Type A or B?

[MarinFla]

Now that my seedling avocado tree is finally flowering (so happy!) I have been observing the blooms everyday with binoculars to watch for any changes. I haven't noticed anything happening yet. My question is 'is it possible that you can you definitively determine if it is a type A & B without the luxury of timelapsed photography (or spending all my time staring at it-not possible ) Thanks

[bsbullie]

try these links:

http://ucavo.ucr.edu/Flowering/RemarkableFlower.html

http://ucavo.ucr.edu/Flowering/FloweringBasics.html

[MarinFla]

try these links:

http://ucavo.ucr.edu/Flowering/RemarkableFlower.html

http://ucavo.ucr.edu/Flowering/FloweringBasics.html

I had looked  over those sites prior to posting but I am wondering I there is a specific time of the day or technique I should try to check the flowers for the comparison to note the transition or if someone has tried in the past to determine this on a seedling before. It may be pointless but I thought it would be interesting to know.

[bsbullie]

try these links:

http://ucavo.ucr.edu/Flowering/RemarkableFlower.html

http://ucavo.ucr.edu/Flowering/FloweringBasics.html

I had looked  over those sites prior to posting but I am wondering I there is a specific time of the day or technique I should try to check the flowers for the comparison to note the transition or if someone has tried in the past to determine this on a seedling before. It may be pointless but I thought it would be interesting to know.

I would chalk it up to pointless.  IF your tree sets fruit, you will no soon enough.  Since I emphasized the word "if", I just wanted you to be aware since it is a seedling your tree may have many outcomes: never setting fruit, if it sets fruit, fruit may set once or twice in its lifetime -or- fruit may set on a regular basis (in either of these cases there is no telling what the quality will be from year to year); tree may get to 50+ feet.  If these seed was from a cold hearty variety, yo may also loose that characteristic.  It may also lose and disease resistance characteristics the "mother" tree may have had.  Don't mean to burst your bubble but just wanted to give you the heads up...now on the bright side, it may defy the odds and produce outstanding fruit year in and year out.

[MarinFla]

I have always been a 'glass half full' kind of girl so I am going to assume it will defy all odds until it gives me a reason to top work it  If it sets fruit that still wouldn't  give any hint of the type, will it? I have been checking the flowers with binoculars daily and the flowers started opening today. What I find interesting is that the flower blossoms in a big cluster open just a few at a time over a lengthy period of time. Now I have to read more about that because it the flowers are opening and closing at varying times throughout the week and a bee picks up pollen one day, technically I would think it could pollinize the same tree the next day when the new flowers are opening of the opposite sex. 

Rob If it weren't for the fact that this tree was planted to honor the life of the dear friend who gave me the avocado (he had been diagnosed with terminal lung ca just before he'd picked it and gave it to me, he marveled at the little sprout 3 weeks before he passed away and I promised him I would plant it in his honor)  or I may have considered removing it. Top working it may be a consideration if it doesn't turn out to a winner! I remain hopeful though It would have been a great spot in the back for a Jackfruit!

[MarinFla]

After observing the flowering patterns of my seedling it is definitely a 'B' type variety. There were several occasions when both male and female flowers were opened at the same time so I answered my own question about the possibility of the "close" pollination.
Now to to sit back and wait to see if it sets fruit. Below is a really nice avocado slide presentation I found in my searches for anyone who may be interested

http://www.avocadosource.com/papers/Israeli_Papers/IshAmGad2004.pdf

[HMHausman]

Hi Marin:

Hope all is well.......sorry to hear about your accident. 

By now, I would think that you may be seeing some small fruits forming on your avocado.....hopefully anyway.  How is it doing? Any fruits yet?

Harry

[MarinFla]

Hi Marin:

Hope all is well.......sorry to hear about your accident. 

By now, I would think that you may be seeing some small fruits forming on your avocado.....hopefully anyway.  How is it doing? Any fruits yet?

Harry

Thanks Harry. I am a little sore today but nothing tragic. I should send the lady to see you

I looked this morning and there seems to be tiny little green balls where some of the flowers were. Not  yet as numerous as I am hoping for but there are still A LOT of flowers that have not gone through the opening sequence yet. I am hoping a for many avocados. if there aren't many or they aren't fabulous I will continue with the plan to top work it. If they are great then I will prune the tree way back after the fruit is harvested to get it to a more reasonable size.

Thanks for asking!!

[HMHausman]

I think small green balls is a good thing.  They size up fairly quickly into small but recognizable fruits.  Seedling will sometimes have poor crops. Hopefully yours is productive...but more importantly of great quality.

Harry

[bsbullie]

I think small green balls is a good thing.  They size up fairly quickly into small but recognizable fruits.  Seedling will sometimes have poor crops. Hopefully yours is productive...but more importantly of great quality.

Harry

I hope Sheehan doesn't go crazy with his editing/moderating. 

[murahilin]

I think small green balls is a good thing.  They size up fairly quickly into small but recognizable fruits.  Seedling will sometimes have poor crops. Hopefully yours is productive...but more importantly of great quality.

Harry

I hope murahilin doesn't go crazy with his editing/moderating. 

Lol. I would have probably quoted the same thing Harry said.

[Tim]

I think small green balls is a good thing.  They size up fairly quickly into small but recognizable fruits.  Seedling will sometimes have poor crops. Hopefully yours is productive...but more importantly of great quality.

Harry

I hope murahilin doesn't go crazy with his editing/moderating. 

lmao ... how hard did Harry fight back laughter typing that sentence?

[Tropicalgrower89]

LOL

[MarinFla]

I was laughing so hard I starting choking and almost woke my husband up. That was great, I needed that  It should have known better than to make a comment like that referring to balls in the presence of a bunch of fruit nuts. Good thing they weren't blue 

[HMHausman]

Once I saw that you didn't mention anything about little green men, I felt it was in reasonably good taste to express approval about your observation. 

Harry

[Mr. Clean]

I have a Simmond (Early Season Type A Flower) and Choquette (Late Season Type A Flower).  I heard commercial growers will mix Type A and B fruit plants to ensure cross pollenation.  Would it be a good idea to graft budwood from Type B flower avocado to my existing avocado trees?

[MarinFla]

I think small green balls is a good thing.  They size up fairly quickly into small but recognizable fruits.  Seedling will sometimes have poor crops. Hopefully yours is productive...but more importantly of great quality.

Harry

The tree lost a fair amount of it's "balls". It won't be the tree dripping full of fruit I had fantasized about there are enough here and there scattered around the tree that seem to be getting bigger day by day! So I am cautiously optimistic that I am going to see some avocados this summer!!

[Jsvand5]

Sounds good. Hopefully it will taste good. I am interested to hear how it turns out for you.

[bsbullie]

I think small green balls is a good thing.  They size up fairly quickly into small but recognizable fruits.  Seedling will sometimes have poor crops. Hopefully yours is productive...but more importantly of great quality.

Harry

The tree lost a fair amount of it's "balls". It won't be the tree dripping full of fruit I had fantasized about there are enough here and there scattered around the tree that seem to be getting bigger day by day! So I am cautiously optimistic that I am going to see some avocados this summer!!

[MarinFla]

I think small green balls is a good thing.  They size up fairly quickly into small but recognizable fruits.  Seedling will sometimes have poor crops. Hopefully yours is productive...but more importantly of great quality.

Harry

The tree lost a fair amount of it's "balls". It won't be the tree dripping full of fruit I had fantasized about there are enough here and there scattered around the tree that seem to be getting bigger day by day! So I am cautiously optimistic that I am going to see some avocados this summer!!

Rob I am going to make sure you get to try them out and give me your expert avocado opinion...