Author Topic: John Herd avocado  (Read 2565 times)

Jack, Nipomo

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John Herd avocado
« on: September 15, 2019, 03:20:41 PM »
Finally beat the possums and raccoons to fruit from my John Herd tree.  Good sized fruit, excellent texture and flavor.  A keeper.  Leaven's Hass next to it.



Jack, Nipomo

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Re: John Herd avocado
« Reply #1 on: September 15, 2019, 03:31:07 PM »



Before cutting John Herd, next to Leaven's Hass

Oolie

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Re: John Herd avocado
« Reply #2 on: September 15, 2019, 04:06:44 PM »
How is the flesh texture? Would you compare the flavor favorably to Pinkerton?

spaugh

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Re: John Herd avocado
« Reply #3 on: September 15, 2019, 04:34:22 PM »
Looks nice, is that 16 months on tree?

I think I have some branches of one called "herd" from khalid.  Maybe its the same one.  He got them from the UC irvine collection.
Brad Spaugh

Jack, Nipomo

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Re: John Herd avocado
« Reply #4 on: September 15, 2019, 08:53:25 PM »
Khalid may have gotten it from me.  I had sent him some scions of a variety of avocados.  My source is UC Irvine. 

Texture was softer than Pinkerton, but comparable good flavor.  A much larger fruit, had half for a dinner.  Cannot recall length of time on tree, been watching several on tree and also Koala with an offset stem. That's another large fruit.  Just had Greengold fall off in my hand.  Lots of varieties coming in now.  Next year will be different, lots of flowers this year, 4 beehives, not much fruit set. 

Oolie

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Re: John Herd avocado
« Reply #5 on: September 15, 2019, 09:07:14 PM »
Sounds like a real winner.

Greg A

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Re: John Herd avocado
« Reply #6 on: September 15, 2019, 11:45:49 PM »
Thanks for this, Jack. Is this about the middle of your Hass season in Nipomo?

On a side note: Anything distinctive about Leaven's Hass that you've noticed (compared to Hass)?
gregalder.com/yardposts/

Jack, Nipomo

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Re: John Herd avocado
« Reply #7 on: September 16, 2019, 09:15:01 AM »
Quick answer Greg:  I don't have any Hass this year.  For some reason fruit set was terrible this year.  As to Leaven's Hass distinction: it is full of good quality fruit.  Hopefully they have all gone to alternative year bearing.  We'll see next year.  Need to have a talk with my bees.

spaugh

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Re: John Herd avocado
« Reply #8 on: September 16, 2019, 12:41:30 PM »
Khalid may have gotten it from me.  I had sent him some scions of a variety of avocados.  My source is UC Irvine. 

Texture was softer than Pinkerton, but comparable good flavor.  A much larger fruit, had half for a dinner.  Cannot recall length of time on tree, been watching several on tree and also Koala with an offset stem. That's another large fruit.  Just had Greengold fall off in my hand.  Lots of varieties coming in now.  Next year will be different, lots of flowers this year, 4 beehives, not much fruit set.

I guess he got them from the scion exchange in spring of this year.  I got his leftovers and Greg A got my leftovers
  We dont let anything go to waste.  Between greg and I we have 5 or 6 new types growing from those.  Coleen davis, koala, party time, herd, levans hass, and maybe others I forgot. 

Brad Spaugh

Jack, Nipomo

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Re: John Herd avocado
« Reply #9 on: September 16, 2019, 06:22:55 PM »
Still awaiting Coleen Davis and Koala.  Koala looks close (got to beat the possums and raccoons).

CA Hockey

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Re: John Herd avocado
« Reply #10 on: September 16, 2019, 09:10:57 PM »
Good to hear herd is a good one. Mine croaked recently. Discovered a leak in my irrigation system that resulted in chronic flooding in a large section of my avocado growing area. Herd is done, Gwen Hass looks like it's struggling, holiday shriveled pretty quickly, and Yamagata looks like it's drying up.

My Spaugh seedlings are incredibly vigorous and that's what the scions that you sent me jack are growing on. So far everything growing , but I have a nishikawa branch that is monstrous and is dominating all the others.

BrianL

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Re: John Herd avocado
« Reply #11 on: September 20, 2019, 03:05:37 PM »
I really like John Herd.  Growing it in NorCal.  I first had some at Green Scene.  I liked it better then Jan Boyce, etc.

Jack, Nipomo

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Re: John Herd avocado
« Reply #12 on: September 20, 2019, 06:23:43 PM »
It's certainly much bigger than my Jan Boyce.  Green Scene is a good source for many different varieties of grafted avocados in 1 gal pots.  Orange County CRFG booth is the place to go.

CA Hockey

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Re: John Herd avocado
« Reply #13 on: September 21, 2019, 08:31:28 PM »
Jack, how does your Colleen Davis grow? Mine is growing quickly, kind of like choquette. It's a second year tree

Jack, Nipomo

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Re: John Herd avocado
« Reply #14 on: September 22, 2019, 09:13:02 AM »
   Have not noticed any special growth on Colleen Davis.  Have not had any fruit yet either.  So far, in our climate, it is not precocious or noteworthy.  As I recall from Julie Frink, it was a tree that had to be removed from too close to a garage.  Don't recall any special attributes.  Fruiting will probably occur in Orange before here due to climate benefits.