different flower types.
Fuerte (B) might work with Reed (A). Pinkerton (A) and Stewart (A) and Lamb (A) would work best with Edranol (B) or Sharwil (B).
The Nabal (B) grows pretty fast and big so it might need to be kept down in size compared to whoever it is paired with, unless it is paired with Fuerte. But they’re both B types so that wouldn’t be ideal.
Hi Greg, what are your thoughts on the taste of Zutano compared to Bacon, which appears to be a similar winter B variety? Both Zutano and Bacon are described as light and on the watery side so I wondered if they both taste the same. I bought Zutanos from a local farmer’s market and found the lightness to be pleasantly refreshing and a nice seasonal variety from the richer avocados. P.S. Kudos to your February calendar star Sharwil – another one I’m looking forward to tasting in the future!
Hi Steve,
Thanks. I haven’t eaten a Sharwil yet this year — better get started!
Zutano and Bacon are similar in taste and texture, but I’d rate Bacon a little notch above Zutano. Zutano seems to have fiber slightly more or more often. Bacon’s texture is a bit smoother. And Bacon’s flavor is a bit more complex, with a hint of sweetness in the background sometimes and even some butteriness late in its season. But there’s not much difference between them.
Just like you, I enjoy the lightness of Zutano and Bacon. It would be so boring to always eat oily avocados. At the same time, I have to admit that when I’ve had Zutanos and some richer avocados on hand at the same time lately, I’ve found myself ignoring the Zutanos on the counter in favor of other varieties. So maybe actions speak lowder than words here.
Hello Greg ! Many thanks for sharing your knowledge, I learned a lot from your videos and website.
I have a question regarding an incognito avocado fruit, do you think it could be possible to tell me which variety it could be from a picture please ?
Seems that the tree was grafted.
Thank you
Hi Nazim,
Thanks! Sure, please post a link to the photo on a sharing platform like IMGUR or Google Drive.
Greg do you have zutano tree?
Hi Rob,
Kind of. I have one Zutano tree that I keep pruned small.
Would it be possible to get seeds from you?
Hi Greg,
I inherited a 15 gal Zutano tree two years ago when I got my house. I literally tried to kill it last summer and stopped giving it water around July since it has a bad rep. The wet winter we had revived it and I added irrigation. It is growing faster than any of my other trees now and I plan to keep it to pollinate my Gems and Reed. How small do you think I can keep it and still get a little fruit/ pollinate?
Hi Chris,
That is hilarious! Just the other day, I was at a friend’s place and he referred to Zutano as a “weed avocado tree” because of how fast it grows and how tough it is.
But you can control that. I have a Zutano tree that I cut back to about chest height at the end of every spring when it’s done flowering (I use it to pollenize my Hass). Then it grows about four feet over the summer and fall, blooms in the spring, and I cut it back again. It sets some fruit on the branches below chest height and I let a couple develop, but I remove most because I want it to flower a lot the following spring again.
Your friend is right they are weed like for sure, despite a 2” sun burn scar on the trunk my tree is pushing it 4th flush of new growth. Probably try to keep mine a little more tree like at around ten feet so I can get a few of those winter fruit.
I appreciate your avocado profiles. I’m in the process of grafting a “frankencado” to try to figure out what types can succeed in Tucson’s climate. Zutano is one that does pretty well here. Your videos are quite helpful in “previewing” some of the different varieties.
Greg, I have Stewart, Mexicola, Reed, and Hass in northern LA zone 8B. They bloomed madness but no set fruit. Just found out they’re all type A. I don’t think Edranol or Sharwill are coldy enough for my zone and they’re also hard to find. All I can get around here at the local HDs are Zutano, Fuerte, and Bacon. Which of these are compatible mates? Also they sell Reed for my zone so will Nabal make it in zone 8B, do you now who sells Nabal on a Mexican rootstock?
How can I figure out what type avocado tree we have. It was here when we bought the house in 1987. I’ve always leaned towards Zutano just from descriptions, but would like to know if there’s anyway to know for sure what type a DNA check. It’s thin skinned and turns purple when ripe. We live in Simi Valley in Ventura County California.
Thanks for any info anyone couldn’t provide.