GEM avocados

[Sayan128]

Hey everyone! I live in SoCal and want to grow a dwarf
Avocado tree. I've been doing some
Searching and supposedly the GEM avocado
Seems like a great one, especially because it bears fruit every year as opposed to the Hass. Does anyone know where I can buy that tree? Dwarf avos seem to be really hard to find right now for whatever reason. Is it too late in the season maybe?
Any other dwarf you recommend for zone 10a?

[CA Hockey]

Hard to find. I bought mine from Bonita creek nursery. Brokaw and duarte nursery are growers that have it but don't sell to the public.

Try holiday avocado. It's also a dwarf variety. Can't remember if green gold is also dwarf or not but mine grows like one.

K

[FruitFool]

Atkins nursery in Fallbrook had it last time I visited few weeks back.

-FruitFool

[johnb51]

What about Gwen?

[Mark in Texas]

What about Gwen?

Highly recommended, IF, you can find it.  Am growing it and it's holding a lot of fruit.  It's Will Brokaw's fave if that tells you anything.  It's a very small tree that tends to over produce.  Quality of fruit is better than Hass if left to hang.  Tree has very little vigor, being the smallest (and weakest) of about 8 varieties I'm growing.  It's about 5 years old and no more than 5W X 5H', perhaps less.

I also have Holiday.  New grafted cocktail tree with 3 others but it seems to be really nice in growth habit and fruiting.  Highly recommended by all. 

You can source the budwood like I did on 100's of varieties trees from U.C.R., Dr. Mary Lu Arpaia's clan.

June 11



June 11 fruit

[behlgarden]

"You can source the budwood like I did on 100's of varieties trees from U.C.R., Dr. Mary Lu Arpaia's clan."

How do I do that?

[ScottR]

Behl, contact Julie Frink or have your bud frank contact her!

[spaugh]

They have "little cado" aka wurtz and also holiday at walter andersons in poway.  Havent seen gem or gwen around anywhere.

[JF]

What about Gwen?

Highly recommended, IF, you can find it.  Am growing it and it's holding a lot of fruit.  It's Will Brokaw's fave if that tells you anything.  It's a very small tree that tends to over produce.  Quality of fruit is better than Hass if left to hang.  Tree has very little vigor, being the smallest (and weakest) of about 8 varieties I'm growing.  It's about 5 years old and no more than 5W X 5H', perhaps less.

I also have Holiday.  New grafted cocktail tree with 3 others but it seems to be really nice in growth habit and fruiting.  Highly recommended by all. 

You can source the budwood like I did on 100's of varieties trees from U.C.R., Dr. Mary Lu Arpaia's clan.

June 11



June 11 fruit

I've had this variety in several occasions and it is in no way better than Hass. I posted pix of my friend's tree( he's the master gardener in Fruit Park in El Torro)  in this forum. He works closely with Julie, Isabel and Mary Lu, and there are many other varieties better than Gem.

[CA Hockey]

I think that he meant Gwen (not gem) was better than hass.

[Sayan128]

Atkins nursery in Fallbrook had it last time I visited few weeks back.

-FruitFool

Wow you got lucky! I just called them and they are sold out for right now but I put myself on the waitlist for hopefully September! Thank you for the info!
Sabrina

[JF]

I think that he meant Gwen (not gem) was better than hass.

I meant Gwen which can't hold a candle to Hass or Gem

[Sayan128]

I think that he meant Gwen (not gem) was better than hass.

I meant Gwen which can't hold a candle to Hass or Gem

Good to know! Thanks for the heads up. Do you really find that the Hass only fruits every other year?

[Sayan128]

What about Gwen?

Highly recommended, IF, you can find it.  Am growing it and it's holding a lot of fruit.  It's Will Brokaw's fave if that tells you anything.  It's a very small tree that tends to over produce.  Quality of fruit is better than Hass if left to hang.  Tree has very little vigor, being the smallest (and weakest) of about 8 varieties I'm growing.  It's about 5 years old and no more than 5W X 5H', perhaps less.

