pick avocado right after reaching mature size or right before falling from tree?

[rtdrury]

We agree avocados can be picked any time after reaching mature size. Anyone's experience indicate any difference in flavor/quality when picked right after mature size, versus being picked right before falling from tree?

[spaugh]

Yes of course they are better the longer they hang.  They need to reach full size and then the oil content increases over time.  For instance my hass fruit are full size in december but are watery and bland.  6 months later they are super dense and oily in June and July. 

That being said, the west indian avocados grown in florida probably dont hang as long or get as oily.  But surely they improve if left on the tree.

[weiss613]

Spaugh I have a question for you.
When your Haas have reached full size have they turned black yet? When do your Haas turn black?
Thanks

[spaugh]

No hass stay green until they are picked then turn black about 10-12 days later.

[pineislander]

We agree avocados can be picked any time after reaching mature size. Anyone's experience indicate any difference in flavor/quality when picked right after mature size, versus being picked right before falling from tree?

Definitely better. Just like red peppers are better than green pepper, they take longer to develop quality. There is loss of harvest along the way, from storms, from squirrels, from skin diseases, fruit rubbing against each other and on branches. Because of these hazards  larger growers will typically sacrifice some quality to avoid the loss and pick early.
I lived in the Caribbean and we left avocado on the tree for many months picking a few each week. One other loss on late varieties if you leave them till very close to usual bloom time in Florida which is around February-April the result may be a failure to get bloom. If the avocado fails to bloom that, in turn, sets the tree up to take a year off then begin an altranate bearing cycle where you get a heavy crop one year then no crop.

[Epicatt2]

if you leave [fruit on the tree] till very close to usual bloom time in Florida which is around February-April the result may be a failure to get bloom. If the avocado fails to bloom that, in turn, sets the tree up to take a year off then begin an altranate bearing cycle where you get a heavy crop one year then no crop.

That's useful information about why an avocado tree might change its fruiting habit from yearly to every other year.

In your experience does such a change become permanent or will a tree eventually revert to fruiting annually?

Just curious . . .

Paul M.
==

[rtdrury]

Brogden is a Mexican - West Indies cross with thin/smooth black skin.  The skin turns black while on the tree.  Is anyone's experience that the flavor/quality is better when picked before turning black?  It seems waiting until they fall gives best flavor/quality but someone may have suggested better before turning black.

[CTMIAMI]

May experience is that some times it the fruit stays too long on the tree the flavor begins to deteriorate.  I can thing of a Guatemalan seedling that stays in the tree to March but is best in December.

Also my experience on fruit that turns color is to pick before that color change takes place because at that point post harvest pathogens take hold and is harder to eat clean fruit.   As it is with some of the Hass varieties in South Florida if you wait to pick after the turn color usually I can not eat them from anthracnose or similar.

To add to the confusion , every year is different by a week or two and by unknown variables e.i. This year my early Donis were delicious, very enjoyable.  This year my Pollock did not set any fruit,,,,,, and so on.

[johnb51]

May experience is that some times it the fruit stays too long on the tree the flavor begins to deteriorate.  I can thing of a Guatemalan seedling that stays in the tree to March but is best in December.

Also my experience on fruit that turns color is to pick before that color change takes place because at that point post harvest pathogens take hold and is harder to eat clean fruit.   As it is with some of the Hass varieties in South Florida if you wait to pick after the turn color usually I can not eat them from anthracnose or similar.

To add to the confusion , every year is different by a week or two and by unknown variables e.i. This year my early Donis were delicious, very enjoyable.  This year my Pollock did not set any fruit,,,,,, and so on.

[rtdrury]

Thanks, guys for all the help.  This is our first season with a significant number of fruit. 

If we leave our Brogden fruit on the tree after turning black, I understand they can be more vulnerable to pathogens, but does anyone's experience tell us roughly how long after turning black they tend to stay on the tree?  Days? Weeks? 

[pineislander]

Brogdon may not fall till they are rotten. I pick when 3/4 black and they turn completely black when ripe, just a few days.

