The Bacon Avocado Tree produces medium-sized, excellent quality avocados that are ready in mid-winter, as opposed to the summer crops of most other avocados. Bacon Avocado Trees are medium in stature, and reach mature heights of up to 20 feet tall, and 15 feet wide. They have glossy, deep green leaves that form a dense canopy and add a tropical look to any landscape.
Bacon Avocado Trees are somewhat cold-sensitive and are suited for growing in-ground in USDA Zones 8 to 11. The fruit is smooth, dark green, and is considered to be easy to peel. Bacon Avocados have a high ratio of flesh to seed and their taste is nutty and rich. Many avocado lovers consider the Bacon Avocado to be one of the finest tasting avocados.
In USDA Growing Zones 8 to 11, plant your Bacon Avocado Tree in the ground in a location that gets at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. Be sure that the ground drains easily and do not plant in a location that is prone to standing water. It is normal for small, young trees to produce a few blooms then shed their small fruits quickly. A healthy, grafted Bacon Avocado Tree growing in full sun with adequate water and nutrition should begin to hold and produce fruit within three or so years in the ground.
Bacon Avocado trees resent freezing weather and should be grown in a container in areas where freezing temperatures are typical in winter. The natural size of the Bacon Avocado tree make this possible, but you will still need a large pot with holes for drainage. Begin with a pot that is at least twice the size of the one the tree is currently growing in, then each year, re-pot until the tree is growing in a 15 gallon or larger container.
Bacon Avocados bloom in mid-season, and will produce literally millions of yellow-white flowers from March to May. Avocado blooms are a favorite of bees, ants, and other insects who feed on the nectar and help pollinate the Type-B blossom trees. It is normal for many blooms and small fruit to fall. However, the Bacon Avocado Tree is a prolific producer, and its heavy crop of fruit will mature to pick in mid-winter, in November and December.
Bacon Avocados can be picked once the fruit is oval shaped, smooth, deep green, and about the size of a fist, or larger. Once picked, the fruit will soften over a period of up to a week. Since Avocados do not ripen for eating until they are picked or fall from the tree, your tree can hold many fruits for you as you pick what you need throughout the season.
Bacon Avocado Trees do best in full-sun locations that have a good amount of airflow. They do not like to be crowded in by other foliage, restricted by walls or structures, or shaded by high canopy trees. Providing your Bacon Avocado Tree with a sunny location that has room for the tree to grow and for air to flow from all sides will not only help the tree produce the most avocados possible, but will also help prevent mold, mildew, and fungi from affecting the foliage and delicate blooms.
When the Bacon Avocado Tree is growing foliage in spring and summer, fertilize with avocado tree fertilizer once per month. Once blooms appear, reduce fertilizing to every other month. Stop fertilizing while full-sized fruit is on the tree and always water in any fertilizer applied. Bacon Avocado Trees can benefit from mulching with leaves, tree bark, or straw. Stack fresh mulch around the tree base out to the drip-edge of the farthest reaching branches. A good time to do this is after each feeding. Keep deep mulch 6 inches away from the tree trunk.
Bacon Avocado Trees do not require pruning to bloom or set fruit. You can prune before blooms appear to keep your tree at a desired size. Always prune and discard any dead branches that may appear.
Can you grow a Bacon Avocado Tree from a seed?
You can always plant and grow a Bacon Avocado seed for fun, but the resulting tree may grow an inferior fruit due to the wide range of genetic possibilities for trees growing outdoors. Also it can take 7 to 10 years to find out what the fruit quality is from a seed-grown avocado tree. Buying a grafted Bacon Avocado Tree is the best way to grow a quality fruit in the fastest amount of time.
Are Bacon Avocado Trees cold-hardy?
Bacon Avocado Trees can tolerate short bursts of temperatures below forty degrees, but freezing climates can damage fruit, leaves, and trees. The ideal location for this tree is within USDA Growing Zones 8 to 11.
How long will a picked Avocado last?
Avocados do not typically ripen on the tree. They mature to a point where, once picked, they will become soft and edible. Therefore, you can pick the fruit while it is still hard, and it can last up to a week before softening. This makes them great for shipping to friends or sharing in any way. When first picked, and for a time, they are sturdy and travel well.
