Author Topic: I see guacamole in my future.... (Read 2784 times)

MikeW · « **Reply #1 on:** December 15, 2006, 05:28:59 PM »

Very nice Mikey - but are those the spicy, lumpy avos, or the milder CalMex type. Just can't be too careful these days.

Cheers,

Mike

Joyce · « **Reply #2 on:** December 15, 2006, 05:54:23 PM »

I'll take any guacamole I can get.

Luv the stuff!

SheilaJ · « **Reply #3 on:** December 15, 2006, 06:18:23 PM »

And here I was expecting a photo of Hosta 'Guacamole'. Which is truly awesome and I am thrilled to have one in my shade border. No photo handy though.

emm · « **Reply #4 on:** December 15, 2006, 06:58:30 PM »

Lucky you! I've got an avocado pit wrapped in a damp paper towel in a plastic bag sitting at the back of my kitchen sink right now and another partially submerged in a jar of water in the window sill. How long until they look just like yours?

Actually, I've grown several nice bushy plants but have never seen a flower. Never bothered to find out more about what might encourage fruiting. Seeing your crop has me thinking I should look into it though. emm

Mikey · « **Reply #5 on:** December 15, 2006, 10:36:35 PM »

My avocado tree is a "Gwen", a semi-dwarf that tops out at about 13-15’ tall. Gwen is a cultivar variety from Hass, a Guatemalan avocado. It has great flavor. Gwen is slightly larger than Haas and it is similar in taste and texture except that Gwen remains green when ripe unlike Haas that turn black when ripe. I typically begin picking my Gwen avocados in March and finish up picking them in June but their season can easily swing by one month either way. About ten feet away from the avocado tree is my lime tree which also is producing limes at the same time. The reason I mention this is because lime juice can really bring out the taste of an avocado. Try it some time….

maryvonne · « **Reply #6 on:** December 15, 2006, 10:44:45 PM »

Your avocados look so good! I'm envious of all the wonderful fruits you can grow right in your garden. I must move to a warmer climate.
Enjoy your avocados and limes.

Maryvonne

Jerry · « **Reply #7 on:** December 15, 2006, 10:45:38 PM »

It looks great! I tried a few time to raise them here, but hot dry wind is not to their liking.
I can bring the chips!

MikeW · « **Reply #8 on:** December 16, 2006, 08:06:01 AM »

And I thought the limes were the margarita garnish. Either way, it seems you have the fixin's for Happy Hour growing back there.

Cheers,

Mike

Sean · « **Reply #9 on:** December 16, 2006, 11:59:53 AM »

Is your tree grafted Mikey or is it from seed? And do you know if they are self fertile.

The reason I ask is MikeW does need some dwarf trees that are hardy to the area.

Cheers,
Sean

Mikey · « **Reply #10 on:** December 16, 2006, 12:11:41 PM »

Sean: It is grafted and I believe it is self fertile.

Sean · « **Reply #11 on:** December 16, 2006, 12:20:04 PM »

I will talk to MikeW about something along this line of tree for his front yard. Are they deciduous or evergreen? I know MikeW does not like trees that loose their leaves and look like bare sticks in the winter.
I also notice a Monstera in the background there, is that in the shade or sun? I think Mike needs one of those as well.

Cheers,
Sean

Mikey · « **Reply #12 on:** December 16, 2006, 02:56:03 PM »

Sean: The avocado is an evergreen but it does drop a bunch of leaves every year as new ones come out. To be happy, avocados need that leaf mulch to remain on the soil. Try to get a semi-dwarf tree because avocado trees get quite large. Yes, that is a Monstera deliciosa growing up the trunk of another subtropical tree called a Senecio. The Monstera gets mostly filtered sun unless it leans too far south where it catches full sun and gets burned..... The Senecio is very rare here and in fact I have yet to be able to determine its full botanical name as my Internet search has proved futile thus far. Very frustrating.... It possibly a sub-species of S. grandifolius or S. arborescens. I bought the Senecio as a small plant below not knowing it would become a tree...... I may have to cut this one down but I have another one growing out front that I took from a cutting from this one... Those golden yellow flower heads are a site to see when it blooms.

Jerry · « **Reply #13 on:** December 17, 2006, 09:06:29 AM »

Next time you are down here Sean, we can visit a few Avocado groves. They are beautiful trees but lots of litter.
Ventura county and San Diego county are noted for Avocados. They don't do well in hot interior valleys.
Both Mike's live in good climates for Avocados

Teresa · « **Reply #14 on:** December 17, 2006, 01:55:50 PM »

One of my girls grew an avocado tree from a seed. Poor thing was in a 6" terracotta pot and it was about 5' tall. They must get absolutely HUGE if given free reign!

(I'll help you with the disposal of those Mikey!)

Johns · « **Reply #15 on:** December 21, 2006, 10:25:01 AM »

Mikey,

I understand that avacados do not ripen until picked. Looks like some of those babies are ready to be picked! we eat two to three avacados weekly, some calfornia, some florida. We like both. Besides guac. we just slice and serve on salads or just as a side dish to steak/chicken/whatever. Also good in a breakfast omelette.

Jerry · « **Reply #16 on:** December 21, 2006, 10:52:06 AM »

When I was a kid in Philly my mom called them Alligator Pears!
No way was I going to eat one. Of course ,once in California I found out how good they are

LeeAnne151 · « **Reply #17 on:** December 21, 2006, 12:06:57 PM »

I love guacamole and always put lime juice in it.

Mikey · « **Reply #18 on:** December 21, 2006, 05:49:55 PM »

Yes, some of them look ready to pick but I know from past experience it's much too early. There is one I may have to pick because I allowed the branch to grow over a path and I keep bumping my head on a low-hanging avocado.

They need to loose that dull look and start looking shinier before they are ready to pick. They come off fairly easy when ready for picking. If I picked any now they wouldn't ripen correctly, but watch out come March/April

I like them prepared as Johns stated and also in club sandwiches. Sometimes I will just slice them and put them on toast with some salt/pepper.

finnpond · « **Reply #19 on:** December 21, 2006, 06:44:18 PM »

Watch out for those Avo's!!!!! Lived in Hawaii for quite some time, and we were on the Big Island near Kealakakua Bay (you know... where the little grass shack is) picking avocados. These were the 'butter' type which are gigantic, and quite heavy and LARGE.... My buddy was up the tree (and these trees had to be 50 to 60 feet high) with a forked stick knocking them down to me and I was catching them before they hit the ground.............. He inadvertently loosed two...I caught one...didn't see the other on its way, but caught it too, right on the noggin......... Knocked me out and I'm surprised it didn't do worse....

They sure are goooooood, though!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Take Care..... Dave

"the beatings will continue, until morale improves!!!"

tammie · « **Reply #20 on:** December 22, 2006, 06:55:22 AM »

Dave! I thought you were going to say a wild pig came and chased you away from it's food source! Our avocado tree is still young -3 years old- and gave 6 avocados last year. Hubby wouldn't let me pick them till just this past week. Only one of them ripened right, the others were all rotten. Of course they were on the tree for almost a year... The darn tree is huge! It's broken the water line that goes up the hill to the greenhouse... and it blocks my view when I'm up there. I'm really starting to dislike the avocado tree...
Tammie

Mikey · « **Reply #21 on:** December 22, 2006, 01:04:33 PM »

Quote

The darn tree is huge!

Fortunately I had seen how big those trees get and when I saw that Gwen was a semi-dwarf I decided that was the tree for me. I have a picking-pole with a little cage-like device on the end for picking avocados.

Dave: At least it wasn't a coconut