Description
Shop the cold hardy Winter Mexican avocado. This hybrid between Mexican and Guatemalan varieties has a sweet flavor and creamy texture.
The Winter Mexican avocado is a hybrid between Mexican and Guatemalan avocado varieties and has both cold and heat tolerance, unlike most Mexican subspecies. They can be grown in areas that do not dip below 20 degrees, giving you more options than most common varieties that thrive in the heat.
The Winter Mexican avocado tree has both high cold and heat tolerance. The fruits they bear are usually medium-sized (12 to 18 oz), with tender skin and a dark green color. With their high healthy fat content, they have firm flesh and a sweet, creamy texture. The tree can grow very tall (up to 40 ft.) in favorable conditions.
The Winter Mexican avocado trees bear fruit from December through January. USDA zones 4–11 are best suited if the plant is grown on a patio, and 8–11 if grown outdoors. Once mature, the cold-hardy avocado tree has a thin narrow trunk, gray bark, and a spreading canopy of green leaves with a delicious licorice smell when crushed.
Winter Mexican Avocado Care
Before planting, keep the avocado in the pot until spring when the soil is warmer, and keep it away from frost or freeze. Choose an area that receives full sunlight and not too much wind. Ideally, the tree should be planted on the south side of your house for the best exposure and receive at least six hours of full sunlight per day.
Winter Mexican Avocado trees need to be watered every two days for the first few weeks and twice a week for the next few months. After that, you can water them once every seven to ten days.
They thrive in well-drained soil, preferably sandy or loamy. You may want to avoid clay soils for best results. Before watering, make sure the soil is dry to avoid getting it soggy and damaging the roots. Water until the top one or two inches of soil are humid.
Winter Mexican avocado trees need to be fertilized with an avocado-type fertilizer in spring or summer and once again in fall for healthy growth. They are self-fertile with both male and female flowers, so you don’t need to produce more than one fruit to fertilize.
Winter Mexican Avocado Fruit and Harvesting
The trees will start bearing fruit about three years after planting, so be patient. Fruits are usually ready to harvest in September and turn dark purple (almost black) while still on the tree. They have a high healthy fat content with a deliciously rich, nutty flavor. Also, if you’re feeling adventurous, the skin is completely edible, so don’t knock it till you try it!
Winter Mexican avocados do not ripen on the tree, nor do they fall from it when ready. Wait until it is soft enough for best consumption, typically three days to two weeks after picking. If the fruit doesn’t soften after that period, try again every week until you get the right softening and taste.
Typically, Mexican varieties such as the Winter Mexican Avocado have thin, fragile skin and do not last long in storage.
Winter Mexican Avocado Advice
Winter Mexican avocado trees need protection from frost, freezes, and sunlight for the first couple of years. Watch out for freeze forecasts and apply extra soil around the trunk for added protection. Make sure to water effectively two to three days before the temperature gets cold.
The green tissue on the stems and bark of your avocado tree is susceptible to sunburn, and young trees do not have enough leaves to provide shade. Special care is required to prevent sunburn in the first couple of years after planting.
Pay close attention to the watering of your Winter Mexican avocado trees. Overwatering can create root rot. You can prevent this from happening by digging a hole a few inches deep and testing the soil by squeezing it to make sure it is dry enough to water.
You may not need to water the tree during the winter rainy season. Just check on the soil every now and then if it doesn’t rain for a prolonged period.
As far as fertilizing goes, start feeding your young tree four times a year after one year of growth using an avocado fertilizer. When blooming fruit is set, you can stop fertilizing altogether.
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