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Homeowner Forum / Lawn and Garden / July 2008Avocado question
I am in the SE corner of South Australia. I have a fairly large avocado tree, about 11 years old, grown from a pip (maybe a Hass, those are the most common ones we get in the shops here) that I planted in what must have been just the right sheltered spot. This year, for the first time, it has fruit - only about 8, but fair sized ones. When should I pick them ? I know they only ripen once they are off the tree, but how do I tell when they are ready ? I've asked around locally but this seems to be the only avocado in the area, so I'm feeling quite proud of my achievement ! Many thanks.  SignatureAnne Chambers, South Australia anne dot chambers at bigpond dot com > avocado Anne may be of interest. Bill <http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/avocado.html> SignatureGarden in shade zone 5 S Jersey USA Neat place .. http://www.petersvalley.org/ >> avocado > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > <http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/avocado.html> Thanks - doesn't really tell me when to pick them though. SignatureAnne Chambers, South Australia anne dot chambers at bigpond dot com > <http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/avocado.html> Harvest: The time of harvest depends upon the variety. Commercial standards requires fruit to reach 8% oil content before harvesting. Mexican types ripen in 6 - 8 months from bloom while Guatemalan types usually take 12 - 18 months. Fruits may continue enlarging on the tree even after maturity. Purple cultivars should be permitted to color fully before harvest. Guatemalan types can be stored firm, at 40 - 50° F. for up to six weeks. Mexican types discolor quickly and require immediate consumption. SignatureGarden in shade zone 5 S Jersey USA Neat place .. http://www.petersvalley.org/ >> <http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/avocado.html> > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > up to six weeks. Mexican types discolor quickly and require immediate > consumption. Thanks, Bill - I did see that ....but how do I know when 8% oil content is reached ? I don't know if I have a Mexican type, a Guatemalan type or if it's a purple cultivar. I was really hoping someone growing avocados in a similar climate in Australia would be able to help. Thanks for your time. SignatureAnne Chambers, South Australia anne dot chambers at bigpond dot com >>> <http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/avocado.html> >> [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > Thanks for your time. http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s1939805.htm A lot of people wonder about the right time to harvest an avocado. Wait until the first one falls to the ground, and put that in the cupboard, keep it for about a fortnight to ripen and it'll be ready to eat. And at that stage you know that you can harvest them from the tree. When the little button at the top starts to change colour and goes a bit lighter, just snip it off, put it in a brown paper bag, put it in the pantry for about a week to a fortnight and it will get soft and it will be magnificent. > http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s1939805.htm > A lot of people wonder about the right time to harvest an avocado. Wait [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > it off, put it in a brown paper bag, put it in the pantry for about a week > to a fortnight and it will get soft and it will be magnificent. Many thanks, that's just what I wanted. Now to go out and *will* the first one to fall ! SignatureAnne Chambers, South Australia anne dot chambers at bigpond dot com >> http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s1939805.htm >> A lot of people wonder about the right time to harvest an avocado. Wait [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >Many thanks, that's just what I wanted. Now to go out and *will* the >first one to fall ! Around here the possoms judge when the avos are ready for picking. They throw them down overnight with a large chunk missing from one side. :-} With any such windfalls I find, I follow the above paper bag method, only cutting off the eaten side after the avo has softened. It works for me! SignatureJohn Savage (my news address is not valid for email) >>> <http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/avocado.html> >> > Thanks, Bill - I did see that ....but how do I know when 8% oil content is > reached ? I don't know if I have a Mexican type, a Guatemalan type or if > it's a purple cultivar. I was really hoping someone growing avocados in a > similar climate in Australia would be able to help. My avocado experience was also frustrating, have a Reed avo. and it had its 1st crop at the beginning of the year, we are in Melbourne, it produced 8 fruits round Dec. and they stayed tiny for ages, just didn't know when to pick them, I left them on the tree all thru autumn, the problem was they reached a certain size and didn't get any bigger, finally as winter was close I decided to pick them small as they were, they stayed hard for weeks, finally going a bit soft but not really in a proper way, I've been on the net but can't find any info that is specific to how long they should stay on the tree in our climate, why they didn't get to proper size for this variety. >>> avocado >> >> Anne may be of interest. >> <http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/avocado.html> >> > Thanks - doesn't really tell me when to pick them though. We used to harvest around March/April on the Sunshine Coast QLD, so presumably it'd be at least couple of months later for your area. I'd try one now and see what you have. Trial and error is the only way, aside from having an avo analysed for it's oil content (which is what we used to do - a small commercial avo farm) which naturally still means picking one :) Apart from that - the longer they stay on the tree, the better as far as the existing fruit is concerned. I used to have my own private stash of avos on the trees even into late November/December... and they were very yum indeed, very high in oil. |
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