Author Topic: Looking to buy seeds from cold hardy avocado  (Read 2577 times)

D-Grower

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Looking to buy seeds from cold hardy avocado
« on: November 06, 2018, 09:23:35 AM »
Since most avocado are tropical to at best hardy to nearly 15°F I figure I'd post in here. However around 15° is about how cold it can get here but usually not often. I'd love to get ahold of some seeds for cold hardy types to attempt to grow here. Grafted trees are nice but I don't mind the wait or possible variability of fruit.

Thanks! DG
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D-Grower

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Re: Looking to buy seeds from cold hardy avocado
« Reply #1 on: September 26, 2019, 03:10:02 PM »
Anyone out there with seeds of any super cold hardy types? Think it should be fruit season now right?

Thanks for any help! DG
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lebmung

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Re: Looking to buy seeds from cold hardy avocado
« Reply #2 on: September 27, 2019, 02:14:31 PM »
Fuerte can take small freezes like -4 to -3 C once established. They have them in shops in Europe in this season probably in US as well.

D-Grower

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Re: Looking to buy seeds from cold hardy avocado
« Reply #3 on: September 28, 2019, 08:41:11 PM »
Thanks I'll have to look into that variety. Never heard of Fuerte before.

Thanks to Spaugh for offering some seeds of the variety Stewart. Excited to start some of those.

Looking for more types though. Love avocado dearly and really want to be able to get some growing here and perhaps producing within several years. Would love to find Fantastic or Joey etc. Have an avocado tree here I can attempt to graft onto closer to spring too if anyone has scion wood available around that time. Please let me know! Not sure what graft stock type it is but it was from a grafted Fantastic tree I had traded for before. The Fantastic scion died one year and the root stock came up and is still alive. Not sure that right now is good for grafting though. Probably best just before active growth begins nearing spring right?

Thanks! DG
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jbclem

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Re: Looking to buy seeds from cold hardy avocado
« Reply #4 on: September 29, 2019, 05:46:54 AM »
Here in S.Calif, Fuerte has always been one of the most popular and best tasting avocados, comparable to Hass.  For some reason, I haven't seen Fuerte fruit in the stores for the last few years.  But the trees are easy to find at nurseries and big box stores.

I have a seedling Fuerte in a container and a store bought Fuerte I planted this past spring.  They can take the occasional 28F that I get, and if they can handle mid 20's F they should survive here.  But I don't think I'd plant a Fuerte if 15F was common every few years.  I'd be looking for some Duke seeds (which I am anyways) since Duke trees grow in a town just  north of Oroville, Calif where it's a lot colder than where I live.

D-Grower

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Re: Looking to buy seeds from cold hardy avocado
« Reply #5 on: October 11, 2019, 03:30:41 PM »
Bumping this thread so anyone with cold hardy avocado seeds or seedling/grafted small trees might see this.

Thanks to Spaugh for the Stewart variety seeds! They came in good condition and look viable certainly. Recommend buying those seeds from him if your in need.

However looking for the most cold hardy types still though. Let me know!

Thanks!
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spaugh

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Re: Looking to buy seeds from cold hardy avocado
« Reply #6 on: October 11, 2019, 04:00:40 PM »
Those stewarts should be about as cold tolerant as you are going to get.  If you want some really vigorous and still cold tolerant seeds I will have bacon and fuertes coming soon.  The bacon seeds are really vigorous, its a avocado weed tree.  Makes a good rootstock. 

Once you get growing, I would suggest getting some heavy row cover, the type that gives you 5 degrees of warmth and draping it over your trees on cold days/nights until your trees get big.  Just give them a couple years to get established before subjecting them to really hard frosts. 

Brad
« Last Edit: October 11, 2019, 04:31:13 PM by spaugh »
Brad Spaugh

Kevin Jones

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Re: Looking to buy seeds from cold hardy avocado
« Reply #7 on: October 11, 2019, 09:08:07 PM »
I'm no avocado expert.. but I love to dabble... so this summer I bought a nice grafted Stewart and Mexicola Grande for their cold hardiness and supposed good eating. They will stay in 20 gallon nursery bags and in my greenhouse for now.

