Topic: More info on growing avacado in NZ

More info on growing avacado in NZ 

The way I do it is to fill a glass with newspaper and place the avocado seed on top. I then make sure the glass filled up with water in such a way that the seed was partly covered with the water. The seed should eventually split with a shoot appearing.
After this you should plant the seed into a container or pot.
BUT I have recently discovered that if I throw the avocado seeds into my compost heap they would grow by themselves and I have managed to get lots of healthy plants doing it like this.

Make sure you dig them up with care and then pot them or plant them straight into the ground. They are a rapid growing plant. Apparently though seedling take longer to fruit and their fruit isn't as big as grafted ones are.
For avocados you need to have good soil and drainage and plenty of shelter while they are young.
Hope this helps!
Dave (Auckland)

Re: More info on growing avacado in NZ 

This snippet I found from a PDF on growing avos:

"Avocados can stand only very light frosts. In general, their susceptibility is similar to that of standard lemons. Good fruit production is dependent on favourable climatic conditions, especially during blossoming. Flower initials may become tender, even before buds have swollen much. These, as well as the open flowers, may be killed by a light frost, so that nearly complete crop failure may result. On a dry, still, clear night, flowers and opening buds may be killed on the upper part of the tree when exposed to the clear cold sky. And this even when air temperature is hardly down to freezing. Spring conditions in New Zealand are generally wet and cold: adverse for good setting of avocado crops.

Shelter: Under New Zealand conditions avocados require good protection from winds, as do citrus trees. Cool prevailing winds in spring may keep the daytime temperatures too low for good setting. Shelter belts help keep the air in the orchard still enough to permit flowers, fruits, and twigs to hold some of the heat they absorb in the sunlight, and so have a temperature that may be more favourable for setting. Also, branches of avocado trees are fairly brittle, and easily broken by strong winds."

I recommend reading the whole thing:

http://www.avocadosource.com/CAS_Yearbooks/CAS_55_1971/CAS_1971-72_PG_152-155.pdf

Re: More info on growing avacado in NZ 

Can avos be grown as far south as Christchurch or do they prefer the warmer North Island weather?

Re: More info on growing avacado in NZ 

I grow my nursery bought plant in Christchurch and i'm not 100% sure if I'll have any fruit. Currently it is mostly kept in the garage where it receives afternoon sun for about 5 or 6 hours. When I have money, I'll transfer the pot to a glass house along with Casana,Tamarillo,Pepino,Pomegranate,Passion fruit, and my future acquisitions Sugar cane and Persimmon.

I haven't heard of any successful avocado growers in CHCH, but I'd love to know about them if they exist.

I'm also trying to grow the seeds which have developed in my compost bin. I think I'm failing (to see green foliage) because the little pots are left outside my garage at night.

See my post re avocado http://www.mygarden.co.nz/Forum/ForumPosts/2412/Re-Avocado-Mango-Sugar-Cane-Jaboticaba-South-African-Guava-etc.aspx?ShowForumPostId=2430#ForumPost2430

Re: More info on growing avacado in NZ 

I used to live in Brisbane where they grow fabulously! I believe they need plenty of heat, so the glass house or sunny corner protected from frost is a good idea, they become huge trees if in the ground so the pot will keep it smaller, I think they dont have flowers/fruit until 7 years old. Give plenty of liquid feed in the pot and keep it moist. Good luck .

Re: More info on growing avacado in NZ 

I have a huge avocado in my courtyard that we have to top heavily each year or we loose our sun. however it does not bear any fruit, do we need another one nearby or is it the heavy pruning. when we bought the house it had several fruit on it and one year we got a couple of babies that dropped off. Would love some help on that as it would be amazing to produce my favorite food in our tiny garden

Re: More info on growing avacado in NZ 

For a hardier Avocado variety, try "Reed" or "Bacon"

Apparently as hardy as a lemon...

Re: More info on growing avacado in NZ 

But seems to be very fragile when young. CAUTION: do not disturb the roots!!!

Re: More info on growing avacado in NZ 

I have successfully grown my advocado in my kitchen in a small 8ins/20cms pot. It has never been out of that pot since I planted it 2 years ago. As it was supposed to have type A or B[I didn,t have another plant ). I decided to paint the small flowers with a paint brush . The little dots of fruit formed. EXCITING. Some of them got knocked off, however , I have one fruit 13cms long and 24 cms in circumference. The height of the tree is 135cms .
Fertiliser: each day emptying cockatiels water into container . Cockatiel didn,t last to see what he helped to create.Have photos on camera,HERE IN INVERCARGILL.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Re: More info on growing avacado in NZ 

I've grown an avocado tree from seed and now I'd like to graft it. I've seen videos on how to do this, but I'm not 100% sure what plant I should be grafting to the avocado plant (I've heard I should use the silo plant?). Can anyone help me?

Re: More info on growing avacado in NZ 

We have a HUGE avocado tree on our front lawn which was well established when we moved in here 5 years ago. It's about 12 metres (40 ft) high and we were considering topping it, but apparently when you do that they go into shock so to speak and won't fruit, so since it's not in the way or blocking any sun we just let it be, as it fruits almost continuously through the year and everyone that's had some say they're the best they've ever tasted!

Re: More info on growing avacado in NZ 

Hi Lilly, do you live in Christchurch or in somewhere in the South ?

Re: More info on growing avacado in NZ 

Can avacado been grown in pots eg like a large wine barrel

Re: More info on growing avacado in NZ 

I also have grown many avocados from seeds. Initially I did grow them suspended over a glass with toothpicks, with the bottom of the seed just touching the water. Very satisfactory, fun to watch them grow (on the kitchen window-sill) I also have found that seeds thrown out on my compost bins grow very well. I have 11 avocado trees in my garden, aged from 30 years to 20 years, the ONLY tree fruiting is the 25 year old tree bought as a grafted tree from my garden centre. This tree bears about 200 fruit a year, all of the other trees flower profusely but do not bear fruit. many of these trees grown from seed are more tham 20 feet high and growing very well. I would dearly love to be able to graft some of my "real" Hass tree on to these trees.

Re: More info on growing avacado in NZ 

I also have grown many avocados from seeds. Initially I did grow them suspended over a glass with toothpicks, with the bottom of the seed just touching the water. Very satisfactory, fun to watch them grow (on the kitchen window-sill) I also have found that seeds thrown out on my compost bins grow very well. I have 11 avocado trees in my garden, aged from 30 years to 20 years, the ONLY tree fruiting is the 25 year old tree bought as a grafted tree from my garden centre. This tree bears about 200 fruit a year, all of the other trees flower profusely but do not bear fruit. many of these trees grown from seed are more tham 20 feet high and growing very well. I would dearly love to be able to graft some of my "real" Hass tree on to these trees.