Author Topic: How to train your dragon... oh fuerte avocado  (Read 6565 times)

funlul

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How to train your dragon... oh fuerte avocado
« on: October 13, 2015, 04:55:31 PM »
The tree is in the ground. No it's not a dwarf variety.
It's an older fuerte that shoots for the star in every way possible.
Revenges hard when pruned.

When you trim the tree too much it won't fruit.
When you not trim the fruits are out of reach.

How do you train large variety avocado trees so they stay about 2 stories tall?
Yearly pruning? Weight? Talking to it nicely? Just let it go?

Thank you so much!

« Last Edit: October 13, 2015, 11:34:12 PM by funlul »
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ricshaw

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Re: How to train your dragon... oh avocado
« Reply #1 on: October 13, 2015, 06:53:58 PM »
I wish I had known the growing habits of Fuerte before I planted a tree in front of my house behind the mailbox.

This is how I use to control my Fuerte.



Now I only remove one or two vertical limbs and one or two horizontal limbs each year to control size.

funlul

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Re: How to train your dragon... oh avocado
« Reply #2 on: October 13, 2015, 07:15:10 PM »
Now I only remove one or two vertical limbs and one or two horizontal limbs each year to control size.

Ouch! But your tree looks very manageable now!

It was quite a scene when we trimmed off half of the tree this spring. I foresee it coming again ($$$$$) if I do not take action. Tree is in the "zero yield, vegetative growth only" period right now, can I give it another major surgery this winter?

What about this article

Quote
You can prune your "Fuerte" to manageable size, but you sacrifice some fruit production. There will be fewer fruitful branches, and the pruning itself stimulates vegetative growth rather than increased fruiting. You can keep your tree to under 15 feet, but pruning must be done regularly several times a year. Make smaller cuts at branch tips to restrict lateral and vertical growth rather than removing large branches infrequently, which stimulates vegetative growth in the entire tree. For larger cuts at the tree's top, wait until wintertime.

« Last Edit: October 13, 2015, 07:16:49 PM by funlul »
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ScottR

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Re: How to train your dragon... oh avocado
« Reply #3 on: October 13, 2015, 07:45:49 PM »
Fun, Rick has it right that's how I maintain my Fuerte by annual pruning, I cut out anything that wants to grow up haven't done to much side to side pruning yet but will have to start next year for sure. Many people are afraid to prune trees but you need to control them instead of them controlling you!!!!!!! Also if you want to climb into your tree like I do on my fuerte I start scaffold branches low makes for easy climb into tree!

ricshaw

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Re: How to train your dragon... oh avocado
« Reply #4 on: October 13, 2015, 08:05:31 PM »
What about this article

Quote
You can prune your "Fuerte" to manageable size, but you sacrifice some fruit production. There will be fewer fruitful branches, and the pruning itself stimulates vegetative growth rather than increased fruiting. You can keep your tree to under 15 feet, but pruning must be done regularly several times a year. Make smaller cuts at branch tips to restrict lateral and vertical growth rather than removing large branches infrequently, which stimulates vegetative growth in the entire tree. For larger cuts at the tree's top, wait until wintertime.

I agree that pruning an avocado tree, like I did in the picture back in 2011, will sacrifice fruit production. That is why I remove only 2 - 3 branches every year now.

I too want to make my Fuerte open (easier) for climbing.  ;)  I am not sure making smaller cuts at branch tips is better than removing a whole large branch.
« Last Edit: October 13, 2015, 08:10:19 PM by ricshaw »

funlul

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Re: How to train your dragon... oh avocado
« Reply #5 on: October 13, 2015, 11:34:01 PM »
Thank you so much Rick and Scott! We now have a fuerte thread woohoo!!

Rick, how is your fruit production compared to pre-2011 now that you maintain a somewhat fixed size with annual "minor" pruning?
Proportional to the smaller tree size or does it still suffer because too much energy is constantly put into vegetative growth?
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ricshaw

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Re: How to train your dragon... oh avocado
« Reply #6 on: October 13, 2015, 11:46:46 PM »
Thank you so much Rick and Scott! We now have a fuerte thread woohoo!!

Rick, how is your fruit production compared to pre-2011 now that you maintain a somewhat fixed size with annual "minor" pruning?
Proportional to the smaller tree size or does it still suffer because too much energy is constantly put into vegetative growth?

Production the last couple of years has been the best ever.

The reason is more water. My wife planted a succulent garden under the tree and the tree likes the additional water.

ScottR

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Re: How to train your dragon... oh fuerte avocado
« Reply #7 on: October 14, 2015, 10:54:51 AM »
My production has stayed about the same except the tree is dropping a lot of avocados because of stress from lake of water (Rain) still water the same as always but tree needs a good soaking to wash salt's out of root zone. 8) 

Das Bhut

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Re: How to train your dragon... oh avocado
« Reply #8 on: October 14, 2015, 07:01:58 PM »
how does fuerte compare to oro negro in terms of growth?

ScottR

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Re: How to train your dragon... oh fuerte avocado
« Reply #9 on: October 15, 2015, 11:21:41 AM »
Can't really say yet because my Oro Negro is small branch graft!

