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Avocado grows in regions with warm climates. Belongs to the genus Perseus, the Lavrov family. The well-known laurel is also one of them. More than 600 varieties of avocado are known. Other plant names: "American Persia", "Midshipmen Oil", "Agacat", "Aguacate". The people have an even stranger name - "Alligator's pear". After all, the fruit has an elongated, pear-shaped shape and is covered with a rough, green skin, in appearance resembling a crocodile skin.
Avocados are valuable for cooking, cosmetology, and perfumery. Fruits contain amino acids, fiber, iron, phosphorus, calcium. According to doctors, the exotic fruit is useful for digestive disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and oncology.
What does an avocado plant look like?
Avocado is an evergreen fruit tree. Has a wide crown. It grows in height from 6 to 18 m. The trunk is straight, 30-60 cm in diameter, branched to the top. The foliage is lanceolate, elliptical, leathery. The edges are pointed. The leaf plate is shiny. The upper side is dark green, the underside is whitish. Length - 35 cm. Leaves are saturated with essential oils, contain toxic substances. The green part of Mexican varieties smells like anise. For a short time, the avocado sheds its foliage, but the vegetative process does not stop, the tree continues to grow. This is influenced by weather conditions.
Avocado flowers are inconspicuous, small, bisexual. The color of the petals is light green or pale yellow. Inflorescences are collected in panicles. Flowering is usually abundant, but the ovaries are solitary. This is due to the complex process of pollination. To obtain a harvest, it is necessary that several types of avocados grow in one area at once. But so that the periods of flowering during growth do not intersect.
Fruits are pear-shaped, oval or almost round. There is a neck. Avocado grows 8-33 cm long, up to 15 cm wide. The weight of one fruit, depending on the variety, varies from 50 g to 2 kg. The skin is firm. The color is dark green, purple, yellow-green. Underneath is the edible pulp. Oily consistency, bright green color, soft texture. The pulp has a rich walnut aroma. In the center of the fruit there is a large seed, oval in shape and 5-6 cm long. The seed is hard, the shell is brown.
How avocado grows in nature
The avocado tree is easily adaptable to weather conditions and location. However, there are differences between the varieties:
- West Indian grows in a tropical climate, prefers a humid and hot atmospheric regime, especially during the period of fruit formation, flowering;
- Guatemalan varieties grow in mountainous areas, they are more resistant to negative factors and climatic changes;
- Mexican avocados are able to withstand even slight frosts, - 4-6 ° C. They grow quickly, but the size of the fruits is small.
In nature, the avocado tree grows well on red clay, limestone, volcanic loam. The main thing is the presence of drainage. The tree will not survive on excessively moist soil, areas of flooding, even temporary. Groundwater should be 9 m below the surface, then the root system develops fully. The less mineral salts in the water, the higher the yield of the tree. The pH is irrelevant. The soil must be loose, with adequate oxygen access.
The tree grows without problems in shady areas.Fruiting is possible only in open areas with intensive installation. In dry air, the pollination process is disrupted, which directly affects the yield. Avocado grows poorly in areas with cold winds.
In which countries does avocado grow
Botanists believe that the culture could have grown even among the ancient Greeks. The first mentions of it appeared in 1518-1520. The sailors compared the fruit to a peeled chestnut. It is difficult to pinpoint the country of origin of an avocado tree. Presumably it comes from the territory of modern Mexico. The Aztecs were an integral part of the national cuisine.
Israel can be considered the second homeland. There, avocados grew en masse, so the locals began to sell the fruit. It is known that seafarers brought fruits from the American continent to Indonesia, then to Brazil, and a couple of centuries later to Australia and Africa. European countries became interested in exotic culture only in the 19th century.
Natural area - tropics and subtropics. The avocado tree grows in Southeast Asia, the Philippines, Peru, Australia, Malaysia, Chile, USA. New Zealand, the countries of Central America, the Caribbean, Spain are not an exception. Different species grow in each region. Avocados are grown commercially in Mexico. It is the Mexican fruits that can be bought throughout the year in Europe.
Does avocado grow in Russia
In the summer season, avocados are also grown in Russia. However, only on the Black Sea coast.
