Author Topic: ISO Mexican-race (drymifolia) avocado scions or seeds  (Read 1150 times)

swincher

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ISO Mexican-race (drymifolia) avocado scions or seeds
« on: March 11, 2021, 02:26:42 AM »
Greenhouse construction begins next week for my avocado breeding attempts, hoping to do the impossible and find an avocado that is hardy here in Seattle winters.

Because var. drymifolia avocados are both the hardiest and have the highest genetic diversity, I'm attempting to add as many Mexican race varieties as I can to a few frankentrees in the greenhouse, including unnamed seedling-grown trees that are either exceptionally hardy or produce good fruit.

Already have these, so don't need scions (but still interested in seeds):
  • Poncho
  • Brazos Belle
  • Joey
  • Aravaipa
  • Royal-Wright
  • Duke
  • Mexicola
  • Mexicola Grande

If you have seeds of any of these, or seeds or scions of any other avocados exhibiting drymifolia traits (anise scented leaves, thin skin on fruit), please let me know! A non exhaustive list of cultivars I'd like:

  • May
  • Gainesville
  • Lila
  • Opal
  • Fantastic
  • Del Rio
  • Wilma
  • any criollos from Mexico

P.S. I had an older post but it wouldn't let me modify it anymore to update the varieties I have, so posting a new one instead of reviving that
« Last Edit: March 11, 2021, 02:29:05 AM by swincher »

swincher

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Re: ISO Mexican-race (drymifolia) avocado scions or seeds
« Reply #1 on: August 03, 2021, 01:10:14 PM »
Just bumping this in case anyone has any summer-ripening Mexican avocados. I'm still mostly looking for seeds but definitely would also be interested in scions, especially of unnamed seedling trees growing anywhere that regularly experiences freezing temperatures in winter.

My greenhouse is up and running now with two in-ground trees and lots of potted seedlings.

D-Grower

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Re: ISO Mexican-race (drymifolia) avocado scions or seeds
« Reply #2 on: August 03, 2021, 03:45:17 PM »
I'll be on the hunt for these cultivars as well. Probably in spring but if I had to Id try grafting some seedlings at any point other than winter. Seeds of any of these welcome too.
Trying to grow it all!

swincher

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Re: ISO Mexican-race (drymifolia) avocado scions or seeds
« Reply #3 on: August 03, 2021, 04:21:42 PM »
I'll be on the hunt for these cultivars as well. Probably in spring but if I had to Id try grafting some seedlings at any point other than winter. Seeds of any of these welcome too.

I can probably help you with scions of some of the varieties I have. E.g., I'll probably be pruning one of my Duke grafts soon because it's growing too far horizontally, which probably would produce enough material for 3-4 scions.

I'm sure by next spring I'll have even more, including maybe some scions of seedlings I've planted out for the winter (currently 10 in the ground), if any of them make it.
« Last Edit: August 03, 2021, 04:29:00 PM by swincher »

swincher

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Re: ISO Mexican-race (drymifolia) avocado scions or seeds
« Reply #4 on: August 05, 2021, 03:26:30 PM »
Just want to clarify (because I've had PMs asking) that I'm not currently offering any scions for sale, but I might have a few spare scions to trade for other varieties/specimens of Mexican avocado.

Also, I can no longer edit the top post, but I've learned Wilma is the same as Brazos Belle, so I'm no longer looking for Wilma scions (but still want seeds of any of them).

And thank you to those who have PMed me offering stuff, please keep them coming!

sc4001992

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Re: ISO Mexican-race (drymifolia) avocado scions or seeds
« Reply #5 on: August 05, 2021, 04:49:44 PM »
I'm interested in some scion cuttings from your Aravaipa for trade.

You have one of my hybrid bacon (HB_Lib) that I sold as grafted plant of my seedling avocado. I know you were interested in the Hamada avocado so I have one grafted plant that I can trade for some of your scion wood. This is the grafts of the huge tree (70 yrs old, 40'x30') and I have not distributed this one yet. Fruit has thin skin similar to fuerete/bacon size and taste good. Send me PM if you are interested in this trade.

swincher

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Re: ISO Mexican-race (drymifolia) avocado scions or seeds
« Reply #6 on: August 05, 2021, 06:45:28 PM »
I'm interested in some scion cuttings from your Aravaipa for trade.

You have one of my hybrid bacon (HB_Lib) that I sold as grafted plant of my seedling avocado. I know you were interested in the Hamada avocado so I have one grafted plant that I can trade for some of your scion wood. This is the grafts of the huge tree (70 yrs old, 40'x30') and I have not distributed this one yet. Fruit has thin skin similar to fuerete/bacon size and taste good. Send me PM if you are interested in this trade.

