Water, Soil and Nutrient Needs
Avocado trees have a shallow root system. This means that the roots grow close to the surface. As they grow, they spread out away from the base of the tree, rather than growing downward, deep into the ground. The roots are important to the tree because they take in the water and nutrients from the soil. They also hold up the tree.
The type of soil where avocados grow is very important. It will determine how often the trees need to be irrigated.
Avocado trees like soil that holds some water, but they also like soil that is well drained. Trees that get too much water will drop fruit. Excess water will leach (wash out) nutrients from the soil around the roots. It can also cause root rot.
A sandy soil drains water well. However, if the soil is too sandy, it may dry out quickly. Trees that do not get enough water will produce small avocados and drop fruit. Growers check the soil moisture regularly to make sure that the soil is not too wet or too dry. Because they have shallow roots, the soil around the roots can dry out quickly. This is especially true in hot and/or windy weather.
How much water an avocado tree needs also depends on its size. Large trees need more water than small trees. This is because they have many, many leaves, which make food for the tree through photosynthesis. The leaves contain water and chlorophyll. They work with energy from the sun to make the food.
Avocados naturally shed leaves on the ground around themselves. This forms a blanket that protects the shallow roots from getting too hot or cold. The blanket of dead leaves is also called mulch. This mulch prevents the water from evaporating and keeps the soil moist. When heavy rains come, unprotected soil could be washed away. This could cause the shallow roots of the avocado trees to be exposed. This damage is called soil erosion. The mulch around the trees helps prevent soil erosion.
Avocado trees also need nitrogen, zinc, and other nutrients. The growers can have tests done to see if the trees need any nutrients. These tests can also tell if they have too much of a nutrient. Growers can also tell that the tree needs attention by the color of the leaves. For example, yellow leaves indicate that the tree may need iron.
Avocados also need space to grow. They need at least 10 feet in all directions. Trees that are crowded do not get the light that they need to grow and produce fruit properly.
Resources and Fun Reading
- www.avocados.org Click on CAL'S KIDS to find fun games and recipes.
- www.calavo.com Click on operations, then on growing, harvesting, packinghouse, or ripening for interesting pictures and descriptions.
Nutritional Information
Avocados are nutritious! Yes, avocados are high in fat. But, they are high in mono-saturated fat, which can lower cholesterol levels! Avocados are also high in protein, fiber and Vitamins A, C and E.
Fun Facts
Though usually thought to be a vegetable, the avocado is a fruit!
Early American settlers called avocados "alligator pears". This was because they couldn't pronounce the Spanish word for avocado, "aguacate. Later, Americans called them avocados for the same reason.
Sailors liked spicing up their shipboard food with avocados. They called them "midshipman's butter".
An experienced crew (8 people) can pick 20,000 pounds (10 tons!) of avocados in a day. That is a lot of guacamole!
Avocados have been around for a long time! Archaeologists in Peru have reportedly found avocado seeds buried with mummies dating back to 750 B.C.
85% of the avocados grown in California are Hass avocados. A California postman, Rudolph Hass, discovered the Hass avocado in La Habra, California with his children's help.
In Brazil, avocados are added to ice cream. In Japan, avocados are eaten in sushi rolls. In Mexico, people add them to soft tacos. In Israel, avocados are mashed and fed to babies. And, in Latin America, avocados are wrapped and given as wedding gifts.
A single California avocado tree can produce up to 1,000 avocados every year.
California raises 95% of the avocados grown in the U.S. and most of them grow between San Luis Obispo and San Diego.