AVOCADO TIPS

PLANTING: HOUSEPLANT*
You can start with an avocado seed. Wash it. Use three toothpicks to suspend it broad end
down over a water-filled glass to cover about an inch of the seed. Put the glass in a warm place
out of direct sunlight and replenish water as needed. You should see the roots and stem start to
sprout in about two to six weeks. (If you’ve followed this process so far and have not seen roots
or a stem sprout in more than six to eight weeks, try another seed.) When the stem is 6 to 7
inches long, cut it back to about 3 inches. When the roots are thick and the stem has leaves
again, plant it in a rich humus soil in a 10½-inch-diameter pot, leaving the seed half exposed.
Water it frequently, with an occasional deep soak. The soil should be moist but not saturated.
And don’t forget: the more sunlight, the better. If the plant turns yellow, you may be over-
watering; let it dry out for a few days. If the leaves turn brown and fry at the tips, too much salt
has accumulated in the soil. Let water run freely into the pot, and drain it for several minutes.
When the stem is 12 inches high, cut it back to 6 inches to encourage the growth of new shoots.
*Please note that the odds that your tree will bear fruit are very small.
PLANTING: YOUNG TREE
Remember that avocado trees do best at moderately warm temperatures (60 F to 85 F) with
moderate humidity. They can tolerate temperatures, once established, of around 28 F to 32 F
with minimal damage. Avoid freezing temperatures. Plant your tree in March through June. If
you plant during the summer, there is always the risk of sun damage, because avocado trees
don’t absorb water very well when they’re young. Plant it in a non-lawn area and away from
sidewalks and, if you can, plant it in a spot protected from wind and frost. Remember, full sun is
best. Dig a hole as deep as the current root ball and just as wide as the width plus a little extra
so you can get your hands into the hole to plant it. The avocado is a shallow-rooted tree with
most of its feeder roots in the top 6 inches of soil, so give it good aeration. Its root system is
very sensitive, and great care should be taken not to disturb it when transplanting. If the tree is
root-bound, however, loosen up the soil around the edges and clip the roots that are going in
circles.
SOIL
Avocado trees like the soil’s pH around 6 to 6.5. If you have a heavy clay soil, elevate the tree in
a mound for better drainage. Make the mound 1 to 2 feet high and 3 to 5 feet around. Don’t
put gravel or anything else like planting media in the hole. The sooner the roots get into the
bulk soil, the better the tree will do.
WATERING
Trees typically need to be watered two to three times a week. As the roots reach out into the
bulk soil, more water can be applied and the frequency of watering can diminish to about once
a week after a year. When watering the tree, soak the soil well, and then allow it to dry out
somewhat before watering again. As with most plants, you don’t want the tree to get too dry.
The rule of thumb for mature trees is about 20 gallons of water a day during the irrigation
season. Seedlings will require quite a bit less water, of course. Check the soil before watering
each time to make sure it has dried somewhat. If the soil from around the roots can hold the
impression of a hand when squeezed, it has enough water.
MULCHING AND FERTILIZING
Mulch with coarse yard mulch. Redwood bark or cocoa bean husks and shredded tree bark will
work. Choose something that is woody and about 2 inches in diameter. Coarse yard mulch is
available at some garden-supply centers and through tree-trimming operations. Tree-trimming
operations sometimes have material that has been pruned from the tops of trees and doesn’t
contain any diseased roots. Use online search engines to find a local tree service. Put 20 pounds
of gypsum spread around the tree base, and mulch the area with 6 inches of mulch, keeping the
material about 6 to 8 inches away from the tree trunk. Fertilize your young avocado trees with
½ to 1 pound of actual nitrogen per tree per year. You can spread it out over several
applications as long as it totals ½ to 1 pound of nitrogen. The other important nutrient for
avocado trees is zinc. Ordinary home fertilizer for houseplants will normally work.
