"When my family first moved to Tavares in 1972, we had two to three standard citrus trees, a privacy grove of bananas at the back fence, and a 40-foot avocado tree in our backyard that towered over our house. Even the nearby magnolia tree was almost rivaled by the avocado tree with its beautiful, dark, reddish-green elliptical leaves and majestic stature. My 'bonnie' mother, born and raised in Scotland, had never eaten avocados growing up and as such, they were not a part of our 'meat and potato' meals. So the beautiful, emerald green fruit from the magnificent, asymmetrical tree was never picked and just fell to the ground where they were promptly eaten by 'Tootsie', our once thin beagle. She loved them so much that the only creatures she would share them with were the squirrels, and that is because she couldn't eat the squirrels while eating her avocados. It wasn't until I left home and found out about guacamole and nacho chips (and margaritas?) that I grew to love them. After that, I could not throw a party unless there was lots of guacamole bowls everywhere filled to the brim to be devoured by guests."

"Most everyone has witnessed the elementary science lesson of the toothpick in the avocado pit growing roots in a baby food jar. You may even remember seeing the flourishing jar in your sunniest classroom window. We learned at a young age how to root seed pits in water. Some people , such as my neighbor, still think avocados are grown this way… massive commercial farms with lots of vertical rows of little glass jars filled with avocado pits and white roots streaming from underneath. For all fruits trees, the best advice is not to grow one from seed. For the best-tasting and fastest fruit production, you should purchase most fruit trees that are grafted onto proper root-stock. If not, the plant could take up to 10 years to produce a good tasting fruit and ample harvest."

") are natives to tropical America and subtropical regions in the world. Varieties are known as 'races' with the three recognized indigenous 'races' to zones 9-10-11 being Guatemalan, Mexican, and West Indian. There are records of avocados being cultivated by pre-Columbian farmers who ensured that the avocado would become one of the most important fruits in tropical America. The first verified introduction of avocados to the United States was 1833 in Florida with California production starting in 1856. Avocados are also grown commercially in many other parts of the world including tropical Africa, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Israel, and Mexico."

"The varieties best suited for homeowners wanting to grow avocados in their backyards are the Mexican races, such as Winter Mexican, Lulu, Brogden, and Choquette. These fruit types are hardier, taste better, have a higher butter fat content and are more cold tolerant. Avocados can attain a mature height of 30' to 65' and are considered an evergreen. Different varieties can lose their leaves just before flowering but push out new leaves at the same time. The fruit is classified as a berry and consists of a single large seed that is covered with a buttery tasting pulp. Ripe fruit can be green, black, purple, or reddish, depending on the variety."

"Most varieties are self-pollinating, but they can be cross-pollinated, too. Self-pollination begins when there are two different stages of flowers on the tree. Mother Nature then blows her breezes across the flowers, blending the pollen together, which makes it become fruitful. Cross-pollination happens when large flying insects, such as bees and wasps, fly from flower to flower replicating the winds' action. If you have trouble getting fruit to fully develop on your trees, you may not have enough bees in your area. You can plant purple or white Mexican heather ("

") around your yard to encourage the bees to visit and 'do their thing'. Make sure you are not using harmful pesticides in your gardening practices, which will not only kill pests but beneficial insects as well."

"Avocados do not like wet or lowland areas. With our Florida limestone and sandy soils, avocados can have sufficient fruit production if maintained with a consistent and balanced fertilization routine. With new trees, it
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