Kevin


D-Grower

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Re: Looking to buy seeds from cold hardy avocado
« Reply #8 on: October 14, 2019, 09:40:37 AM »
Thanks Spaugh I might get some of those other types from you too.

Looking specifically for:
Joey
Fantastic
Del Rio
Lila/Opal
Other variety known to handle 20°f and lower
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Avoman

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Re: Looking to buy seeds from cold hardy avocado
« Reply #9 on: October 14, 2019, 04:59:49 PM »
You will find it hard to get thoughs on your list much easier to find zutano or bacon, i would not use mexicola types

D-Grower

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Re: Looking to buy seeds from cold hardy avocado
« Reply #10 on: October 15, 2019, 09:54:55 AM »
Yes seems not super easy to find those types. You would think they'd be popular due to people wanting trees that can handle the zone 8 boundary areas. I had a grafted Fantastic tree at one point but it was smallish and was killed by a 19°F night. Wasn't big enough yet to handle.

Mexicola types are a bit less cold hardy than I would like for sure. Probably will buy bacon seeds from Spaugh when they are ready. About how cold hardy is zutano?
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Avoman

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Re: Looking to buy seeds from cold hardy avocado
« Reply #11 on: October 22, 2019, 04:21:11 PM »
Zutano close to bacon for cold but if your hitting 19 degrees u still need to protect that graft no matter what rootstock you use, and all limbs above graft need major protection....  even a heat source added if major dieback is to be avoided

Avoman

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Re: Looking to buy seeds from cold hardy avocado
« Reply #12 on: October 22, 2019, 04:26:09 PM »
Theres alot of factors besides cold hardy, to me speed of growth and rootrot resistance and what type of seeds do best in curtain soil types are even more important
« Last Edit: October 22, 2019, 04:32:46 PM by Avoman »

D-Grower

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Re: Looking to buy seeds from cold hardy avocado
« Reply #13 on: October 23, 2019, 09:08:36 AM »
Yes I do agree with what your saying. Growth speed matters to me too but lessly so than getting the best hardy types likely to handle here. I can wait on the fruit or graft later. Soil type tolerance matters too and I'm in heavy clay here. However I'm willing to accommodate that by raising them up when planting with better draining soil. Mound it up or create a permanent raised bed like area.
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Avoman

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Re: Looking to buy seeds from cold hardy avocado
« Reply #14 on: October 23, 2019, 08:11:19 PM »
If you dont want to start from a seed if i remember correctly toro canyon clonal root stock might do better in clay also for clay might consider mixing large hole with gravel pumice couarse sand or like you say use a mound and prob a high mound if clay soil water draining  is slow.Also if any hard pan break it out before planting.
« Last Edit: October 23, 2019, 08:17:28 PM by Avoman »

D-Grower

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Re: Looking to buy seeds from cold hardy avocado
« Reply #15 on: October 24, 2019, 08:59:13 AM »
Ya my yard here is some heavy stuff. Drainage is very poor in most of the yard. I have one high ridge that's sandy but it's an unprotected area unfortunately. Not ideal to plant stuff that needs detailed care. I plan to microclimate a few types of avocado to the southward side of structures I have. Hopefully get a 5+° difference or better up close to the sunny side of a wall etc. Keeping them out of a northern wind etc. Eventually going to take up the metal panels on parts of my large overhang on the front of the house and put on clear panels. Effectively giving lots of light and creating a 10×15' or better covered area in two spots to microclimate several less hardy species but in the ground entirely. Then just prune to keep smallish.
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D-Grower

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Re: Looking to buy seeds from cold hardy avocado
« Reply #16 on: December 12, 2019, 07:57:15 AM »
Bumping this thread to see of anyone now has seeds of any of the cold hardiest types. Fantastic, Joey, Lila, etc.

Thanks!
Trying to grow it all!