Use ammonium sulfate applications spread out over this period. In the first year after planting,
apply 1/2 cup (120 ml.), which increases to 1 cup (240 ml.) per month. Once the tree is two
years old, application can increase to 2 cups (480 ml.) every month. There is no need to prune
the tree except to remove dead wood in spring. You can, however, prune an avocado to
maintain size, if desired. Most trees produce fruit within a couple of years.
OTHER GROWING TIPS
Be patient about seeing fruit. If you have purchased and planted a tree, you can probably
expect to see your first fruit three to four years after planting. If you are growing from a seed, it
can take anywhere from five to 13 years before the tree is mature enough to set fruit. When
the tree does flower, expect a lot of flowers to fall without setting fruit. This is natural.

Avocado Production Guide

Avocado (Persea americana Mill.) is considered one of the most nutritious fruits in the
world. In the Philippines, however, it has not attained the popularity enjoyed by other fruits
despite its early introduction in 1890. One reason for this is that it lacks that sweetness of such
popular fruits as mango, banana and pineapple. To improve its taste to suit their palate,
Filipinos eat avocado with sugar and milk. If Filipinos acquire the taste for the fruit, avocado can
become a good market fruit and therefore source of income of small farmers in the
countryside. Later, export market for fruit can be developed. Aside from the nutritional benefits
that can be derived from the fruits, its various parts have several medicinal uses.

Economic Importance
Avocado fruit is a rich source of Vitamin A and contains little amount of Vitamin B complex and
E.
The ripe fruit can be eaten on hand and can be used in preparing fruit salads, flavor for ice-
creams, filling for sandwiches and quick desserts.
Various parts of the crop have medicinal benefits. The leaves when boiled is a remedy for
diarrhea. Pulp is used to hasten the formation of pus in wounds and even stimulate menstrual
flow. Seeds can be smashed and be used as fillers for toothache.
Varieties/Strains
There are a number of cultivars locally developed, (Table 1) however, avocado is botanically
divided into three races: Mexican, West Indian and Guatemalan.
Table 1: List of Avocado Varieties, Approved by the Philippine National Seed Industry Council.

Name Characteristics

1. NSIC 95-Av-02 (Parker) Prolific yielder, (500-700 fruits/season) bear fruit both
during the late season & off season; fruit of excellent eating
quality, possessing flesh texture (smooth & firm) w/ scanty
fiber with flavor buttery & nutty; high edible portion of
 87.0%. a fruit weighs 561.4 g

2. NSIC 97-Av-03 (RCF Yield, 300-400 fruits/season. Significant small seed (about
Morado) 9% of the total fruit weight skin easily peels off; testa does
not adhere to the flesh with high edible portion (80.8%). A
fruit weighs 391.5 g

Three Races:
1. Mexican Race – the leaves are aniso-scented, small and sharp at the apex. The seed is large
with thin coats, either separated or adhering to the cotyledons. The surface of the cotyledons is
smooth. The fruits are small with smooth rind adhering to the pulp which are purplish black in
color.
The Mexican race is very resistant to cold, heat and low humidity but least tolerant to soil
salinity.
Different varieties of Mexican race had been introduced into the Philippines and that include
“Ganther”, “Gottried”, “Northrop” and “Puobla.”
2. West Indian Race – there is no aniso-scent of foliage. The fruit varies in sizes and has poor
shipping quality. The skin is thin, smooth and leathery. The seed is relatively large and often
loose in the cavity. The seedcoat is separated and the cotyledons are rough on surface. The fruit
stem is short and has a unique “nailhead” configuration on the fruit point of attachment. It is
least tolerant to low humidity and can stand soil salinity. The varieties that belong to West
Indian race are: Family, Pollock, Cardinal, Wester, Waldin and Balwin
Family – the fruit is obovate, necked, large, smooth and glossy, deep purple to blood red with
light yellow dots when ripe. The skin is thick and adheres closely to the pulp. The pulp is battery
with creamy yellow, and with good flavor and quality. The seed is oblong to conical, large and
loose, and the seedcoats adhere closely to the cotyledons.
