Capitum

Hi all-

was just thinking about getting a cold hardy avacado; depending on where I look I see varieties such as
Brogdon, Ettinger, Gainesville, Mexicola, Winter Mexican, Stewart, and Zutano. My temps do reach 20F so I do need one of these most cold hardy plants (well, two for cross pollination). Does anyone here have a recommendation for a reputable and inexpensive source for grafted plants?

Thanks!

edwmax

Call and talk to the folks at Chestnuthill Tree Farm in Alachua, Fla. Ask their recommendation. ... I think you will need a Little Joey (15 - 18 deg F)

Cold-Hardy Avocados Trees

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37.667910

If you read there full description it clearly says young trees will only survive 30-32F.
To be honest, I don't think you'll find an Advacado that will survive (and fruit) with temps to 20f. I never get below 25f here in 9B and I don't chance growing them.

Quote from the site: (My Bold)
Cold Protection
Make sure you plant them on the south face of a building, or underneath overhead canopy, much like protecting citrus. Avocado trees in the home landscape should be planted 25 to 30 feet apart or more. Placing freeze cloth over them during hard freezes also helps protect them. Another helpful technique is to mulch the plant above the graft union, so that it protects the rootstock and the graft from cold air (soil is warmer than air). The coldest temperatures listed per avocado variety depend on winter weather conditions. Some conditions such as age of the tree, elevation, moisture levels, relative humidity and wind speed can result in a variance of the temperatures listed. Please protect all young plants during temperatures in the mid 40's. Consider maintaining the height of your avocado tree to 20' x 20' to make an easier fruit harvest and to provide winter protection. Cold Temperature known to live: Mature 15 - 28° Young 30 - 32°

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Tytaylor77

I planted a Joey and a Fantastic last spring. $50 each! I covered them with a thick blanket about 5 times. One time I didn't cover it hit 32-33 or so and frost knocked the leaves off. Both are dead. It didn't work for me. I had one Mexicola I kept in the greenhouse left so I will see how it does this winter. I'm zone 8b by USDA. Zone 9 by other maps. It was a 60 year record winter but none of my citrus died. My lemons got knocked from 8' to 6' maybe. Prob lost 20-30% of their wood. I have pure sand here.

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150+ Varieties!!. See profile for list. Help me add more!

www.bananapups.com

edwmax

Actually, that is true with any grafted 'cold hardy' plant. They are only cold hardy when mature. The young limbs & trunk will freeze. ... ALL young plants need protection in their first few years. ... I asked a local nursery about avocados, I was told they stop selling them for that very reason. Too many buyers expected their young plants to be cold hard and did not provide protection. Their plants died the first winter.

I found and bought a Little Joey last November at Lowes at 1/2 off reg. price. It is still in the 1 gallon pot and survived this past winter of low 20's (5 nights) with just a plastic trash bag over the foliage to prevent frost/freeze burn of the leaves.

Its has been in the last few years that UF studies of the new graft root stock of 'cold hardy' avocados, that these should do well in south Georgia and north Florida (8b/9a zone) once established and some protection is provided.

The OP is in Gainesville, Ga (280 miles north of me) and I know temps up there goes down to single digits and snow is not uncommon. So I have serious reservations of his being able to grow any avocado though the winters outside of a greenhouse.

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edwmax

Sorry you lost your trees. Try again.

... I need a companion tree to go with my Little joey. I may get and try a Brogdon and/or the Pancho. I understand these trees are self pollinating, but fruiting is increased when companion trees are present. ... The Chestnut Hill Nursery is only 80 or 90 miles from me. So I plan to drive down to get another avocado tree.

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Tytaylor77

My local walmart had fantastic and Joey last year. They were 39.99 if I remember right. Way smaller than the $50 ones I got from lowes. I just checked a few days ago but all they had was hass. 3-4 of the hass was in bloom!!

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150+ Varieties!!. See profile for list. Help me add more!

www.bananapups.com

37.667910

Exactly. That's why I went out of my way to stress to the OP to not waste his time. Or grow them in a pot. That's how I grow my Mango as well.

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edwmax

But your post seemed to indicate I failed to read and comprehend the avocado growing instructions. ... Your right, I didn't read it because I didn't need to. I already knew that.

I suggested the OP to call the nursery so they could make recommendations and explain that point. I didn't want to be the one to bust his bubble.

Now some avocados can be container grown and keep short for a patio (summer) & house plant (winter). The nursery can give growing instructions for this.

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37.667910

My bold was to stress not to gloss over the details.

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edwmax

I wasn't referring to the bold but to what you stated to me.

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