I have a question about avocados.

Being from CA, I love them. I want to grow a tree, which I started to
in CA, from a pit, and it took off quite nicely.

Since then, I've been told that bearing fruit is not simply a matter
of planting two together to cross-pollinate; you must graft them, and
one has to be male and another female. You can guess what my question
is- "How on earth do you tell the difference?"

Curious in SC
(Karen)

It's not as simple as male and female; it's A and B types, and sometimes
people will say that doesn't matter. Here are a couple of places to look for
info to get you started. Lots more if you look on Google.

http://www.californiaavocadosociety....g/growing.html
http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/avocado.html

This is what the CRFG (California Rare Fruit Growers) Fact Sheet about
Avocadoes says:
"Flowers: Avocado flowers appear in January - March before the first
seasonal growth, in terminal panicles of 200 - 300 small yellow-green
blooms. Each panicle will produce only one to three fruits. The flowers are
perfect, but are either receptive to pollen in the morning and shed pollen
the following afternoon (type A), or are receptive to pollen in the
afternoon, and shed pollen the following morning (type B). About 5% of
flowers are defective in form and sterile. Production is best with
cross-pollination between types A and B. The flowers attract bees and
hoverflies and pollination usually good except during cool weather.
Off-season blooms may appear during the year and often set fruit. Some
cultivars bloom and set fruit in alternate years."


--

Visit insectgraphics.com for all your insect gift needs
wrote in message
...


I have a question about avocados.

Being from CA, I love them. I want to grow a tree, which I started to
in CA, from a pit, and it took off quite nicely.

Since then, I've been told that bearing fruit is not simply a matter
of planting two together to cross-pollinate; you must graft them, and
one has to be male and another female. You can guess what my question
is- "How on earth do you tell the difference?"

Curious in SC
(Karen)

g'day karen,

having 'a' & 'b' trees not totally necessary as all trees will bare
male and female flowers at some stage of their fruiting cycle, having
the 2 of certain varities extends your fruiting season ie.,. when the
'a' tree has its female flowers the 'b' tree has its male flowers and
visa verca.

some varieties don't need 'a' or 'b' ever.

the only thing with a seedling tree is how long before it fruits could
take up to 14 years maybe? but the other side and i avhe heard both
stories you have no guarantee that the tree will fruit to form or even
fruit at all, or at best it may give very poor quality fruit.

if yo realy like avacado's and most of us do the best advice is go buy
a grafted tree and if you are short on garden space seek a variety
where 'a' & 'b' plays no part, or just buy one or the other you will
get fruit. grafted trees as i know it fruit with in 5 to 7 years i had
one fruit in 3 years that may be variety specific?

On Thu, 22 Mar 2007 03:17:28 -0400, wrote:

snipped
With peace and brightest of blessings,

len & bev

--
"Be Content With What You Have And
May You Find Serenity and Tranquillity In
A World That You May Not Understand."

http://www.lensgarden.com.au/

On Thu, 22 Mar 2007 15:08:25 GMT, "tuckermor"
wrote:

It's not as simple as male and female; it's A and B types, and sometimes
people will say that doesn't matter. Here are a couple of places to look for
info to get you started. Lots more if you look on Google.

http://www.californiaavocadosociety....g/growing.html
http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/avocado.html

This is what the CRFG (California Rare Fruit Growers) Fact Sheet about
Avocadoes says:
"Flowers: Avocado flowers appear in January - March before the first
seasonal growth, in terminal panicles of 200 - 300 small yellow-green
blooms. Each panicle will produce only one to three fruits. The flowers are
perfect, but are either receptive to pollen in the morning and shed pollen
the following afternoon (type A), or are receptive to pollen in the
afternoon, and shed pollen the following morning (type B). About 5% of
flowers are defective in form and sterile. Production is best with
cross-pollination between types A and B. The flowers attract bees and
hoverflies and pollination usually good except during cool weather.
Off-season blooms may appear during the year and often set fruit. Some
cultivars bloom and set fruit in alternate years."