Pollock – the fruit of this West Indian variety is obovate to oblong, large, smooth, glossy, light
green with longitudinal yellow lining and small greenish yellow dots. The skin is thick, the pulp
is firm, smooth, fine in texture, deep yellow, has rich flavor and good eating quality. The seed is
small, conical and loose.
Cardinal – its fruit is bottleshaped, large (weighs about 370 g), and has smooth, glossy purple
skin when ripe. The skin is medium thick and easily peels off. The flesh is thick, yellow relatively
fibrous. The seeds are small, and loose in the cavity.
Wester – the fruit is roundish oblate and medium-sized. The skin is smooth and glossy,
leathery, deep purple with maroon russet dots when ripe, adhering closely to flesh. The flesh is
firm, yellow, with few fibers and of rich flavor and of good quality. The seed is broadly ovate
and large, and fits tightly in the cavity.
Lopena – this is a local variety which also belongs to West Indian race. Its fruit is round,
medium-sized (weighs about 300 g), and has rough, blackish, purple skin when ripe. The skin is
medium thick and peels off easily. Flesh is medium thick, yellow and makes up about 70% of the
whole fruit’s weight. The seed is small and tight in the cavity.
3. Guatemalan Race – this type has a thick rind producing dull, large and rough fruits. The seed
is small and invariably tight fitting. The shell and the skin of this variety is thicker than the
Mexican and West Indian varieties aside from the fact that it has a good shipping quality. The
meat is drier than the meat of the West Indian variety. The surface of the cotyledons is smooth
and the fruit is usually borned on the long stem. The varieties introduced locally are: Dickinson,
Tertoh, Lyon, Taft and Tumin. Other introduced varieties are Sharpless, Blackman, Solano,
Spinks and Taylor.
Lyon – the fruit is oblong ovate and large weighing 800 g. The skin is green with fairly
numerous, whitish tenticels, thick and brittle, and separated from flesh. The pulp is pale creamy
yellow, tinged with green near the skin, buttery and nutly, has few fibers and has a good
coating quality. The seed is very small and oblong and the seedcoats adhere to the cotyledons.
Fuerte Variety – this is apparently a natural Mexican and Guatemalan hybrid.
Other varieties that have been introduced into the Philippines and successfully growing are the
following: Cyrus, Quality, Doughlas, Miami, Vegas, Cummins, De Leon, and Commodore.
Cyrus – the fruit is oblong to pyriform and medium-sized. The skin is smooth, glossy, greenish
yellow or yellowish green with yellow dots when ripe, membraneous and separated from flesh.
The flesh is firm, smooth and fine in texture, yellow and of rich flavor and good quality. The
seed is loose. The seedcoat adheres closely to the flesh and partially cracked at the apex.
Quality – the fruit is obovate and small. The skin is smooth and glossy, greenish yellow with
small maroon dots when ripe and adheres to the flesh. The flesh is white yellow, rather fibrous,
and of good flavor and quality. The seed is oblong, small to medium-sized and tightly fitting in
the cavity. The seedcoats adhere closely to the flesh and cotyledons.
Doughlas – the fruit is obovate to pyriform, necked and medium-sized. The skin is smooth,
glossy, deep purple with yellow dots when ripe, thin, adhering closely to flesh but easily peel
off. The flesh is creamy yellow, firm with rich flavor and quality. The seed is broad conical to
oval, loose and the seedcoats adhering closely to the cotyledons.
Vega – this wariety was introduced from Cuba in 1906. the fruit is obovate to broad pyriform
and medium-sized. The skin is rough, glossy, yellowish green with yellowish dots when ripe,
thick, separates from flesh coarse and brittle. The flesh is cream colored, with few fibers and
rich flavor and quality. The seed is heart-shaped and fits tightly in the cavity. The seedcoats
adhere closely to the flesh and cotyledons.
Cummins – the fruit is roundish oblate and small to medium-sized. The skin is rough, slightly
glossy, dark purple with yellow and russet sots when ripe, firm and separates readily from the
flesh. The flesh is firm, greenish yellow to pale yellow, and of good flavor and excellent quality.