It is worth noting that Mexican varieties are suitable for a temperate climate. There is no chance of getting the West Indian variety in Russia. Only if the tree grows in a year-round heated greenhouse. Which method to choose: planting a plant in open ground or growing in a container is determined depending on the weather conditions of a particular region.
If the temperature drops below -5-7 ° C in winter, containers must be used. When it gets cold, they are brought into greenhouses or warm rooms and cultivation is continued further. In this case, it is worth breeding dwarf varieties or you will have to systematically prune the tree. The tree is growing rapidly, so it is recommended to choose large containers or containers with wheels. Then it will be possible to move it freely, take it out to open areas in the warm season.
The growing shoots of a young tree are quite fragile, so an appropriate support is needed. This support will relieve the plant from deformation. In nature, the Mexican avocado grows in a cone shape. Trimming is performed in order to give a rounded contour to the crown. However, once the avocado tree has grown, pruning is no longer required.
During dry periods, soil monitoring is required. If the soil at a depth of 25 cm is dry and crumbles, then you need to water it immediately. When there is enough rainfall, there is no need to specifically moisten.
It is recommended to feed avocados once every 3-4 months. Mineral fertilizers or special complexes are optimal for feeding an exotic species. Mature trees need a moderate amount of nitrogen applied at the end of winter or early summer to grow vigorously.
There are amateur gardeners who are able to grow a whole tree from a bone. Seeds from purchased fruits show good results. You just need to make sure that the fruit is fully ripe. Avocado grows quickly, but does not tolerate transplanting well. Therefore, it is advisable to pick up a large pot at once for planting.
Before the first cold weather, the fruits must be plucked, regardless of the degree of ripeness.Overcooling, they will surely turn black and become unfit for human consumption. In the greenhouse, it is necessary to create favorable temperature and humidity parameters so that the tree continues to grow. You can cover the trunk with foam rubber or other insulation. A young culture that grows on the street must be wrapped in heat-retaining materials.
Avocado ripening season
Fruit ripening period is 6-18 months. This lengthy period depends on the variety and climatic conditions of the area where the avocado is growing. For example, six months are enough for Mexican varieties to ripen, and Guatemalan fruits grow for a long time and are fully ready only after 17-18 months from the moment of pollination. The tree blooms all year round on any continent. In Thailand, the avocado season begins in September-October. It is believed that the most delicious exotic fruits ripen from August to April.
Interestingly, the fruits continue to grow on the branches and gain volume even after they are fully ripe. And purple avocados acquire a juicy color long before they reach maturity. Final ripening does not occur while the exotic fruit is attached to the stalk, as it continues to grow. Ripening of fruits will occur at room temperature for another 10-14 days after the break.
The California fruit grows and is sold year-round, while the Florida fruit comes to market from fall to spring. Guatemalan avocados can be stored at + 5-7 ° C for up to a month and a half. Transportation of fruits is carried out at a temperature of + 4 ° C.
Solid fruits are chosen for commercial implementation. In contrast, Mexican avocados require immediate implementation as they lose color. Israeli avocados stop growing by November. It was during this period that the bulk enters the Russian market.
Unripe fruit is often sold on Thai counters. Firm to the touch, with firm flesh, and the taste is reminiscent of a green melon. Such a product must be in time. The ripeness of the fruit is determined by the state of the stalk. In a finished avocado, it stops growing and disappears, and the place under it becomes slightly darker. To speed up the process, the fruits are placed in one bag with bananas or apples. To keep it fresh longer, sprinkle the pulp along the plane of the cut with lemon or lime juice. Ripe avocado tastes like a puree of green herbs with butter and a hint of walnut. Use the fruits to prepare fresh salads, sauces
Conclusion
Avocado grows on a tall evergreen tree. Inside, the fruit has a large bone. It is considered a fruit, but chemical analysis shows that the exotic product is more similar to vegetables. The sugar content in the pulp is too little, but the energy value is high. Does not cause bright flavors. Prefers avocados to grow wild in tropical and subtropical climates. The main plantations are located in Indonesia. The climatic conditions of Russia do not make it possible to grow trees and, accordingly, grow avocados on an industrial scale, therefore, the supply of fruits is made from abroad.
