Haas avocado in SWFL?

[Coach62]

Well my Haas avocado isn't doing that well, but to be fair, it's been absolutely ravaged by deer a number of times.  They strip almost every leaf off of it every chance they get, I finally put a fence around it.

It dropped almost all it's leafs after a cold snap this year, then produced tons of blossoms.  Only 3 fruit have set, but again, the deer also nearly killed the tree - yet again! 

I hear they just don't do too well in my area.  Any truth to this?  If this is the case, I'd rather pull the tree - or top work it???  I guess I'd have to know the root stock to make that decision.

Thoughts?  Will a Haas thrive in Naples, or will it struggle?

Thank you!

[achetadomestica]

I have definitely had trouble and lost my share of avocados. I currently am
experiencing burnt leaves and have never exactly determined if it's my water has
salt or the manure I am using. I hope to pin this down and plan to do an analysis on
my water this week at the Ag office. Many places sell a Florida Hass avocado and I
assume this is what you have? From what I read the Florida Hass was a seedling from
a CA Hass and will thrive in our humid climate. I have also heard it is suppose to be a
heavy producer. I have a Lila and it had about 40 fruit on it and it keeps dropping them.
I think it's down to 5 or less. What fertilizer are you using for your tree?

[pineislander]

It dropped almost all it's leafs after a cold snap this year, then produced tons of blossoms. 

Don't know about Hass, but many perfectly fine healthy avocado do the leaf drop thing every spring in preparation for flowering. It had me worried last year but I expect it now. Right after the flowers new growth has exploded. This is normal for many/most avocado trees in SW Florida..

[Coach62]

I have definitely had trouble and lost my share of avocados. I currently am
experiencing burnt leaves and have never exactly determined if it's my water has
salt or the manure I am using. I hope to pin this down and plan to do an analysis on
my water this week at the Ag office. Many places sell a Florida Hass avocado and I
assume this is what you have? From what I read the Florida Hass was a seedling from
a CA Hass and will thrive in our humid climate. I have also heard it is suppose to be a
heavy producer. I have a Lila and it had about 40 fruit on it and it keeps dropping them.
I think it's down to 5 or less. What fertilizer are you using for your tree?

I really don’t think it’s a FL Haas. My fault for buying from a big box garden center without doing research. I believe it was Lowe’s.

[Coach62]

It dropped almost all it's leafs after a cold snap this year, then produced tons of blossoms. 

Don't know about Hass, but many perfectly fine healthy avocado do the leaf drop thing every spring in preparation for flowering. It had me worried last year but I expect it now. Right after the flowers new growth has exploded. This is normal for many/most avocado trees in SW Florida..

I’ve just read haas doesn’t do well in our humidity.

[achetadomestica]

Fruitscapes and pine island nursery sell Hass. When I saw pitombas for
sale at Home depot a couple years back I assumes PIN was supplying the local
Box stores? I also saw soursop for sale last year at the LaBelle Wal Mart.

[Coach62]

Thank you, I seem to have the best luck with trees from Fruitscapes on Bokeelia.

[SoCalDan]

I am growing Haas in South Florida, zone 10.  I am on year 3.  I planted the tree on a mound high on my property, north side.  It has been growing about 3ft a year and produced about a dozen fruit last year, with about 2 dozen expected this year on a 7ft tree. 

[FRUITBOXHERO]

Fruitscapes has the the super Hass..... a better version of the Hass for Florida growers. Call and talk to Steve

[kc_moses]

I was told Hass (California Hass) does not do well in Florida. So when I ask the nursery what's the next best one? They told me "Wurtz Avocado". So I planted it late 2016, and it's very high producer! I have probably at least 50 of them the size of big olive on my tree now. The Wurtz is Type AB tree so it's self pollinate, and it's the only avocado tree I have.

I just research more on avocado lately and that lead to another variety that spark my interest, it's the "Nishikawa" variety, someone in the forum said it's so creamy, you can spread it like butter. Something to look into.

Let me know if you need more info about the Wurtz, I can take pictures.

[zephian]

I was told Hass (California Hass) does not do well in Florida. So when I ask the nursery what's the next best one? They told me "Wurtz Avocado". So I planted it late 2016, and it's very high producer! I have probably at least 50 of them the size of big olive on my tree now. The Wurtz is Type AB tree so it's self pollinate, and it's the only avocado tree I have.

I just research more on avocado lately and that lead to another variety that spark my interest, it's the "Nishikawa" variety, someone in the forum said it's so creamy, you can spread it like butter. Something to look into.

Let me know if you need more info about the Wurtz, I can take pictures.

How is the Wurtz? I heard it's a really wide tree and the flavour wasn't all the great.

[Vernmented]

Well my Haas avocado isn't doing that well, but to be fair, it's been absolutely ravaged by deer a number of times.  They strip almost every leaf off of it every chance they get, I finally put a fence around it.

It dropped almost all it's leafs after a cold snap this year, then produced tons of blossoms.  Only 3 fruit have set, but again, the deer also nearly killed the tree - yet again! 

I hear they just don't do too well in my area.  Any truth to this?  If this is the case, I'd rather pull the tree - or top work it???  I guess I'd have to know the root stock to make that decision.