The seed is broad, conical, medium-sized, and fits tightly in the cavity. The seedcoat adheres
closely to the flesh and cotyledons.
De Leon No. 1 – its fruit is ovoid, medium-sized (weighs about 330 g), and has round, purple
skin when ripe. The skin is medium thick and peels off easily. Flesh is medium thick and
yellowish in color. Seed is medium-sized and tight in the cavity.
Commodore – the fruit is obovate to pyriform and small. The skin is glossy, deep purple with
small yellow dots when ripe, coarsely granular, brittle and thin. The flesh is light yellow, rather
fibrous, with rich flavor and fair quality. The seed is broad, conical, small, fitting, tightly in the
cavity and with seedcoats adhering closely to the cotyledons.
Soil and Climatic Requirements
Soil – it can be grown over a wide range of soil types provided with adequate drainage. For best
production, deep, fertile, well-drained soils, particularly sandy or alluvial loam soils and have a
pH of neutral or slightly acid are suited for avocado.
Climate – a climate with alternating wet and dry season and with minimum annual rainfall
requirement of 750 – 1,000 mm is recommended.
It does not thrive well in places exposed to strong, excessively hot and dry winds.
Elevation –
West Indian Varieties – are very tender and are adapted to low and medium elevations up to
1,000 m above sea level.
Mexican Varieties – are the hardiest with respect to cold weather and can grow at elevations of
1,500 – 3,000 m above sea level.
Guatemalan Varieties – are intermediate and can grow at elevations of 1,000 – 2,000 m above
sea level.
Generally, avocado can grow well from sea level to about 1,500 m in places with short or no dry
season. Where dry season exceeds 4 to 5 months, irrigation is very important.
Cultural Requirements
Seed Selection and Germination – seed used should be obtained from healthy and vigorous
trees. Select large seeded fruits especially when intended for rootstocks to maintain seedlings
quality. It is recommended to plant it at once. If in case it cannot be planted/propagated
immediately, store it in the moist sand or sphagnum moss.
Seeds are sown with the pointed ends up and with about one-fourth of their length above soil
level. Germination starts 2-3 weeks from planting or sowing.
Care of Seedlings – the seedlings planted in containers should be provided with temporary
shade. Direct exposure to sunlight may injure the seeds and the emerging one.
Water the seedlings regularly and if the need arises, spray it with the recommended dosages of
pesticides to control pests.
Propagation – avocado can be propagated either sexually (by seeds) or asexually (by
marcotting, inarching, grafting, and budding). However, propagation through seeds is not
recommended for the resulting plants do not come true-to-type. Sexual propagation is good
only for seedling rootstocks.
Marcotting – marcotting is not recommended process, because it is laborious, slow and some
varieties do not respond well to this method. Besides, it takes 4 to 5 months of marcots to
produce roots.
Inarching – gives a very high percentage of success as good results can be obtained in both dry
and wet seasons. There is no need of special skills & tools. Among its advantages are tree to be
propagated must be near at hand, necessity of bringing the seedling to the branch to be
inarched. A relatively slow process, it takes 8 to 62 weeks or more to separate the inarches
from the tree. Inarching is recommended for small scale propagation only.
Tongue inarching is a modified form of inarching recommended for avocado. This method is the
combination of the ordinary inarching & tongue grafting. In this method, the line of contact
between the cambia of stock and scion is greatly increased, thereby shortening the period from
inarching to the rate of severing the inarched branches by 4 weeks or more. Those overgrown
seedlings not suitable for grafting and budding can be used. Tongue inarching is consider a
supplementary method for use during the rainy season when grafting and budding cannot be
done very successfully.
Cleft Grafting – this is recommended for larger scale propagation. Use rootstock about 6 to 12
months old with a stem as large as pencil. Select mature budstick with a well-developed
terminal buds.