Sounds good to me! PM sent

D-Grower

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Re: ISO Mexican-race (drymifolia) avocado scions or seeds
« Reply #7 on: August 07, 2021, 02:23:29 PM »
Out of the varieties you have I'll research which are the most cold hardy. Are they mature trees the scions would be coming from? I have 4 seedling trees that are healthy enough to attempt grafting.  I probably should wait for spring though. Afraid if they dont take enough the cokd may take them outdoors way up here or won't be strong enough to survive being brought in over and over all winter. Its pretty cold up here.
Trying to grow it all!

swincher

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Re: ISO Mexican-race (drymifolia) avocado scions or seeds
« Reply #8 on: August 07, 2021, 03:23:44 PM »
Out of the varieties you have I'll research which are the most cold hardy. Are they mature trees the scions would be coming from? I have 4 seedling trees that are healthy enough to attempt grafting.  I probably should wait for spring though. Afraid if they dont take enough the cokd may take them outdoors way up here or won't be strong enough to survive being brought in over and over all winter. Its pretty cold up here.

The only one that I still have available to trade right now is Poncho, after a few trades I've agreed to in the last couple days. Here's what the Poncho looks like after I just planted it out (was in a 15 gal pot):



So it's a small grafted tree, but if it survives the winter I expect it to flower next spring. I have already grafted scions of Poncho onto a couple Bacon seedlings to keep as backups in case the main tree doesn't make it.

The rest are mostly on similar sized multi-graft trees in my greenhouse that I grafted in February/March, and they are on their second or third vegetative flush since then. E.g., here are branches of Royal-Wright (left) and Duke (right) on one tree (it also has a couple Aravaipa branches out of the frame above):



By next spring I expect them to be fairly good sized branches with the ability to cut some more scions.

A few of the named varieties that I have (Joey, Jade) are grafted on smaller seedlings and probably won't have scions to spare for another year (i.e., maybe next summer).

Also, I'm not sure where in north FL you are, but if you can get to Gainesville for a Thursday farmers market, Oliver Moore is usually there selling seedlings and grafted trees that have survived in his yard there and produce well. I got a couple of mine from him when I was there on a trip a couple months ago. Here's a recent photo of the Jade plant I got from him:

« Last Edit: August 07, 2021, 03:47:57 PM by swincher »

D-Grower

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Re: ISO Mexican-race (drymifolia) avocado scions or seeds
« Reply #9 on: August 08, 2021, 08:00:26 AM »
Very nice looking trees there. Unfortunately Gainesville is pretty far for me. Estimated 5 or so hour drive. Im way up around the bend of the panhandle near Panama city.  It can get very cold here. Since ive been here it hit 18F one night the first winter. Every decade or so the locals say it may hit around 15F. However since that first year its not hardly broken the high to mid 20s. I think I can definitely get them to grow here but need the coldest hardy types like joey or fantastic. Would try others too as long as they handle the lower 20s at least. Would try to microclimate their environment for sure.
Trying to grow it all!

swincher

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Re: ISO Mexican-race (drymifolia) avocado scions or seeds
« Reply #10 on: August 08, 2021, 01:07:09 PM »
Very nice looking trees there. Unfortunately Gainesville is pretty far for me. Estimated 5 or so hour drive. Im way up around the bend of the panhandle near Panama city.  It can get very cold here. Since ive been here it hit 18F one night the first winter. Every decade or so the locals say it may hit around 15F. However since that first year its not hardly broken the high to mid 20s. I think I can definitely get them to grow here but need the coldest hardy types like joey or fantastic. Would try others too as long as they handle the lower 20s at least. Would try to microclimate their environment for sure.

I think as long as you protect them until they are mature trees, most of the hardy cultivars will do ok for you. The biggest problem will be the rootstock, since commercial grafted trees are generally on Lula seedlings in FL, and Lula is pretty frost tender.

I'm pushing even harder than you here in Seattle, so rather than getting a few grafted cultivars I'm planting dozens of seedlings every year until I find some that survive. But I'm keeping a few mature trees in the greenhouse to ensure a constant supply of new seeds in years to come. We tend to hit the mid-teens once every 10-15 years, but most years it doesn't get below the mid-20s. Our biggest problem is the long duration of very cool temperatures (lows in mid-30s, highs in low-40s), coupled with constant drizzly rain, which will probably cause root rot issues.
« Last Edit: August 08, 2021, 01:28:02 PM by swincher »

D-Grower

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Re: ISO Mexican-race (drymifolia) avocado scions or seeds
« Reply #11 on: August 08, 2021, 03:00:34 PM »
Very similar environmental conditions here it sounds. I think I'll probably wait for spring to try grafting my seedlings.  Probably will have a bunch more bacon hybrid seedlings ready to graft by then too. If you or anyone has seeds now for any of the at least hardy to the lower 20s varieties I would buy a few.
Trying to grow it all!