A better option is to plant only grafted plants, which will usually fruit within three years. Thankfully, avocado production in Western Australia requires minimal pesticide use, so it is unlikely to be a common issue. The flowers occur in panicles of several dozens or hundreds of flowers. Avocado trees can die if spent even one night in … AvoResearch: Volume 1, Issue 2 (May 2001) ; Avocado Flowering Basics ; An Impression of New Zealand ; Pollinizers and Pollinators - Do They Make a Difference? To amend the soil, add a 5 gallon bucket of organic compost to the planting hole, mixing it thoroughly with the native soil. The avocado flower is unique in having both male and female organs and a variation in flowering types has trees classified as A and B. For avocado trees to produce flowers, a period of about 4 weeks of relatively cool temperatures needs to occur in autumn/winter. The avocado tree is a tropical plant.It is unsuited to grow outside in colder climates where the temperature is likely to drop below 10 degrees Celsius. Avocado trees need a good sized area to grow, if left to their own devices they will eventually (after about 15-20 years) grow to a tree of approximately 10-12 metres high and 4-6 metres wide. Avocado trees (Persea americana) can bear fruit if planted in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 through 11. The Mexican races originated in the country’s cool, subtropical highland forests, and mature trees can withstand temperatures of -4°C to -5°C. Avocado trees are very susceptible to root rot, which is caused by the soil-borne fungus Phytophthora cinnamomi. Pick it and allow a week to 10 days for it to ripen (see ‘Harvest’, above). Know how to take care of your equipment. B-flower type Vigorous, large spreading tree Pear-shaped fruit, green when ripe early maturing. Continue to apply nitrogen, but in the tree’s second year, increase the amount of nitrogen fertilizer to ¼ pound (.1 L.) divided into three applications. Avocados need a pH of 7 or slightly below. 2 left: Hass grafted avocado tree. While there is some speculation on the capacity of a range of small insects (including the hover fly) to act as pollinators, the European honey bee (Figure 8) is by far the most recognised and commonly used pollinator in Western Australia. Well for one the selection at commercial retail nurseries is somewhat limited, compared to what is offered at nurseries that growers use. Each type has flowers that open twice over a two-day period - the first day as a female and the second day as a male. Australia free from exotic pests and diseases. To maximise pollination of your avocados, it is preferable to bring in fresh hives at the start of flowering (ideally once roughly 10% of flowers have opened). When the early Spanish explorers first set stepped into the jungles of the Caribbean and Central America, among the many novelties they found was a large green tree fruit, with leathery skin, a seed like a chestnut and creamy, lime-green flesh unlike anything they knew in their own heritage of edible plants. On the first day, an open avocado blossom is female and receives pollen, while on the second day the flower is male and releases the pollen. It is preferable to bring in healthy and active hives that are going to be collecting both pollen and nectar. It is a great beginner’s avocado tree because it is relatively tough and productive. Each avocado tree has the parts for both male and female genders, but they are active at opposite times of day. Hass is the most marketable and reliable producer in most areas. Rootstocks used are either seedlings of the Guatemalan (Velvick) or Mexican (Duke 7) races; however, there is increasing interest in using vegetatively cloned rootstocks of elite selections. Avocado trees usually take 3 years to grow and produce fruit again after rejuvenation pruning. However, if you leave mature fruit on the tree beyond a few months, your avocado may tend to biennial bearing, that is, only cropping every two years. Even if you don’t get fruit, an avocado tree makes a pretty pot plant for a sunny patio and growing one from seed is a great project for kids. The male floral organ, which produces pollen, is comprised of the anthers and stamens. Avocados (Persea spp.)