Avocado Flowers help (forum)

Mark starts with ...
Hi All

Needs some advice, my 5yr old Reed Avocado is booming along at the moment super healthy and covered in flowers.

Only trouble is that all my flowers are falling off I'm assuming before fruit set. Is there something I can do to prevent flower drops or is this plant doomed not to fruit this year? I do not have a companion plant nearby and was thinking out hand pollenation would that work? What causes flower drop? I'll be gutted not to get any fruit this year after all the love i gave it

Thanks

Mark

Time: 9th October 2011 3:52pm

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Original Post was last edited: 9th October 2011 3:58pm
About the Author Mark25
Sydney
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John Mc says...
Mark, hand pollination won't work if you are using the same flowers from the same tree. All the flowers are either male or female at the same time, all be it a narrow window of opportunity of cross over change of male to female flowers and vice versa depending on flower type. You will be far better off buying another avocado tree with the opposite "type" flower. Your Reed is known as a type A. You need a pollinator with a type B flower, namely a Sharwill or Fuerte or Bacon. Plant in reasonably close proximity and you will be plesently surprised next year.

I did an experiment with a first year flowering avo tree by placing an opposite type next to it(in a pot). I had baby avos all over the tree but removed them to get the tree better established.

Time: 9th October 2011 7:21pm

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About the Author JohnMc1
Warnervale NSW
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Ray says...
Thanks for above info; I have had the same problem, first in 2010 and now 2011 (October).
Sounds like another tree must be acquired.
I think that my tree is a Hass.
Perhaps suggest an alternate tree. Thanks Ray W

Time: 18th December 2011 4:42pm

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About the Author Ray8
Lakes Entrance Vic
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Mike says...
Ray Hass is and A and you need a B pollinator like fuerte or sharwill.They can be trimmed short and planted close enough for crowns to merge.

Time: 18th December 2011 5:48pm

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Jason says...
Ray and Mike, Sharwill is a really unknown case in Southern Victoria, I have one but it took a very long time (many years) to establish and has not fruited yet. However it's currently growing like a rocket so I should know if it will fruit or not here this time next year. For now to be sure you better go for Furete, I'd also say Bacon but since Fuerte flowers a little later (like Hass does) it's a better match.

For the first poster, Reed is even later to flower than Hass, Bacon would likely be finished flowering just when Reed is starting to get going

Time: 18th December 2011 8:25pm

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Original Post was last edited: 18th December 2011 8:27pm

About the Author Jason
Portland
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Brendan says...
Could be Anthracnose, http://www.annettemcfarlane.com/diseaseID.htm
and a lack of Potassium (K) is another reason flowers don't set fruit on avocados. Try adding extra Sulphate of Potash fertilizer.

Annette McFarlane also states, windy conditions, lack of water and deficiencies of Boron and Zinc are common causes of poor fruit set.

Time: 19th December 2011 8:58am

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Original Post was last edited: 20th December 2011 7:44am

About the Author Brendan
Mackay, Q
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Ray says...
Thanks all. I'll try the fertilisers first but propose to acquire a further tree for adjacent planting. thanks again Ray W

Time: 29th December 2011 10:09am

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About the Author Ray8
East Gippsland vic
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