Thoughts?  Will a Haas thrive in Naples, or will it struggle?

Thank you!

That leaf drop is totally normal.

I have recently had a friend buy a regular Hass from a very experienced grower/nursery and he told them that it does well for him in the Redlands. I have always heard the opposite but I guess it worth grafting a branch onto a healthy tree and see how it performs here in Florida.

[kc_moses]

How is the Wurtz? I heard it's a really wide tree and the flavour wasn't all the great.

This is the first year I get fruit from the Wurtz, I have yet to try. But from my research throughout this forum, the Wurtz I grow is different from the Wurtz/"Little Cado" you get in CA. South Florida sort of have our own Wurtz. The tree is very easy to grow, it does spread a bit, but very dwarf. I may do a post that's just dedicated to this avocado since there is really a lack of info for this variety, can't even find it in Youtube.

[Coach62]

How is the Wurtz? I heard it's a really wide tree and the flavour wasn't all the great.

This is the first year I get fruit from the Wurtz, I have yet to try. But from my research throughout this forum, the Wurtz I grow is different from the Wurtz/"Little Cado" you get in CA. South Florida sort of have our own Wurtz. The tree is very easy to grow, it does spread a bit, but very dwarf. I may do a post that's just dedicated to this avocado since there is really a lack of info for this variety, can't even find it in Youtube.

I found this. https://toptropicals.com/  just type Wurtz in the search box

[kc_moses]

Here is the chart:

https://toptropicals.com/html/toptropicals/articles/fruit/varieties_avocado.htm

The Wurtz listed in the list is close to what I was told except that the Wurtz I have should have big seed, but because of how productive it is, the less Seed-Flesh ratio made up by having a high yield production. Fat content is about 18% while California Hass is 22%. Check out the Nishikawa too,

[spaugh]

How is the Wurtz? I heard it's a really wide tree and the flavour wasn't all the great.

This is the first year I get fruit from the Wurtz, I have yet to try. But from my research throughout this forum, the Wurtz I grow is different from the Wurtz/"Little Cado" you get in CA. South Florida sort of have our own Wurtz. The tree is very easy to grow, it does spread a bit, but very dwarf. I may do a post that's just dedicated to this avocado since there is really a lack of info for this variety, can't even find it in Youtube.

How does FL have its own hass and wurtz?  Why wouldn't they pick different names if they are not the same plant? 

[Coach62]

Here is the chart:

https://toptropicals.com/html/toptropicals/articles/fruit/varieties_avocado.htm

The Wurtz listed in the list is close to what I was told except that the Wurtz I have should have big seed, but because of how productive it is, the less Seed-Flesh ratio made up by having a high yield production. Fat content is about 18% while California Hass is 22%. Check out the Nishikawa too,

Thanks, the copy / paste feature on an iPad doesn’t always work properly

[Mark in Texas]

Carlos has a very detailed journal on "Florida Hass".   So much a failure he took out, top worked 3 trees.
https://www.myavocadotrees.com/florida-hass-avocado.html

[Coach62]

Carlos has a very detailed journal on "Florida Hass".   So much a failure he took out, top worked 3 trees.
https://www.myavocadotrees.com/florida-hass-avocado.html

Wow, thanks a ton for that!  I might have made the same mistake. Maybe it would do better on my side do the state (deeper soil, no shallow calcerous layer). But we’ll never know.

[kc_moses]

How does FL have its own hass and wurtz?  Why wouldn't they pick different names if they are not the same plant?

We have a local nursery that constantly Frankenstein new plant that would work with our climate. I think he use common Wurtz as the main plant to create our version of Wurtz. Instead of call it something else, he probably think it's easier just call it Wurtz so that buyers would sort of know what they are buying.

Just like if you manage to cross a dog and a cat to create a new cat that can fetch stick and pick up news paper, don't purr or puke hairball, but look like a cat, it's easier to call it a "Cat" to sell it than name it something else 

[kc_moses]

If I'm not happy with my Wurtz, the Nishikawa is my next to try, however, it's a bigger tree, and a bit tricky and not as productive as Wurtz. But if the rave for Nishikawa is real, it might worth the challenge:

https://www.myavocadotrees.com/nishikawa-avocado.html

[Mark in Texas]

If I'm not happy with my Wurtz, the Nishikawa is my next to try, however, it's a bigger tree, and a bit tricky and not as productive as Wurtz. But if the rave for Nishikawa is real, it might worth the challenge:

https://www.myavocadotrees.com/nishikawa-avocado.html

That's one I had and lost.  Top Tropical stock received with a shitty root system.  Knowing them and they way they mis-label stuff it probably wasn't Nishi in the first place.

Good luck!

[Coach62]

Update on my Haas.  It had 3 avocados on it, down to one that looks like crap, I'm certain it won't make it.  I think I'll replace it with a early and/or late season variety.

[Mark in Texas]

Update on my Haas.  It had 3 avocados on it, down to one that looks like crap, I'm certain it won't make it.  I think I'll replace it with a early and/or late season variety.

I'd try Pinkerton.  I have a paper from a pro recommending it for the tropics.

[Coach62]

Looks like a California strain??  I just keep reading they don't do so well down here.  I have a summer and a fall avocado tree, I'd like a winter and a spring tree also.