Hass avocado farming is gaining popularity in Kenya and the entire world day by day. Grow yours today and you will never regret as the demand of the fruit keeps on rising. Be patient about seeing fruit. If you have purchased and planted our seedlings, you can probably expect to see your first fruit 2-3 years after planting. If you are growing from seed, it can take anywhere from 5 to 13 years before the tree is mature enough to set fruit. When the tree does flower, expect a lot of flowers to fall from the tree without setting fruit. This is natural. Patience pays, however with our certified seedlings you don’t have to wait for long.

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How to Plant

• Before you plant, ensure your cultivar is right for you and your site and for you – they vary significantly including tree height, hardiness, fruit flavor, ripening and harvest time, and more.
• New trees should be planted on mounds 18 inches to two feet high, and six feet across, even when you have fast draining soil. Use a lot of compost manure in the planting hole, and the more mulch the better: With their shallow roots, avocados thrive in deep mulch. Never rake up the leaves – leave the leaves where they fall.
• Avocados do not do well in containers – they should be planted on the ground. To keep your avocado under eight feet, prune annually and don’t let it get out of hand.

Heat and Cold Protection

• Weather over 35 degrees Celsius may deter fruit set. Keep trees especially well-watered when it’s hot.
• If the temperature drops below 0 degrees Celsius, We recommend you put coffee hulls (available for free from coffee roasters), straw, leaves or another kind of mulch to cover the trunk six inches above the bud graft and/or cover with nursery cloth.
• If your tree suffers frost damage, the top of the tree may look dead. Dead material protects the lower branches from freezing. In spring, the dead stuff falls off and the new growth comes out.

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Pollination

• Bees are the prime pollinators of avocados. We recommend boosting their numbers in and around the trees during their flowering period to increase fruit set. Try bee-loving plants such as rosemary, or establish a hive near your trees.
• Planting both an A type such as Hass and a B type cultivar such as Fuerte, may dramatically increase fruit set
Site Selection
• If you grow a more tender variety outside your recommended zone, protect the trees when they are young and find a favorable microclimate on your site.
o Plant on slopes. This allows for excellent drainage to prevent root rot and increase frost protection because cold air sinks and accumulates on valley floors, bypassing the trees
o Avocados can do beautifully in the flats, especially in low frost areas with good sun and mild summers.
o Given the right care and conditions, Hass cultivars can grow and bear inland.

Harvesting Tips

• The best place to store fruit is on the tree. Some varieties hold their fruit well for up to six months, while others don’t. Picking fruit only when needed may extend the harvest period for many months. The longer avocados sit on the tree the higher the oil content.
• Avocados are mature before picking, but not ready to eat. They must be softened off the tree. The softening process takes from a few days to a week or even longer. To keep them from ripening, refrigerate them. To speed up ripening, put them in a paper bag with an apple or a banana.
• Given the space, you can harvest all year round by planting varieties that ripen successively, since different avocado varieties flower and set fruit at different times.
• Once avocados get really big, they are unruly. To harvest, you must climb up to the tree’s extremities with your fruit picker.
• For easy harvest, keep trees below 12 feet.

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Learn from the best, contact us and we will advise you as well as provide you with seedlings.