[bovine421]

We agree avocados can be picked any time after reaching mature size. Anyone's experience indicate any difference in flavor/quality when picked right after mature size, versus being picked right before falling from tree?

Definitely better. Just like red peppers are better than green pepper, they take longer to develop quality. There is loss of harvest along the way, from storms, from squirrels, from skin diseases, fruit rubbing against each other and on branches. Because of these hazards  larger growers will typically sacrifice some quality to avoid the loss and pick early.
I lived in the Caribbean and we left avocado on the tree for many months picking a few each week. One other loss on late varieties if you leave them till very close to usual bloom time in Florida which is around February-April the result may be a failure to get bloom. If the avocado fails to bloom that, in turn, sets the tree up to take a year off then begin an altranate bearing cycle where you get a heavy crop one year then no crop.

It sounds like that may apply in the future to my 15 gallon Monroe I planted this spring. What is the latest you've ever harvested that variety?

[slopat]

I picked some earlier this month, looks like the seed roots were pushing out against the skin.  Another one looked like it was molding with even more roots. Tasted ok, pretty good for guacamole. The ones picked in May/June were about the same but no roots and no strings. All were firm with thin green skin and the seed's skin seems to peel of easily. Interesting how the skin got darker a few days, 5 to 7, after picking. I cut the stem down to a nub.

The tree was a gift and planted back in the 90s. My wife says it is a Bacon? Who knows. It was living for about 20 years in the neighbors tree shade. Ignored until three years ago when neighbor decided to  chop down their sky high eucalyptus tree, since they installed solar. It got whacked by endless falling  eucalyptus leaves and branches...  the last hit was when the eucalyptus was cut down. I wasn't home but heard a branch went off planned fall path . Now its slightly tilted (crooked as my daughter says).

I started watering and wow, avocados, 15+ if them.  This year there are a ton of grape sized on the tree! I was so excited I took out the other ornamentals and replaced with more avocados. (it's a race now with neighbors new trees for height)

At least I have an idea when to pick now.

Yes of course they are better the longer they hang.  They need to reach full size and then the oil content increases over time.  For instance my hass fruit are full size in december but are watery and bland.  6 months later they are super dense and oily in June and July. 

That being said, the west indian avocados grown in florida probably dont hang as long or get as oily.  But surely they improve if left on the tree.

[ScottR]

I live in 9b zone of Calif. and this is late for bacon I picked my last bacon's late May and they were beginning to get strings in them then we start picking in late Feb. but all depends on how fruit looks. You can always pick a few much earlier and see how they ripen to judge maturity! Mainly wait until skin turns dull then can start picking also stem will start to turn yellow when avocado is done.

[slopat]

Thanks for the tips on skin and stem color Scott!  Concur that April seems best.

Yeah, I'm just up the road from you near Laguna Lake.

[Deleted] Mainly wait until skin turns dull then can start picking also stem will start to turn yellow when avocado is done.

[ScottR]

small world after all!! you'll have to stop by some time when covid is over

[rtdrury]

Fruit on our Brogden tree is starting to show splits in the skin, while still on tree, and before turning black.  Also some fruit falling before turning black.  Also some fruit getting round, sunken spot at the skin cracks, but decay is slow/surfical. Now we're seeing small fly worms in these round sunken spots.  Seems these problems are avoided by picking sooner, before skin turns completely black. Extra hot & wet year.

[nighthawk0911@yahoo.com]

I have the same problem with round decay spots on my Brogdons on 50% of the fruit all in the same place at the widest part at the bottom.  I think that that may be where the fruit expands the most and the skin is thinnest or may crack and get infected.

My Brogdons have never turned black as the squirrels wipe them out before they turn.  I have to eat them mature green and they have good flavor anytime after August 7th.  The flavor gets better each day and I have found they peak around Sept 1 for me.  I have noticed that they start to take on a slight deviled egg after taste (not a criticism) by late September.  I have heard the egg/canistel flavor comparison mentioned by others when describing other varieties, but never Brogdon, possibly because Brogdon only has that flavor at a certain stage.  I believe you could make a very good "egg salad" using avocados when they are at that stage.  Dont ask me how they taste when they turn black on in October, the squirrels take them all before that.