Thank you- that is fascinating- you'd think being from CA and eating
alot of guacamole, I would know more about this stuff! I have been in
huge avocado groves near the town of Fallbrook CA, and there are two
main types- the Haas (bumpy skin) and the Fuerte (smooth).

Karen

On Thu, 22 Mar 2007 20:18:36 GMT, len garden
wrote:

g'day karen,

having 'a' & 'b' trees not totally necessary as all trees will bare
male and female flowers at some stage of their fruiting cycle, having
the 2 of certain varities extends your fruiting season ie.,. when the
'a' tree has its female flowers the 'b' tree has its male flowers and
visa verca.

Hmm- sort of a unisex thing? ;-)


some varieties don't need 'a' or 'b' ever.

the only thing with a seedling tree is how long before it fruits could
take up to 14 years maybe?

Wow.

but the other side and i avhe heard both
stories you have no guarantee that the tree will fruit to form or even
fruit at all, or at best it may give very poor quality fruit.

if yo realy like avacado's and most of us do the best advice is go buy
a grafted tree

I've been to all our local nurseries- I couldn't even find a cherry
tree. All they had was peach (which I bought), plum, apple, fig, and
I saw one lemon. I should have bought that, come to think of it- the
flowers smell so good. I went online to look for cherry trees- found
one, but I didn't check for avocados.

and if you are short on garden space seek a variety
where 'a' & 'b' plays no part, or just buy one or the other you will
get fruit. grafted trees as i know it fruit with in 5 to 7 years i had
one fruit in 3 years that may be variety specific?

Ok- thanks!

Karen




On Thu, 22 Mar 2007 03:17:28 -0400, wrote:

snipped
With peace and brightest of blessings,

len & bev

On Mon, 26 Mar 2007 02:24:33 -0400, wrote:


I've been to all our local nurseries- I couldn't even find a cherry
tree. All they had was peach (which I bought), plum, apple, fig, and
I saw one lemon. I should have bought that, come to think of it- the
flowers smell so good. I went online to look for cherry trees- found
one, but I didn't check for avocados.

If your finding lemons and figs, you may be too warm for cherries.
Check to see what your local chilling hours are, at the state ag
department. The lowest chilling hours for cherries is about 700 to 800
hours.
http://www.davewilson.com/br40/br40_...0Cherries.html

g'day karen,

Hmm- sort of a unisex thing? ;-)

yes that is about it.

I've been to all our local nurseries- I couldn't even find a cherry
tree. All they had was peach (which I bought), plum, apple, fig, and
I saw one lemon. I should have bought that, come to think of it- the
flowers smell so good. I went online to look for cherry trees- found
one, but I didn't check for avocados.

you might do better seeking out a fruit tree nursery.

On Mon, 26 Mar 2007 02:24:33 -0400, wrote:

snipped
With peace and brightest of blessings,

len & bev

--
"Be Content With What You Have And
May You Find Serenity and Tranquillity In
A World That You May Not Understand."

http://www.lensgarden.com.au/

On Mon, 26 Mar 2007 09:50:06 -0500, Pan Ohco wrote:

On Mon, 26 Mar 2007 02:24:33 -0400, wrote:


I've been to all our local nurseries- I couldn't even find a cherry
tree. All they had was peach (which I bought), plum, apple, fig, and
I saw one lemon. I should have bought that, come to think of it- the
flowers smell so good. I went online to look for cherry trees- found
one, but I didn't check for avocados.

If your finding lemons and figs, you may be too warm for cherries.
Check to see what your local chilling hours are, at the state ag
department. The lowest chilling hours for cherries is about 700 to 800
hours.
http://www.davewilson.com/br40/br40_...0Cherries.html

Ok- thank you.

KS

On Mon, 26 Mar 2007 09:50:06 -0500, Pan Ohco wrote:

On Mon, 26 Mar 2007 02:24:33 -0400, wrote:


I've been to all our local nurseries- I couldn't even find a cherry
tree. All they had was peach (which I bought), plum, apple, fig, and
I saw one lemon. I should have bought that, come to think of it- the
flowers smell so good. I went online to look for cherry trees- found
one, but I didn't check for avocados.

