Is little cado/wurtz truly a dwarf tree?

[Jessg333]

Our local nursery claims that little cado/wurtz should grow to about 8-10 feet. Is little cado/wurtz truly a dwarf?

[Dylan SB]

I planted my tree in ground in Fall of 2006 and have kept it below 10' with regular pruning during late Spring to mid Summer.  The branches tend to weep but it can push out several feet of growth in a season on more vigorous branches.

[Guanabanus]

Even truely dwarf plants must grow.  Trees don't reach a pre-determined height and then stop there--- unless they have started to die.

Dwarf plants simply have a slower growth rate.  This is usually a combination of fewer growth flushes per year, plus much shorter-than-average flush lengths.

Examples:  'Julie', a true dwarf mango, usually grows 4-12 INCHES per year.  'Valencia Pride' mango, super vigorous, grows 3-10 FEET per year.

So we don't ask, "How tall does this variety get?" 

We ask, "How tall does this variety get in 10 years?" [Unpruned.]  'Julie', 6-12 feet;  'VP', maybe 40 feet.

Or, we can ask, "How soon will I need to prune this tree?"  'Julie', 10 years;  'VP', next year.

[WGphil]

Planted mine last season

About five ft tall and loaded with blossoms

Growing a lot faster than expected

[StPeteMango]

Planted a 3-gal Wurtz in July 2015. It's about 8 feet tall. Takes well to pruning.

[Jessg333]

Thanks guys! As long as it’s manageable to keep at 8 feet I’m happy 😃

[Cookie Monster]

If you're into slow-growing cadoes, another excellent choice is the Florida Hass. Puts on about a foot per year. And the flavor is incredible.

[palologrower]

Thanks guys! As long as it’s manageable to keep at 8 feet I’m happy 😃

Howzit!  Hope you're doing well.  Not to throw in a wrench in your plans, but I just tried at Frankie's a Mit32.  WOW.  Idk about growth habit, but that's another must grow avo if I could afford the space.  I'm almost tempted to graft on to my neighbors seedling avocado tree and see what happens.  OR at the very least buy a tree and plant it at my friend's farm in Haleiwa. 

[fisherking73]

Almost 4 years in the ground my wurtz, and bought it in 15 gallon pot, was pretty much fruiting size when planted. 3 full seasons in ground and not a single fruit set. About to chop her down. Cookie does the florida hass produce well on its own?

[Jungle Yard]

When does Oro Negro usually blooms in Florida? Another manageable avocado.

[Guanabanus]

A 3-gallon avocado, that still looks very young and fresh and green-stemmed, will usually outgrow a 15-gallon, big, yellowish-woody-looking knarly tree.

[Mark in Texas]

A 3-gallon avocado, that still looks very young and fresh and green-stemmed, will usually outgrow a 15-gallon, big, yellowish-woody-looking knarly tree.

Yep, I'm in the same camp.  You give me a 1 or 3 gallon potted tree and if planted the same time as my neighbor's tree that came out of a 30-50 gallon (and 20X the price), I'll have outgrown my neighbor in 3 years.  Smaller trees establish quicker.  The big pot and the big tree is more of sex appeal thang.

I need to get an updated pic of my Reed that just started blooming.  It's 12', 3 trunks and flat ass gorgeous.  Was a frozen stump March 2018. Now there's another tree that loves the heat for you Florida folks.



7 months later, October 2018, 10' tall.



My secret?  Osmocote, rainwater and a bottomless Rootbuilder bed.

Pinkerton is another excellent tree that is very slow growing.

[Vernmented]

A 3-gallon avocado, that still looks very young and fresh and green-stemmed, will usually outgrow a 15-gallon, big, yellowish-woody-looking knarly tree.

Yep, I'm in the same camp.  You give me a 1 or 3 gallon potted tree and if planted the same time as my neighbor's tree that came out of a 30-50 gallon (and 20X the price), I'll have outgrown my neighbor in 3 years.  Smaller trees establish quicker.  The big pot and the big tree is more of sex appeal thang.

