Planting Avocados

Question:

I'm thinking of planting two different types of Avocados that ripen at different times. What are the best varieties to plant?                       

Answer:

  • Growing Avocados in the Bay Area is an iffy proposition. They do not tolerate the winter cold. Eighteen degrees is the lowest for the hardiest varieties. So, I'd expect some damage in most winters, just like citrus.
  •  The next hurdle is space. Avocados are large evergreen trees, reaching a height of forty-plus feet with an equal spread. They are too large for most yards and impractical to protect from cold temperatures with a plant blanket or an anti-desiccant spray.
    • There is a limited number of dwarf varieties that stay under fifteen feet, but they're not widely available.
  •  Avocados don't like to be overwatered and produce a lot of year-round plant litter. Once established, they're watered deeply once every three weeks, depending on the temperatures.
    • So, planting under their canopy is not recommended.
  •  Zutano, Mexicola, and Hass are three standard varieties to consider. Zutano ripens in September and has green skin, while Mexicola is shiny black and ripens in October. Hass is a purplish black and produces year-round. Mexicola and Zutano are the best to plant for cold tolerance. Wertz, Little Cado, and Holiday are two dwarf varieties. They can be grown in containers, making it feasible for them to be moved to protect them from the cold.
  • Also, Avocados starting from a pit or seed are unpredictable. You have to germinate the seed/pit, and then wait several years to see the growth and fruiting habit.   So, you'll need to purchase named varieties.
  • You’ll find additional information about Avocado varieties, along with pictures of the fruits at https://www.californiaavocado.com/how-tos/avocado-varieties

NOTE: Avocados are divided into 'A' and 'B' varieties, depending on the time of the day the pollen is released. It is a common misconception that these types refer to male and female plant types that must be planted together for successful pollination. Type 'A' and Type 'B' refer to an avocado flower's life cycle. All avocado flowers are both male and female at various points in their daily flowering, making it possible for avocado trees grown in areas with mild climates, like the Bay Area, to be fruitful without the help of another tree acting as a pollinator. Type 'A' varieties have flowers that open as females on the first morning and close that afternoon. The next afternoon, the flowers open again, but this time, they are males. They shed pollen for a few hours, and then the flower closes again, this time for good. Type 'B' varieties open as females in the afternoon of the first day before closing and they reopen the next morning as males.  This information is important to the commercial grower to maximize their yield.  It's not so for gardeners, as they produce more than enough without the additional cross-pollination.