If you've tried to grow a named grafted Avocado tree in your garden and they fail every time (usually over winter), then this pretty unknown named variety that exists in NZ is most likely the one for you to succeed, and finally pick Avocados off your own tree!
Avocado Mexicola has more cold tolerance than any of the mainstream Avocado tree varieties available - Hass, Reed, Bacon (so rated colder tolerant), Fuerte (so rated colder tolerant). This comes from my own experience of planting a new grafted Mexicola tree in my back garden 4 years ago, and purposely not providing any winter sheltering material or structure around it. Albeit - take note my garden is warm, very sheltered, sunny and I planted into a raised 60cm high planter box (perfect drainage).
I'm an experienced gardener. All the other named Avocado varieties I've previously planted over the years, have failed. This is because I'm not quite in the Avocado growing climate zone so I've been pushing uphill to establishing an Avocado tree or 2 in my garden (Lower Hutt).
Mexicola flowers in spring, sets fruit over summer and ripens in autumn.
It produces shiny black skinned smallish oval fruit (similar to Hass) with bright yellow/green rich buttery flavoured flesh. The skin is very thin, and edible. You don't even need to peel the fruit, just slice and enjoy skin and all.
Mexicola is classed as an A flowering type - but does not require a B flowering variety to cross pollinate - as it's basically self fertile.
The leaves of Mexicola are fragrant and have an anise fragrance. In Mexico, the leaves are used as a great flavouring herb in culinary dishes. The thin edible skin also has a slight anise flavour.
Plant in a very well draining spot, with warmth, shelter and sun. Soil quality should be loamy, deep and organically enriched. Perfect drainage (all year round) is essential. These are Avocado growing essentials so ensure you can provide these condition for them to grow well and establish.
I have my Mexicola tree flourishing (in Lower Hutt against the Eastern Hills) in a bottomless 60cm high raised planter box. What a difference this makes to having perfect drainage for the tree. All the grafted trees available here are grown from the scions of this mother tree.
Water consistently over the summer months. Feed with a balanced recommended fertiliser in spring and summer (Daltons eXtend is very good and great for citrus too). Natural fish and seaweed fertilisers are great to apply as well.
Avocados love mulch, so mulch consistently with natural bark mulch to keep the roots cool, moist and protected - and increase the soils healthy bacteria and fungi balance.
Prune to remove and dead or damaged branches and to maintain an open vase shape for good air circulation & sun penetration for the entire tree. Prune in autumn after harvest to manage height to make harvest and tree management easy. Ideally keep to around 2.5 - 3m tall. Don't let it grow to whatever height it wants to (as you know, this rule applies to all fruit trees).
You are purchasing one specimen grade grafted new season Avocado Mexicola tree in a tall p10 planter bag standing aprox 1.3m tall. For shipping I need the trees to be aprox 1.3m tall max, otherwise couriers deem the parcel "oversize". You dont know what they charge for oversize. So in some cases I need to prune the tree down to packing height size (doesn't harm them). If picking up the tree, you're welcome to any taller tree.
Trees of this grade usually commence fruiting 3/4 years from planting. The better the growing conditions it's planted in, the faster it will establish and start fruiting.
Consider planting in a 40lit NZ made Evergrow bag to restrict root growth and have it grow like a dwarf compact tree. You plant into the bag first, then plant into the garden spot. See my other listing for more info on NZ Evergrow Bags.
Limited stock!
If you have ordered - when you receive the tree, don't handle by the stem. Lift the tree by the bag. When planting, place the bag in the planting hole first then cut away the bag and slide out. You're trying to reduce any root strain or disturbance.