I need to get an updated pic of my Reed that just started blooming.  It's 12', 3 trunks and flat ass gorgeous.  Was a frozen stump March 2018. Now there's another tree that loves the heat for you Florida folks.



7 months later, October 2018, 10' tall.



My secret?  Osmocote, rainwater and a bottomless Rootbuilder bed.

Pinkerton is another excellent tree that is very slow growing.

This is truth.

Some species seem to grow out of being rootbound ok but some are permanently stunted. The best thing anyone can do is learn to graft and make your own trees of whatever you want. I use Rootmaker pots for everything and have also started field grafting recently. I built a large fertile mound with heavy mulch and direct sowed the seed with a cinder block around it to protect it from critters. The Day avocado scion is pushing now and I am really excited to track the progress on it. Avocado is very easy to graft in the winter here in Florida.

[Jessg333]

Not to throw in a wrench in your plans, but I just tried at Frankie's a Mit32.  WOW.  Idk about growth habit, but that's another must grow avo.

Ooooooh interesting.... I need a small tree though 

[Mark in Texas]

Not to throw in a wrench in your plans, but I just tried at Frankie's a Mit32.  WOW.  Idk about growth habit, but that's another must grow avo.

Ooooooh interesting.... I need a small tree though 

No such thing as "a small tree" in Hawaii.     Years ago I sold my plumerias.  Motivation was busted when I saw how they grow naturally in Hawaii - 20' bushy trees.  Hauling in and out of a garage gets old.

GEM, Gwen, Pinkerton, Holiday?

[palologrower]

Not to throw in a wrench in your plans, but I just tried at Frankie's a Mit32.  WOW.  Idk about growth habit, but that's another must grow avo.

Ooooooh interesting.... I need a small tree though 

went dyslexic.  MIT13 not 32. 

Anyway, going to graft scions of MIT13 and Yani on a friend's seedlig avo trees in Pearl City this weekend.  We'll see how they go.  So long as you're on it with pruning, can always keep it manageable.  CHeck out Ken Love's stuff.  All under 10ft.

[Mark in Texas]

Not to throw in a wrench in your plans, but I just tried at Frankie's a Mit32.  WOW.  Idk about growth habit, but that's another must grow avo.

Ooooooh interesting.... I need a small tree though 

went dyslexic.  MIT13 not 32. 

Anyway, going to graft scions of MIT13 and Yani on a friend's seedlig avo trees in Pearl City this weekend.  We'll see how they go.  So long as you're on it with pruning, can always keep it manageable.  CHeck out Ken Love's stuff.  All under 10ft.

Good luck with that project, should work great.  I stayed with a high school buddy who was stationed at Pearl City, lived up the bluff.  Seen Ken Love's stuff, if he's the same guy as the Hawaii Facebook group with Axel and others.

[Jessg333]

Not to throw in a wrench in your plans, but I just tried at Frankie's a Mit32.  WOW.  Idk about growth habit, but that's another must grow avo.

Ooooooh interesting.... I need a small tree though 

went dyslexic.  MIT13 not 32. 

Anyway, going to graft scions of MIT13 and Yani on a friend's seedlig avo trees in Pearl City this weekend.  We'll see how they go.  So long as you're on it with pruning, can always keep it manageable.  CHeck out Ken Love's stuff.  All under 10ft.

Maybe I can plant the MIT13 above the stream and hope the state doesn’t come clean the stream out 

[palologrower]

Not to throw in a wrench in your plans, but I just tried at Frankie's a Mit32.  WOW.  Idk about growth habit, but that's another must grow avo.

Ooooooh interesting.... I need a small tree though 

went dyslexic.  MIT13 not 32. 

Anyway, going to graft scions of MIT13 and Yani on a friend's seedlig avo trees in Pearl City this weekend.  We'll see how they go.  So long as you're on it with pruning, can always keep it manageable.  CHeck out Ken Love's stuff.  All under 10ft.

Maybe I can plant the MIT13 above the stream and hope the state doesn’t come clean the stream out 

i doubt they'll do anything.  they got other things to worry about.