The avocado is by far the most cultivated tropical tree in temperate climate regions. Not only are there varieties capable of withstanding frosts down to -2ºC, but it also provides excellent shade.which is appreciated if you live in an area where temperatures easily rise above thirty degrees Celsius during the summer.
But in addition, they produce a large amount of fruits, enough for the whole family to consume them for a season. So why not cultivate it?
Avocado characteristics
Our protagonist, known by the scientific name Persea americanaand with the common avocado, avocado, avocado, avocado, abacate, abocado or avocado, it is an evergreen tree that is believed to originate in the state of Puebla, Mexico. It grows to a height of 30 meters. Its crown is very dense, and can reach 6-7m in diameter.. The leaves are alternate, pedunculated, bright green, and 10-15cm long.
The flowers are small, white. The female and male do not open at the same time, which prevents self-fertilization. For this reason, it is very important to have several specimens with the same floweringsince this way you will be able to get a very good harvest.
Once they are pollinated, the fruit begins to mature, which is a large yellow-green or reddish-brown drupe, measuring 8 to 18cm long. Its shape is ovoid or globose, and inside there is a globular seed 5 to 6 cm long.
Different varieties of Persea americana are known, the following being the easiest to obtain:
- ettinger: originally from Israel. The fruit is green.
- Strong: is the most widespread. Its origin is in California, and it produces green dotted fruits that ripen in winter.
- hate: originally from California. It produces black fruits towards the end of the season (late fall / early winter).
How do you take care of yourself?
If you would like to have one or more copies, follow our advice :
Location
Place your tree in an area where it gets direct sunlight, at a minimum distance of 10m from any tall plant.
Land
Soil or garden soil it should be light, deep, with good drainage (here! you have more information on this subject), and with a neutral or slightly acidic pH (5,5 to 7).
The distance between plants in an orchard should be at least 8 meters, being more advisable to be 10m.
Irrigation
Irrigation has to be frequentsince it does not withstand drought. During the summer, it will be watered every 2-3 days, and the rest of the year every 5-6 days. Use rainwater or water without lime for this. If you can’t get it, don’t worry. It will be enough to fill a bucket with water, let it rest overnight, and the next day use it for watering.
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Throughout the growing season, and being a tree whose fruits are edible, must be paid using organic productslike guano or manure, putting a 2-3cm thick layer around the trunk once a month.
If the plant is young, you can also choose to use liquid fertilizers, guano being especially advisable due to its rapid effectiveness. Of course, you must follow the instructions specified on the package to avoid the risk of overdose.
Planting time
The best time to spend it in the orchard or garden is in springwhen temperatures begin to rise above 10ºC.
Pruning
Only branches that grow close to the ground, weak and diseased branches should be removed in early spring.
Harvest
From the age of five (from sowing) you can start to collect its fruits.
Multiplication
The avocado is multiplied by seeds and by grafting in spring. Let’s see how to proceed in each case:
Seeds
- The first thing to do is get a fresh avocado fruit, and eat it .
- Afterwards, you must clean the seed with water, conscientiously.
- Now, you must sow it in a seedbed with vermiculite, which is a substrate that, in addition to having very good drainage, remains moist for a long time, which will help the seed to germinate. It must be a little buried, otherwise it will not sprout.
- Sprinkle sulfur or copper on the surface of the substrate. This will prevent fungi from damaging it.
- Finally, water.
If all goes well, in a month it will begin to take root.
Grafts
The avocado can be grafted onto Persea indica (Viñátigo canario) and, of course, onto Persea americana. The types of graft that are performed are the “T” shape. To do this, you have to follow this step by step:
- When the trunk of the master plant measures at least 1cm in diameter, a bevel cut is made at 10cm high and treated with fungicide.
- Now, the branch to be grafted is introduced into the cut.
- It is then attached with tape or graft raffia.
Pests
- Red spiders: They are tiny mites that are shaped like a red spider that weaves its webs between the leaves. You can combat it by mixing 2 cloves of garlic, 2 chillies and half an onion, chopping everything well and strain it and then dilute the mixture in 3 liters of water.
- Leaf winding worm: it is a brown-colored moth whose larvae feed on the leaves, causing serious damage to the plant. You can treat it with Bacillus thuringiensis, which is a bacteria that feeds on worms.
Diseases
- Root rot: It is caused by excess humidity, either by excessive watering and / or by poorly drained soils. Irrigation should be spaced and the plant treated with systemic fungicides.
- Mildew: It is a fungus that penetrates the tissues of leaves, stems and fruits, causing deformations. It is also treated with systemic fungicides.
- Fusarium disease: is a fungal disease caused by fungi of the genus Fusarium. It affects the root and spreads to the rest of the plant through the stem, in which a kind of white powder will be seen. Often, when it is detected it is too late, but it can be prevented by controlling the irrigation and treating the plant from time to time with fungicides.
Rusticity
The Persea americana is usually a tree sensitive to cold. However, the Hass and Fuerte varieties can be grown outdoors in areas where the temperature drops to -2ºC for a short time.
Can you grow avocado in a pot?
Due to its adult size, it is not a plant that can be kept in a pot for life. There will come a time when you will need to be on the ground.
Even so, it can be grown in a pot for several years if you use a universal growing medium mixed with 30% perlite, and transplant it every two years.
For what do you use it?
Avocado is a tree that is used as an ornamental, but it also has other interesting uses:
Culinary
The fruit, for its characteristic sweet taste, combines very well with different vegetable disheslike salads. Its chemical composition is as follows:
- Water: 70%
- Proteins: 1,5%
- Lipids: 22%
- Carbohydrates: 6%
- Vitamin A: 40mg / 100g
- Vitamin B1: 0,09 / 100g
- Vitamin B2: 0,12mg / 100g
- Vitamin B6: 0,5mg / 100g
- Vitamin E: 3,2mg / 100g
- Vitamin C: 17mg / 100g
- Potassium: 400mg / 100g
Medicinal
It is antioxidantwhich delays aging, protects against degenerative and heart diseasesand relieves migraine pain. The only negative we can say is that, due to its high fat content, it is not recommended to consume it after meals, especially if we do not usually practice sports on a regular basis.
And with this we are done. What did you think of the avocado?
