How To Grow A Cold-Hardy Avocado Tree--OUTDOORS--In Vancouver, Canada

[georgestancliffe]

For the past 2 years, I've been growing Avocado trees in Vancouver. I began growing them in pots. But last Spring, I planted 3 trees outdoors in the ground--permanently.

Last Spring I first planted Avocado seedlings Outdoors, in Vancouver, Canada.

One tree died instantly in late October when it got down to -3°C (26°F). The other 2 trees survived until early February when it reached -7°C ( 18°F). Fortunately, I had piled wood chips HIGH (about 8 inches deep) around the bases of all 3 trees, and the lower trunks of all 3 trees were still green and ALIVE when I exposed them this week. One of them is already sprouting new buds to replace the dead top.

8 inches of Wood Chips help insulate the Avocado tree trunk, and the roots, if it gets too cold.

The most exciting thing that happened recently was that a friend of mine in Burnaby (British Columbia, Canada) confessed to me that he has been growing TWO AVOCADO TREES in his back yard for 3 years--BY ACCIDENT--outdoors and without any protection at all from the weather! He and his father eat lots of Avocados. They toss their Avocado seeds into the compost in the backyard. Some of them sprout, and most of them die in the winter. But two trees have survived the past 3 winters! It has reached -8°C (18°F) on at least 2 or 3 occasions in the past 3 years.

So, my friend's accident has provided a viable strategy for anybody who wants to grow their own Avocado tree--OUTDOORS--in Vancouver, BC. It consists of 4 "steps:"

1. It’s really simple. Even a 10-year old child could succeed at this. And the cost is virtually nothing.

2. Just plant a lot of Avocado seeds. Many will sprout. Most will die in their first Winter. But 2% to 10% of them will be cold-hardy enough to survive the Vancouver, CANADA winter.

You can easily grow 10-15 Avocado seedlings in small peat pots and a plastic
container, and transplant them outdoors when the weather is appropriate.

3. It’s just a “numbers game.” Each seed is genetically different from all other Avocado seeds. Some are wired to be more cold-tolerant than others. So, if you plant many seeds, you’ll get a few that will naturally survive the cold weather that we have around here (There are a few rare Avocado trees that can survive a winter low of -10°C and still produce a crop of fruit the following Summer).

4. You’re already eating enough Avocados each year to get your own Cold-hardy Avocado tree… Stop wasting your seeds — PLANT THEM!

Close-up of an Avocado seedling in a small "dollar-store" peat pot. Notice that the roots
are already growing out of the bottom. This one is ready to stick into the ground, as-is!

I have posted a step-by-step article on Medium.com that explains how this can be done.

[click the link below if you want to read the entire article]
How To Grow A Cold-Hardy Avocado Tree--OUTDOORS--In Vancouver, Canada

I hope this helps inspire anyone else who wants to grow their own Avocado tree in West Coast Canada, or any other cooler area.

 

[luis_pr]

Even when the tree does not produce fruit, you would still end up with a nice looking tree, even indoors. But with more extremes weather-wise recently, always research what the lowest temperature has been in your area. You never want to underestimate Mother Nature. I am in Texas and in February 2021, our electricity grid operators definitely underestimated her as 30-year low temperatures arrived. Using record low information, devise a Plan A, Plan B and maybe even a Plan C for avocado tree protection should temperatures really tank near or to record lows... or below them. Just be prepared and definitely, enjoy the fruit if the tree produces!!! Thanks in advance for the information/link. I will print it to check it out.

 

[georgestancliffe]

Thanks, Louis_pr for your comment.

For those (like me) who won't give up on the idea of getting their own outdoor AVOCADO TREE in Vancouver, CANADA or Reyjkavic, ICELAND, here is an obvious idea that hasn't been floated about: Why not put up a simple, inexpensive, portable greenhouse?

This can be done for less than $100 USD.

(I know of at least one example of a simple, easily-assembled 2-meter high portable greenhouse that can be purchased online for less than $100 [worldwide shipping is available, but costs extra]).

Considering the fact that I paid $81 each for my two "Cold-hardy" Avocado trees at a local nursery (Stewart and Mexicola Grande varieties--both cold-hardy to -7°C), $100 is a reasonable price to pay to ensure that my trees will survive and produce fruit for many years to come, here in Vancouver, CANADA.

The advantage is this: Once you have a nice little greenhouse like this, you could use this to have some dedicated space for your Avocado tree in your yard or garden. And, even if we were to have a record cold Vancouver winter where it gets -20° C (-3°F) during the winter (the actual all-time record Vancouver winter cold was -17.8°C (0°F) in 1968 and in 1950), you could easily keep your Avocado tree alive if it were a good, “cold-hardy variety.”

(This plan could even be a workable solution to growing Avocado trees elsewhere in CANADA, like Alberta, Ontario, etc. The only difference, is that during the really cold weather, you'd have to work harder to keep the temperature above -7°C.)

Here’s an example of how you could achieve this:

Let’s say that on a cold winter’s night in Vancouver, it will get -20°C (-3°F). If you have a cold-hardy Avocado tree that will withstand -7°C (20°F)(ie. Stewart or Mexicola Grande varieties). You can easily set up some sort of source of gentle heat to provide some partial warmth within your tiny greenhouse that will raise the inside temperature to at least -7°C, so that the Avocado tree within it will survive the deep freeze outside. (You don’t have to raise the temperature in the greenhouse to be above freezing. You only have to raise it enough to prevent the Avocado tree from dying)

Possible sources of gentle heat: 1. Heating mats, 2. electric blanket(s), 3. Christmas lights (the old ones that give out some heat — not the new LED lights)

One advantage of planting your Avocado tree outdoors and then having a nice little greenhouse surrounding it, is that your tree would be able to grow much larger than it would if you were to keep it in the house (in a large pot). Obviously, by being in this greenhouse, your Avocado tree would now be able to grow up to about 7 feet high on one side, and would be able to produce up to 75 or even 100 fruits in a good year. This would be plenty of fruit for 1 family. And would even give you enough to share with a few friends.

Another advantage is that, by having the greenhouse around the Avocado tree, it will blossom earlier in the year than it normally would, and would therefore produce a crop earlier in the season than would otherwise be possible. For clever people who have enough space in their yard or property, they could set up 2 or 3 of these greenhouses, and plant different varieties of Avocado trees, thereby giving themselves varieties that will ripen at different times. That way, they will extend the timeframe where they can go outside and pick a continuous supply of fresh Avocados in Vancouver (or Reyjkavic, or London, etc).

This harvest season could begin as early as August with some varieties and continue into December or later for other varieties.

Really, the sky's the limit. And it's so easy to accomplish!

What's stopping you?

--George Stancliff