Shield Budding – it is also recommended for larger propagation. This method is fast and
resulting plants are precarious, low spreading and uniform. Seedling stock for this purpose
should be about 23 – 30 cm tall and its stem is pencil-size. Select mature budwood to facilitate
easy bending.
Land Preparation
Backyard Planting – dig a hole wide and large enough to accommodate the ball of the planting
material.
Orchard Plantation – prepare the land thoroughly by plowing 2 to 3 times followed by two or
more harrowings until good a tilth is attained. Stake the field with the recommended distance
of planting.
Planting – transplant the planting materials when they are about 50 cm tall. The recommended
distance of planting is 9 meters apart accommodating 125 seedlings per hectare. Align the trees
in all directions and finally pack the base of the plant to let the root system recover early.
Planting can be done anytime of the year but the best time is during the onset of the rainy
season. If planted during dry season provide the seedlings with irrigation and partial shade.
Irrigation – in areas with distinct wet and dry seasons, water supply is very essential during dry
months, especially during the first 2 or 3 years of the trees. Young trees are very sensitive to
heat and water should be given regularly. Irrigate every two weeks.
Fertilization – in the absence of specific soil analysis, the general recommendation of
fertilization can be follows. Apply 100-200 g Ammonium Sulfate (or about 50-100 g Urea) per
tree, one month after planting. Apply the same amount every six months thereafter. The
amount of fertilizer should increase as the trees grow bigger. However, reduce the
recommendation when supplemented with manure or compost. At the start of fruiting, about
500 gm of complete fertilizer (14-14-14) should be applied per tree twice a year. For full bearing
trees (15 to 20 years old) apply at least 2 kg of complete fertilizer per tree per year. Half of the
amount should be applied at the start of the rainy season and the season half at the end of the
rainy season.
Pruning – avocado trees require only little training when properly established from the field.
Only those decayed or dead branches that hamper its growth should be pruned. These varieties
which have a vertical growth can be pruned judiciously to encourage horizontal growth.
However, pruning should be minimized when the trees start to bear fruits.
Intercropping and Covercropping – it is advantageous to use the vacant spaces in between the
main crop by planting bananas, coffee, papaya, pineapple or short season crops (e.g. corn,
mango) and vegetable (e.g. eggplant, tomato) crops. Intercropping contributes income benefits,
helps improve the land through cultivation and suppresses the growth of weeds. Stop planting
intercrops when no longer feasible. Leguminous cover crops can be planted at this period.
Diseases and Their Control
The following are the major diseases of avocado:
Root Rot – caused by fungus Phytophthora cinnamomi. This is commonly infecting trees in
narrowly drained water logged areas as it attacks & rapidly kills the roots. The symptoms are
yellowing of leaves, sparse foliage, wilting of leaves, die back of shoots and eventually the
whole tree dies. The best method of control is the prevention of conditions conducive to the
growth of the fungus.
Anthracnose or Blackspot – this disease is caused by the fungus Colletotrichum gloesporioides
Penz. and attacks the twigs, leaves, flowers and fruits. This disease can be noticed when the
fruits start to ripen. Symptoms can be seen as brown or tan-colored spots on green colored
fruits and lighter spots on purple-colored fruits. Timely spraying with 4-4-100 Bordeaux mixture
or Copper Sulfate (3 lb/100 gallon of water) should be done in monthly intervals or 3 months
before the fruit matures. Frequent spraying is advisable when rainfall is heavy.
Cercospora Fruit Spot or Blotch – it is caused by the fungus Cercospora purpuren Cooke, and
produces a slightly brown to dark brown spots confined on the rind of the fruits. On the leaves,
the spots are angular, brown to chocolate brown and from irregular patches. This disease can
be controlled by spraying the fruits and leaves with 6-6-100 or 4-4-100 Bordeaux mixture or
wettable Cuprous Oxide (155 lb/100 gal. water) or basic Copper Sulfate (3 lb/100 gal. water).
Stem End Rot – caused by Diplodia natalensis Pole Evans. is a common disease of fruits in
transit which lead to huge losses. The rot starts at the stem end and develops as fruits soften.
