06 April, 2024

Avocado

Way back in 2015, I germinated an avocado pit from an especially tasty avocado we had purchased at the market.  I do that periodically with the tasty ones.  The plant from this particular pit really thrived as I moved it into pots of ever-increasing capacity.  Finally in 2016 we made a slightly raised bed for it using palmetto "sticks" to corral actual soil (not sand) into a mound and planted the avocado outside in its forever home.  

Fast forward 8 years and the avocado tree is about 18 feet tall.
Palmetto stick palisade to hold in the mound of soil.

Last year it bloomed for the first time and set 4 fruit!

Not quite ready to harvest.
By harvest time only two of the four remained.  I think parrots may have beat us to the other two.  They were about softball size. The flesh was very creamy, nutty-tasting.  Quite delicious, but I may be biased in claiming it is the best ever.

I have been watching closely for more blossoms this year and today is the day!  They are not flashy, colorful, or big, but are beautiful in their potential.

The unimpressive flowers are hard to spot.  Three clusters of yellowish flower buds at center and more to the left and right.
I am hopeful the crop the year will be a little bigger than last year's.  It is very dry and we need a good rain to keep us all going until the real rainy comes in late June.


14 comments:

  1. Well done with the planting of avocado! Wishing you a good future harvest!

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    1. I have high hopes for more than 2 avocados this year!

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  2. That is impressive! I know people who get as far as a houseplant, but a full grown tree is amazing!

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    1. I did have one that I grew in Minnesota - inside!

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  3. That picture of the blossoms makes my heart sing!
    My daughter and her husband bought an avocado tree at a local nursery that specializes in fruit trees that will grow in our area. They planted it not so long ago and it already has fruit! I need to go get me one of those.
    I hope your avocados ripen and delight you. And yes, you are allowed to claim them as the best ever.

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    1. Yes, I think the commercial ones are much more likely to bear fruit and to bear earlier than home grown ones. We'll see how this year's crop turns out. Patience. Which has never been a virtue of mine.

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  4. My understanding is avocados grow very readily from the pits, but I’ve never seen anything like that! I’m sure yours is the best ever.

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    1. They do germinate pretty easily and are fun to start. This one fruiting is a first for me!

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  5. How great to have your own source of avocados. Hope they all come to fruition!

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  6. Visiting via Mary Moon, well done with the avocado. Your views look like Heaven to me. I live in South Australia, downunder the equator.

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    1. Hi River! Thanks for visiting and commenting. Dennis and I spent a month in Australia in 1990 or maybe '91. Mostly traveling in Queensland with a week at the end in Canberra visiting friends. We loved Australia and even applied for jobs there. Unsuccessfully, alas.

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  7. How lovely to see your own mango tree grow and flourish. When I read about your hope for a bit of rain to help it mature the fruit I couldn't help wishing I could send you some our never ending rain in exchange for some of your hot Sunshine.

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    1. Things grow so quickly here, John! We need to figure how swap around some our weather. We did get a little over an inch of rain in the last 4 days, and that has helped immensely.

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