Avocados a yummy treat

Avocado fruit has become a sought-after item of produce as it has become popular in many meals. There are so many options that you can have avocado for breakfast, lunch and dinner if you are so inclined.

The health qualities are widely known, being rich in mono-unsaturated oil, proteins, vitamins A and B; low in cholesterol and sugar; and containing a large amount of minerals.

The trees themselves have become very popular to grow as the home gardener has recognised that, given the right conditions, they are not a difficult tree to cultivate, thus ensuring one’s own plentiful supply of fresh avocados of good quality and avoiding the wild price fluctuations of store prices for the fruit.

Many people know the avocado variety Hass, and to a lesser extent Reed, which are sold widely throughout New Zealand, but there are also other

varieties that should be considered for the home garden. By planting several different varieties you will not only increase the flower pollination with better fruit set, but you will also have fruit throughout many months of the year as they ripen at different times.

An exciting recent release available to home gardeners is a dwarf growing variety called Cleopatra. This tree will maintain a mature size of about 3m x 3m rather than 10-12m of other varieties.

Cleopatra produces medium-sized pearshaped black fruit with a shiny skin and has yellow flesh of creamy rich flavour. The skin turns black prior to harvest. The fruit, which is larger than Hass, matures from July to December.

Cleopatra is partially self-fertile; the presence of a Hass or Reed variety will improve fruit set if it proves necessary.

There is good range of avocado trees available at the moment — why not treat yourself or give one as a gift this Christmas.