Avoid wounding of the fruits during harvesting and packing to minimize the disease.
Scab – this disease is caused by Sphacelonia perseae Jerkins, and attacks fruits, young leaves,
and shoots. It is a circular to irregular spots, brown to purplish brown, later fading to light
brown. Scab can be sprayed with 6-6-100 Bordeaux mixture or wettable Cuprous Oxide (1.5
lb/100 gal. water) before the flowers appear during flowering, and 2 to 4 weeks later.
Insect Pests and Their Control
Mealybug (Planococcus lilacinus CKII)
It infects avocado as one of its many host plants. It is found on the young shoots or on the
peduncle of fruits, from which it sucks plant sap. Fruits may drop prematurely if heavily infested
by mealybugs. On avacado, it seldom needs control measures.
Moths
Avocado barkborer, Aegeria sp.
Often, a bearing avocado tree may be found with a trunk-wound oozing with jelled plant sap in
which may be found caterpillar excretal pellets this bleeding is caused by the larvae of a clear
winged moth Aegeria sp. The caterpillar feeds underneath the bark and may penetrate into the
wood. The attack trees become unthrifty and may break easily in strong wind
Control: Simply excuse the wound, extract the larvae and paint the wounded trunk with coal
tar.
Tussock Moth, Dasychira mendosa Hubner
The caterpillars feed on the leaves and/or on the flowers. These are voracious leaf/flower
feeders causing mild defoliation or extensure destruction of flowers. These are locally called
“tilas”. It has many host plants including guava, beans, pechay, santol, mango. Because of its
polyphagous natural enemy, a branchonid larvae parasite , Apanteles sp. If infestation is serious
enough, spray with appropriate insecticide
Atlas Moth, Attacus atlas Linn
Its caterpillar feed on the young and maturity leaves causing serious defoliation.
Control: Parasitized by Tricholygiabom bisum Bech, a large gray course-harred tiachinid fly. The
strategy is done this way. Upon sensing the presence of the adult fly parasite, the caterpillar
swings the anterior portion of the its body continuously from side to side to discourage the fly
from approaching nevertheless, the fly will mount at the back of the caterpillars and lay many
eggs, individually glued on the back of the caterpillar. The parasite maggots that hatch from the
egg penetrate into and completely consume the inside tissues of the caterpillar which die in the
cocoon before it could actually pupate. The maggot get out of the dead caterpillar and pupate
inside the cocoon.
Bugs (Helopeltis vakeri Pop)
It infests the tender shoots and young fruits. The area around where it has fed collapses and
turn black. Severely damaged young shoots die back.
Can be controlled with appropriate insecticide spray, if necessary.
Fruit fly (Dacus dorsalis Hendel)
Usually attack the fruits that are left to ripen on the tree. Fruit oviposites their eggs on the fruits
and larvae destroy the fruits making them unfit for human consumption. This can be controlled
by spraying any insecticides.
Harvesting, Packing and Marketing
Seedling tree bear fruits in 4 to 5 years after planting. Asexually propagated ones come into
bearing much earlier.
Fruits are harvested from April to September and from one season to the next depending on
the size of the previous crop, condition and flowering season.
Full bearing avacado tree may yield from a few to as much as 1, 200 fruits per crop year. An
average of 500-600 fruits a year may be considered a fair yield.
The fruits of avocado are very perishable and it needs great care during harvesting operation.
Fruit maturity is indicated by the appearance of reddish streaks in the case of purple varieties
and green to light green on green varieties. Another indication of maturity is when the fruit
produces a hallow-sound when tapped with the fingers.
Harvesting should be done by using a picking pole with a wire hook a net basket attached to its
end to avoid injury of fruits.
Fruits should be placed in basket or box lined with packing materials such as dried straw,
banana leaves, etc. for short distant shipment. For long distant shipment, the fruits should be
packed individually with soft paper and packed in a single layered boxes.
Outlets are local markets and near-by stores. It can also be sold direct to processors or
processing companies interested in the product.