I also have Holiday.  New grafted cocktail tree with 3 others but it seems to be really nice in growth habit and fruiting.  Highly recommended by all. 

You can source the budwood like I did on 100's of varieties trees from U.C.R., Dr. Mary Lu Arpaia's clan.

June 11



June 11 fruit

So since you think it's the "weakest" one out of all your trees, does it make it a difficult one to grow?

[Mark in Texas]

I think that he meant Gwen (not gem) was better than hass.

Yeah, even Carlos doesn't like GEM.  Here's some good info on Gwen, the one I posted.

Gwen: An "awesome avocado you don't see sold anymore. Those lucky enough to have a Gwen tree will appreciate the small tidy tree size, great flavor better than Hass if left to ripen the full 16-plus months it needs, productivity if you've got several other avocados that aren't Hass to pollinate it. Not quite as hardy as Hass, it's been abandoned by the nurseries because it's tough to propagate, being weak, and slow to get growing, and insufficiently promiscuous."

http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/general-news/20100501/sharon-hull-this-week-in-the-garden-settling-the-avocado-question-once-and-for-all

Behl, Mary Lu's contact info -



History of Gwen by the good doctor and why it failed to take over the Hass market:

[Mark in Texas]

I think that he meant Gwen (not gem) was better than hass.

I meant Gwen which can't hold a candle to Hass or Gem

How so?

BTW, the cocktail tree is doing very well, am letting it hold about 15 fruit after grafting last year, have already shared some fat sticks of Ardith.  Pinkerton is the least vigorous, Sir Prize is the most vigorous.

Holiday which is sizing up nicely.

[Mark in Texas]

So since you think it's the "weakest" one out of all your trees, does it make it a difficult one to grow?

Not difficult, is just a weak VERY slow growing tree.  It gets beat up by wind too which doesn't help.

[Jack, Nipomo]

Some relevant info on GEM and why it is difficult to acquire. http://newsroom.ucr.edu/2635    My GEM has around a dozen avocados now, I picked two to see how they taste. Very different looking fruit (color).  Since it is growing here in CA it should do well (like the wonderful Hass).  We'll see.  The Esther tree (from UCR) is excellent here too.

[behlgarden]

Thanks Mark.

On dwarf, I find Reed to be very well compact grower. I have two trees in ground. One is Reed with Pinkerton on it. The other is Lamb Hass and it has over 10 varieties, 5 of which are holding fruit. Sir Prise is a monster and it took over the rest so I am doing some serious management there. Cocktail Avacado is great and I am working on a project there.

[Mark in Texas]

Thanks Mark.

On dwarf, I find Reed to be very well compact grower. I have two trees in ground. One is Reed with Pinkerton on it. The other is Lamb Hass and it has over 10 varieties, 5 of which are holding fruit. Sir Prise is a monster and it took over the rest so I am doing some serious management there. Cocktail Avacado is great and I am working on a project there.

Wonderful!  Is your Reed over the top too?  I can't get over the fruit quality, it has everything going for it - fine texture no matter if cut firm or creamy ripe, leather like peel, medium seed, great producer.  Versatile - makes great guacomole' or sliced with maters. Like my new thread reflects the damn tree is blooming again, albeit very little!

Doing well with the cados. Only one I've lost was Sharwil, still don't know why.   Sent a tissue sample off to U. of Fl. lab, said it was "cultural".

I think if one really wanted to go dwarf there's nothing more compact than my Gwen.

[Sayan128]

okay so if you guys had to choose between waiting to september for a GEM vs ordering a Wurtz/little cado now, which one would you do if your goal is to get good production in a container. we really do eat a lot of avocados...I don't want to have a every-other-year bearing tree.

sabrina

[Seanny]

I would wait out to get what I want.