Pancho Cold Hardy Avocado

Avocados have become the ‘must have’ food, but growing your own is a challenge if you don’t live in Florida – at least, it is if you don’t grow the Pancho Cold-Hardy Avocado Tree. This is undoubtedly the most cold-hardy Avocado tree available, growing well not just in zone 9, but even in warmer parts of zone 8, making these delicious fruits available to millions. This is not some weird, unappetizing variety either, no, the fruits of this tree are widely recognized as fantastic, with a delicious flavor, smooth flesh and all-round goodness. Yes, the fruits are relatively small, but big isn’t everything, and you might just need a couple extra for your guacamole or avocado-on-toast, but it’s worth it. Following the clusters of creamy-white flowers, you will see fruit in July and August, and by September they will be ready to harvest. The lime-green skin will have a flush of red on it when they are ready to harvest, and that is necessary while they are still hard – avocados only finish ripening once they are off the tree. This tree is self-fertile, so you don’t need another to harvest a good crop, and you should see fruit within 2 or 3 years of planting. It’s that easy. So throw away those plants you grew from stones of store-bought fruits – they take a decade to begin to flower and the tree won’t be hardy anyway, and invite Pancho into your garden – it’s a wise decision.

• Lime-green fruits filled with flavor-packed, creamy flesh
• Ready to harvest in September
• Fruits are small but abundant, so you won’t run short
• The most cold-hardy variety, growing in zone 8
• Easy to grow and self-fertile

Plant your Pancho Cold-Hardy Avocado Tree in full sun, in a sheltered spot. It is hardy to 18oF, so it will grow in most of zone 8. A spot about 8 feet from the south-facing wall of your house is ideal. Mix sand and rich compost into the planting spot, making a 12-inch mound, and plant on that. The soil must be well-drained. Use a high nitrogen fertilizer during the first growing season, and then switch to a balanced one from February to September for the life of your tree.