Wal-Mart Lula Avocados from Redlands - Yuck

[nighthawk0911@yahoo.com]

Bought a Lula Avocado in Wal-Mart a couple days ago.  After letting it soften up I just tried it.  OMG what a diluted washed out watery flavorless grassy tasting mess. 

October is just when Lula's are beginning their season.  I assume that mid October must be too early for good 10B Lula's.  Even for a store bought cado it was awful.  I can't  believe  the Lula I had was an accurate representation of what a Lula tastes like.  Diluted sweet flavor, VERY watery and no yellow color in the flesh, just green.  Aroma smelled green/grassy.  Was thinking about planting a Lula, now having 2nd thoughts.  I don't want to judge the variety too harshly based on this one store bought fruit especially when it rates high with other people.  I suspect this fruit needed at least another 2-4 weeks on the tree. Can anyone advise?

[Orkine]

Took mine down years ago, topworked to Oro Negro (which I recently lost).
The seed to flesh ratio sucked and more importantly, my spouse hated it.
That was the end of it.

[pineislander]

This variety is said to have a staggered bloom making the ripening hard to judge. This link says to pick larger fruit first.
That's a problem for commercial farmers who depend on hired help who may not exercise judgement.
https://homeguides.sfgate.com/harvest-time-lulu-avocado-tree-104915.html

[Squam256]

Probably harvested prematurely like most commercial avocados. I don’t normally pick Lula’s until November and have seen them last late into the winter before. However it does seem like a lot of stuff is maturing early this year.

Should be far from bland. They have a nice rich flavor with some sweetness to them. In specimens where the oil content is high (this varies), you can even use them to make guacamole. I’ve had people who swore they hated Florida avocados rave about them.

The biggest drawbacks with Lula are the already noted huge seed, and the ridiculous scab susceptibility they have. They’re pretty productive though and more cold hardy than the West Indians and most of the West Indian/Guatemalan hybrids.

[Tommyng]

I like lulas, the later you pick them the better they taste. Flesh to seed ratio isnt great but they are productive trees and those seeds make good rootstock from what I’m told. Taste doesn’t compare my Tommy hass but it’s one of the better Florida avocado varieties.

[Avoman]

I will pay money for anyone willing to ship lula seeds to me in idaho just pm me a price.i want to try for rootstock.

[nighthawk0911@yahoo.com]

Probably harvested prematurely like most commercial avocados. I don’t normally pick Lula’s until November and have seen them last late into the winter before. However it does seem like a lot of stuff is maturing early this year.

Should be far from bland. They have a nice rich flavor with some sweetness to them. In specimens where the oil content is high (this varies), you can even use them to make guacamole. I’ve had people who swore they hated Florida avocados rave about them.

The biggest drawbacks with Lula are the already noted huge seed, and the ridiculous scab susceptibility they have. They’re pretty productive though and more cold hardy than the West Indians and most of the West Indian/Guatemalan hybrids.

If I do plant a Lula would you recommend planting it away from my other avocado trees?  Can the fungal scab from the Lula spread to other adjacent trees? 

[Mark in Texas]

Yep, as I wrote to Avoman a few minutes ago they do suck.

[Squam256]

Probably harvested prematurely like most commercial avocados. I don’t normally pick Lula’s until November and have seen them last late into the winter before. However it does seem like a lot of stuff is maturing early this year.

Should be far from bland. They have a nice rich flavor with some sweetness to them. In specimens where the oil content is high (this varies), you can even use them to make guacamole. I’ve had people who swore they hated Florida avocados rave about them.

The biggest drawbacks with Lula are the already noted huge seed, and the ridiculous scab susceptibility they have. They’re pretty productive though and more cold hardy than the West Indians and most of the West Indian/Guatemalan hybrids.

If I do plant a Lula would you recommend planting it away from my other avocado trees?  Can the fungal scab from the Lula spread to other adjacent trees?

It would depend on what the other varieties are. Some avocados don’t get much scab, even when the humidity levels are high and they’re growing with other avocados. Catalina, Brogden, Choquette, Bacon were a few I remember growing in Loxahatchee that I rarely saw any scab on, and I had Lula trees near those. Russell on the other hand could get pretty scabby.

[johnb51]

We got a few Lulas from the supermarket last week.  The flavor is excellent, no complaints, comparable to Hass which we also bought last week.  But the oil content is still not yet optimal.  A few more weeks on the tree seemed to be required.  Lula must be late this year.

[Avoman]

I still need some lula avo seeds if anyone can ship me a few in a post office 8 dollar flat rate box if box is think enough they appear like a large seed