TheWaterbug

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Re: How to train your dragon... oh avocado
« Reply #10 on: October 15, 2015, 12:39:17 PM »
I too want to make my Fuerte open (easier) for climbing.  ;)

I'll send my kid over as a part of the harvesting crew!
Sunset 23/USDA 11a, Elev. 783', Frost free since 8,000 BC. Plagued by squirrels, gophers, and peafowl, but coming to terms with it!

funlul

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Re: How to train your dragon... oh fuerte avocado
« Reply #11 on: October 16, 2015, 10:19:36 AM »
I lost my battle.
mom would not let me harm her precious avocado tree with further trimming. period.

the tree was heavily trimmed back early this spring.
in her opinion avocado tree is now "pushing for tons of leaves, but no branch growth"
does avocado in general require thinning?

lost.
« Last Edit: October 16, 2015, 10:43:26 AM by funlul »
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ScottR

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Re: How to train your dragon... oh fuerte avocado
« Reply #12 on: October 16, 2015, 11:25:40 AM »
If you cut off tip growth branches will branch more ;)

funlul

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Re: How to train your dragon... oh fuerte avocado
« Reply #13 on: October 16, 2015, 02:13:22 PM »
Thank you Scott. I think she is impatient that the new growth does not harden fast enough and tries to redirect the tree's energy from "leaves" to "branches".

I do agree it's very crowded in there right now. In general, does avocado tree need trimming to open up the space for better air circulation?

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edzone9

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Re: How to train your dragon... oh fuerte avocado
« Reply #14 on: October 16, 2015, 03:58:44 PM »
Wow now that's a Monster Avocado tree!, What NPK do you feed it ?, I would only feed it K For fruit production.
Great looking tree !..

Ed
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ScottR

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Re: How to train your dragon... oh fuerte avocado
« Reply #15 on: October 16, 2015, 09:16:57 PM »
That tree sure is getting tall makes for hard time to pick that high, I would bring it down to about 15' for starters but then again you've got a Mom to deal best of luck ;) :o ::) 8)

funlul

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Re: How to train your dragon... oh fuerte avocado
« Reply #16 on: October 26, 2015, 07:07:13 PM »
Good news, I am allowed to bring in "experts" to evaluate the tree's stability (main branch growing sideways, some signs of termite...) I will fight for trimming the tree to a more manageable size. Should have done that in the spring when we trimmed it, but at the time it looked like the tree lost so much already...

Question: I'd try to keep the tree at a fixed size (e.g. 15 feet) by removing some branches every year, obviously it already developed a much bigger root system. Will it revenge by always focusing on vegetative growth and never settle for fruits?

@Scott  Thank you soooooo much!

@Ed  Our trees rarely get commercial fertilizers. A bit of horse manure sometimes...

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funlul

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Re: How to train your dragon... oh fuerte avocado
« Reply #17 on: October 27, 2015, 11:27:24 AM »
another question... our neighbor has lots of mature avocado trees and they seem to have settled to a certain height without major trimming or topping. (approx. three stories tall)

Will fuerte do the same? or am I just dreaming and must fight with its height before it's too late...
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ScottR

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Re: How to train your dragon... oh fuerte avocado
« Reply #18 on: October 28, 2015, 11:11:26 AM »
You will always fight to keep a Fuerte Small!!! That what it wants to do get wide as tall which when older can be maybe three stories! 8) ;)

funlul

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Re: How to train your dragon... oh fuerte avocado
« Reply #19 on: October 28, 2015, 05:17:26 PM »
My tree was about three stories tall. I am not sure if it can settle with that height without growing much taller. (for the limited time we had with this tree before major pruning, it did get taller somewhat but not significantly)

But as I think I about it, I want some diversity in my tiny yard. I don't want a huge avocado tree that shadows everything else next to it. There is only so much avocado we can eat, the rest goes to friends - in high demand though.

Verdict: top it to about 15' tall and figure out how to prune it annually afterwards.

Thanks again @Scott. More pruning tips are greatly appreciated. Do you expose the trunk to direct sunlight during yearly pruning?
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funlul

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Re: How to train your dragon... oh fuerte avocado
« Reply #20 on: August 15, 2017, 12:54:09 AM »
My fuerte tree received a major cut earlier this year. (Sigh and hampered this season's production severely, could never figure out the right time to prune)

Of course it wants to grow back up immediately. My plan was to always remove new shoots from that cut before they harden. However is there a better way? I also saw people hanging weight on branches so they grown sideways instead of shooting straight up?
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Seanny

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Re: How to train your dragon... oh fuerte avocado
« Reply #21 on: August 15, 2017, 02:50:07 AM »
Fuerte is Spanish for 'strong'. You'll have endless pruning to keep it small.

alangr088

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Re: How to train your dragon... oh fuerte avocado
« Reply #22 on: August 15, 2017, 10:36:47 AM »
My fuerte tree received a major cut earlier this year. (Sigh and hampered this season's production severely, could never figure out the right time to prune)

Of course it wants to grow back up immediately. My plan was to always remove new shoots from that cut before they harden. However is there a better way? I also saw people hanging weight on branches so they grown sideways instead of shooting straight up?


It is because of your struggles with the fuerte of keeping it small that I have given serious thought into taking mine out of the ground (which is about 7 feet tall, 2 years in the ground has about 15 avocados on it right now) and replacing it with a Sir Prize.

funlul

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Re: How to train your dragon... oh fuerte avocado
« Reply #23 on: August 15, 2017, 12:45:06 PM »
It is because of your struggles with the fuerte of keeping it small that I have given serious thought into taking mine out of the ground (which is about 7 feet tall, 2 years in the ground has about 15 avocados on it right now) and replacing it with a Sir Prize.

RIP baby dragon...
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alangr088

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Re: How to train your dragon... oh fuerte avocado
« Reply #24 on: August 15, 2017, 02:07:54 PM »
 I have been told by some people working at nurseries that it can be controlled at about 15-20 feet. Is that about the height that you have tried to maintain you Fuerte at?