Avocado: species.
Avocado "American Perseus". In Latin, the name is: Pesea gratissima Gaertn or Pesea americana Miil. Plants of this species reach a height of 20 meters. The leaves are oval, all-edged, from the top they are dark-green shade glossy, and from below slightly bluish. Leaves of leaves 10 cm long. Avocado flowers are collected in inflorescences-panicle, they belong to bisexual flowers: stigma and anthers do not ripen at the same time. The fruits of this type of avocado are related to drupes. They are large, their length is about 20 cm. Their color is brown, dark green or red. The peduncle of avocado reaches 35 centimeters. The flesh of the fruit is very fleshy, fragrant, oily, creamy-yellow in color.
This kind of avocado grows in areas with a humid climate, the plant can be found on mountain slopes even at an altitude of 2400 m above sea level in the center of America and in Mexico.
Avocado is a very valuable fruit tree. The tender pulp of avocado contains about 30% of butter, many vitamins, proteins, sugars. Culture can be found in countries with subtropical and tropical climates. Varieties of avocados are very, very much.
Geographically, the Antilles, Guatemalan and Mexican varieties or races are distinguished.
The race is antilles. Flowers have the property to blossom from May to June, as well as in October and November. Leaves do not smell of anise. The fruit is large, reaching 600 grams, the shape of them resembles a pear, the skin of the fruit is thin. Fruits, basically, ripen during 8 months. They have a rather short stalk. These plants can be found in tropical areas in Central America.
Race of Guatemalan. The plants also do not smell of anise. The plant blooms in late May to mid-June. In the avocado of this variety, the fruits are also large, their mass reaches 600 grams. Their surface is slightly rough. The Guatemalan avocado grows in South Mexico and in Guatemala. In its cold-resistant properties, the plant is second only to the avocado of the Mexican race.
Race is Mexican. This race is characterized by fairly low trees, their height is only 12 meters, rarely 18. The leaves, if pounded, have a strong anise flavor. The plant blooms from the last days of March until the first days of June. The fruit is tender skin, they are 12 cm long and 7 cm in diameter. Their weight is about 300 g. The peduncle is rather short - from 3 cm. The fruits ripen in the first two months of autumn. Mexican avocado is referred to as subtropical plants. They can be found in the highlands of the center of America and in Mexico.
Avocado: leaving.
Avocados (the plant itself) is quite difficult to buy in specialized stores, but it can be grown independently from a simple bone.
The plant needs full light for its full growth, but it should not be directly exposed to the sun's rays, so it should be slightly shaded.
If there is a lot of free space and light, then the plant will give decorativeness, but hardly bloom. Not in nature avocado almost does not bloom.
In the spring and summer avocados need a high temperature, it should be even above room temperature. In autumn and winter, the most favorable temperature will be 20 degrees. If the temperature drops to 12 degrees, the avocado can discard the leaves.
In the spring and summer, when the avocado plant starts the vegetative period, it needs to be watered well. In winter and autumn, water it a little after the top layers of the earth in the pot a little dry.
Avocado is a plant that needs high humidity. It should be sprayed frequently, especially during the heating season. Water should not be cold. To increase the humidity, you can put a pot of avocado on a pallet with pebbles, expanded clay and wet moss. But the bottom should not reach the water.
In the spring and summer it needs to be fed once a couple of weeks with organic and mineral fertilizers. In winter and autumn, when there is a period of rest, it is not necessary to feed it.
While the plant is young, avocados must be transplanted every year. Adult plants are transplanted, of course, less often. The earth is made from a mixture of humus, turf and sand. The sod land should be twice as large as the other components.
These houseplants grow quite fast. He needs large pots.
Avocados for indoor maintenance can be grown from the bone, and also by vegetative budding.
Avocado: reproduction by means of seeds.
Choose only fresh seeds. We fill the pot with an earth substrate, we make a deepening, we put a seed, but its top should be no lower than the ground level. Cover the top with a cap of glass or a plastic bag, put it in the light, but so that there is no direct sun exposure. Maintain a temperature of about 21 degrees, moisten the substrate and air the room.
When the shoots appear, we remove the cap, when the shoots get stronger, they must be dived.
Avocado: reproduction by the method of budding.
This method is used in the spring (on 2-year seedlings with a germinating eye) or in the summer (a sleeping eye). The plants are not propagated by cuttings, because they almost do not take root.
Those plants that have been propagated by seeds begin to bloom for 8 years, and grafts - for 4.
Difficulties that may arise.
Often the tips of the leaves turn brown, then they brown all over and fly around. This is because of the dry air, so they need to be sprayed, especially during the heating season. The plant may not have enough moisture, so it should be watered more often and more abundantly.
The leaves can turn yellow and fall off due to a spider mites injury.
Leaves pale, lose color. So maybe because of lack of light. It is necessary to adjust the level of illumination. In winter, the plant may need backlighting.