Just thought I would say whats happening with my Hass tree in Westmere, auck. Huge crop this last 4 mths, still plenty on tree, and have 2nd batch coming thru but not so many new ones. I only water it, nothing else and fruit it very good tasting. The local birds do like avos if they get them down, now every day I check the ground for dropped ones, most times I get them before birds eat from stalk end. Even then I cut the pecked bits off and fridge until fully ripe. The wind does knock weak stems loose too & the family and neighbours get all I cannot eat, so they are happy. Forgot I do have some netting across sides of trees hung between other trees but think the birds have worked that out and go over or under. Meanwhile I will enjoy avo's until next batch. I have noticed bees are less oblivious than before apart from some bumble bees. Watering is from my storage containers and I do throw my dish water around base so no extra costs are involved. I might throw a bit of potash around just for fun when i get some, as it was referred to above, it might give tree a boost of life ?
budgel,
Jan 27, 3:58pm
I dont like the muddy flavour when ripe.
Fuerte or Reeds for me!
artemis,
Oct 31, 5:08pm
Years ago (maybe 8) I planted a tree - from the nursery not from a stone - and though healthy enough never any fruit.
Until now. Very excited to have 2 avos this year. Trouble is I don't recall what sort it is and don 't know when the avos are ready to pick. They are round, not pear shaped if that helps.
And what is the optimum plant food to feed the tree ongoing.
Thoughts?
wasgonna,
Oct 31, 5:41pm
I believe the round ones don't go black when ripe as other varieties do. Unsure about specific food for them but you can't go wrong with "Potash" as this encourages root and fruit growth.
car27,
Oct 31, 6:18pm
If they are round its probably a Reed avocado . I planted a hass tree about the same time as you and must have had about 200 - 250 avocados this year
artemis,
Oct 31, 7:56pm
Thanks for the replies, much appreciated. I think this may be a Reed tree, thank you car27, which gives me something to go on. I find via Google that these are an autumn ripening variety so I will be checking them out regularly to see how they progress.I will add some potash, and a little Thrive and see how that goes.
mojo49,
Nov 1, 1:48am
Also find a fertilizer with a bit of boron in it. Avocados soak it up and the soil is usually short of it. In an orchard we foliar feed boron in the spring in particular. They need nitrogen fert when they are about to flower and while the bud areas are extending and then a general n-p-k fert for fruit development. Reed are probably the best avocado around but in NZ there is little market or understanding of the "greenskin" varieties. They are well established in Aussie. Some Reed is exported to Australia but they are tender when picked and suffer handing damage easily. Hass are like rocks when picked and cope well with post harvest handling. Hence their popularity with commercial growers-exporters.
mojo49,
Nov 1, 1:51am
Also Wellington is probably too cold for avos. The tree would need to be very sheltered as they need at least 3 consecutive nights with lows above about 10 deg C when flowering to set fruit. Quite complex things to grow actually.
artemis,
Nov 1, 6:15pm
Thanks mojo49. Are you able to point me at a retail source of boron please - maybe 1kg or fertiliser with boron already in it? I've had a looksee but it seems to be available in large quantities. If nobody knows I will ask at the garden centre.
My tree is fairly sheltered, but the night temperature could well be the reason fruit is not setting apart from my 2 preciouses! I have planted borage nearby for the bees.
Not too worried about how delicate the fruit are. The travelling distance will be extremely short!
niffer13,
Nov 1, 7:12pm
Reeds are the best! Creamy yummy.
charie4,
Nov 1, 9:31pm
Nah Hass are the best -better flavour.
mojo49,
Nov 2, 12:06am
Try one of the farm suppliers, Fruit-Fed PGG Wrightons, Farmlands or Horticentre for boron in a fert mix. The best avocados grown in NZ are not marketed. They are eaten by the growers, pickers, thrown on the ground or if processed in error are used for oil. They are "autumn set" Hass. Hass often have a second set of fruit around April and these stay on the tree for 18 months until the crop is harvested. They are round like a Reed but ripen like a Hass. They are rarely retailed because punters dont recognise them as Hass and get them confused with Reed and either eat them unripe or keep squeezing and ruining them. They have the highest oil and flavour content of any NZ grown avocado. We are enjoying the ones that set in April 2013 right now. Sorry about that folks.
mojo49,
Aug 22, 3:47pm
You do not want any competition for the bees nearby when avocados flower. Bees will go to the borage in preference to the avocado so the borage is counterproductive if it flowering at the same time. We mow to eliminate all others flowers in the orchard while the avocados are in flower. Lots of other insects also pollinate avocados especially in the evening and early morning when there are no bees but the flowers are open.
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