If your finding lemons and figs, you may be too warm for cherries.
Check to see what your local chilling hours are, at the state ag
department. The lowest chilling hours for cherries is about 700 to 800
hours.
http://www.davewilson.com/br40/br40_...0Cherries.html


Ok- thanks.

KS

On Thu, 22 Mar 2007 15:08:25 GMT, "tuckermor"
wrote:

It's not as simple as male and female; it's A and B types, and sometimes
people will say that doesn't matter. Here are a couple of places to look for
info to get you started. Lots more if you look on Google.

http://www.californiaavocadosociety....g/growing.html
http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/avocado.html

This is what the CRFG (California Rare Fruit Growers) Fact Sheet about
Avocadoes says:
"Flowers: Avocado flowers appear in January - March before the first
seasonal growth, in terminal panicles of 200 - 300 small yellow-green
blooms. Each panicle will produce only one to three fruits. The flowers are
perfect, but are either receptive to pollen in the morning and shed pollen
the following afternoon (type A), or are receptive to pollen in the
afternoon, and shed pollen the following morning (type B). About 5% of
flowers are defective in form and sterile. Production is best with
cross-pollination between types A and B. The flowers attract bees and
hoverflies and pollination usually good except during cool weather.
Off-season blooms may appear during the year and often set fruit. Some
cultivars bloom and set fruit in alternate years."


I spent a fair amount of time at these links you all gave me. I never
dreamed the courting and mating rituals of avocadoes could be so
complicated:-) And then when you get into scions and all that....


KS

I've also been meaning to ask- my grandfather did a lot of grafting,
and I would watch him. He used to dip the end of the part he was
grafting into some white powdery stuff he got at the nursery. This
was in the early 1960's. He told me what it was, but of course, I
can't remember. He used this white powder to graft roses, also, and
made beautiful varigated carnations with the same method. Anyone have
any idea what the substance was?

Thanks,

Karen

"len garden" wrote in message
...
g'day karen,

having 'a' & 'b' trees not totally necessary as all trees will bare
male and female flowers at some stage of their fruiting cycle, having
the 2 of certain varities extends your fruiting season ie.,. when the
'a' tree has its female flowers the 'b' tree has its male flowers and
visa verca.

some varieties don't need 'a' or 'b' ever.

Would the Reed be one of those?

On Wed, 28 Mar 2007 03:50:49 -0400, wrote:



I've also been meaning to ask- my grandfather did a lot of grafting,
and I would watch him. He used to dip the end of the part he was
grafting into some white powdery stuff he got at the nursery. This
was in the early 1960's. He told me what it was, but of course, I
can't remember. He used this white powder to graft roses, also, and
made beautiful varigated carnations with the same method. Anyone have
any idea what the substance was?

Thanks,

Karen

That could have been Rootone, or one of the other brands of root
stimulators.

On Thu, 29 Mar 2007 11:49:30 -0500, Pan Ohco wrote:

On Wed, 28 Mar 2007 03:50:49 -0400, wrote:



I've also been meaning to ask- my grandfather did a lot of grafting,
and I would watch him. He used to dip the end of the part he was
grafting into some white powdery stuff he got at the nursery. This
was in the early 1960's. He told me what it was, but of course, I
can't remember. He used this white powder to graft roses, also, and
made beautiful varigated carnations with the same method. Anyone have
any idea what the substance was?

Thanks,

Karen

That could have been Rootone, or one of the other brands of root
stimulators.


Is that the same as root growth hormone? It may be it.

Karen

On Thu, 29 Mar 2007 10:25:13 +1000, "whiteMemphis"
wrote:


"len garden" wrote in message
.. .
g'day karen,

having 'a' & 'b' trees not totally necessary as all trees will bare
male and female flowers at some stage of their fruiting cycle, having
the 2 of certain varities extends your fruiting season ie.,. when the
'a' tree has its female flowers the 'b' tree has its male flowers and
visa verca.

some varieties don't need 'a' or 'b' ever.

Would the Reed be one of those?

I'm not sure- I'm just learning this stuff myself.

KS